Crystal Palace shows WSL pedigree with historic victory and youthful promise | Crystal Palace Women

AIt is the small but proud group of traveling Crystal Palace supporters at the King Power Stadium on Sunday, waving their two oversized blue and red flags in the air as their players celebrated in front of them, soaked in the moment of witnessing the their team’s victory During a Women’s Super League match for the first time, Leicester City head coach Amandine Miquel, who was standing 50 yards to their right, made a very honest admission.

“I had the feeling today that some of us may have underestimated their team and we shouldn’t do that because the competition is very strong and there is no easy match,” Miquel told The Guardian, as she reviewed her Leicester’s performance players discussed in their 2-0 defeat against the Leicester City. new kids on the block in the WSL. And if they had underestimated Palace, they were certainly not alone.

After all, the team heavily tipped to return straight to the Championship had only cemented their status as relegation favorites by conceding eleven goals in the first two games. But after Sunday’s performance in the East Midlands, anyone who thought 4-0 and 7-0 defeats in the first two games against Tottenham and at home to Chelsea were a sure sign that newly promoted Palace were doomed to failure this season. a reconsideration.

This was not a victory against the wall for Laura Kaminski’s team. It was a well-deserved, refined victory, built on hard work on the ball, quality in possession and two well-taken goals from 23-year-old former Leicester striker Annabel Blanchard.

“Annabel was excellent for us last season and I had to keep my feet on the ground because she left the Championship as probably one of the best players I think the Championship has ever seen, but bringing that to the world The Phase of the Women’s Super League is extremely difficult,” said Kaminski. Blanchard scored 11 times in 17 starts in the Championship last season as Palace won the second-tier title.

“I think she’s had a tough two weeks, she had a bumpy ride in the first two league games, but she’s really shown that she can transfer this to the WSL. I am so happy and proud for her because I know how much those goals meant to her and to us as a group.”

However, it wasn’t just Blanchard who impressed. Former Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Gotham FC striker Katie Stengel, a summer signing for Kaminski’s side, had the confidence to set up Blanchard’s opener with a back heel, and her movements were a constant threat for Leicester. Only a great fingertip save from Janina Leitzig prevented Stengel from increasing the score further. At 32, Stengel’s experience could prove invaluable to Palace’s survival bid. But there is also a mix of youngsters who are given the opportunity to shine in the top flight by Kaminski and grab the opportunity with both hands.

18-year-old England youth international Lexi Potter, on loan from Chelsea, performed like a seasoned veteran in the heart of the visitors’ midfield, showing clever positioning and orchestrating moves from Palace’s own half with her composure on the ball. and looks every bit the consummate No. 6.

“What a talent,” Kaminski added. “We are very lucky to have her here. Maturity is the key word.

‘She has taken important steps today. There have been important things I have worked on with her, for example one-on-one duels, headers and the rough side of the game. We worked on that behind closed doors. And she has improved by leaps and bounds. She applied that really well. In recent weeks her performances have not been quite where she wanted, but we have supported her and I am so proud of her too.”

There were other standout performances too, not least the impressive presence of Danish defender Katrine Veje on the ball at the back, and after just three games Kaminski’s team will be encouraged by the fact that they have now won as many league games – one – as last season’s promoted side, Bristol City, managed throughout the campaign.

They still have a long way to go before they can forget the threat of relegation – at least 15 points has been something of an unofficial benchmark for survival since the WSL became a 22-match season – and Kaminski was determined to stay level-headed. when you speak after the match.

“I asked the players to remain steady when we lost, so now I definitely won’t ask them to celebrate too loudly,” she said. “It’s one game, but we have to take the positives and really keep trying to improve ourselves.”

It was just one win, but the statement it sent to every team in the bottom half, that Palace will not simply return to the Championship, is one their relegation rivals would take good note of.