Ismaïla Sarr urges focus ahead of Palace clash with Burnley

Ismaïla Sarr has urged Crystal Palace to “stay focused” as they turn attention from derby celebrations to Wednesday night’s Premier League clash with Burnley at Selhurst Park.

The Senegal international heads into the fixture in confident mood after scoring the winner against Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium. That strike followed an equaliser at Nottingham Forest and capped a strong return from Africa Cup of Nations duty, where he helped Senegal lift the trophy earlier in 2026.

Despite the recent momentum, Sarr insists Palace cannot afford to lose concentration.

“I am very, very happy to have won this match,” Sarr said after the Brighton victory. “We needed to win because we haven't won a lot of matches recently.

“Last year I scored two goals and got an assist there. This year I managed to score. It's a derby against rivals, we won, so everyone is happy of course.

“But there are still a lot of matches left.”

Palace have taken four points from their last three league games since Sarr’s return to South London. Having followed their performances closely, there has been a noticeable lift in attacking directness when he is available.

However, Sarr is clear that recent success counts for little without consistency.

“If you win a match, you have to prepare for the next one a lot better,” he added. “To approach it well and win it for the fans, so we have to focus.

“The Brighton match is now behind us. We have to stay focused for the next match.”

Burnley arrive in south London sitting 19th in the table and fighting to climb out of the relegation zone. Their earlier meeting this season was tightly contested, with Palace edging a narrow win at Turf Moor courtesy of Daniel Muñoz’s goal and a resilient defensive display, including a key save from Dean Henderson.

Sarr missed that trip through injury but expects another challenging encounter.

“We will take it game by game,” he said. “The season is not over yet in the league or Europe. We will try to win as many matches as possible and we will see where that takes us at the end.”

Palace’s approach reflects a balance between ambition and caution. While recent performances suggest improvement, it remains too early to draw firm conclusions about their trajectory in both domestic and European competition.

Crystal Palace host Burnley at Selhurst Park on Wednesday evening, with kick-off at 19:30 GMT. A win would build momentum and potentially ease pressure in the middle of the table.

Maintaining defensive discipline while harnessing Sarr’s attacking form will be central to Palace’s plans as they look to string together consistent results in the weeks ahead.

Can Palace build on their derby win, or will Burnley’s survival fight prove decisive?