Oliver Glasner admits Crystal Palace set-piece weakness before Arsenal clash

Crystal Palace head into Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal knowing there is little margin for error — and their manager has been candid about why.

Speaking ahead of the trip to the Emirates Stadium, Oliver Glasner admitted his side have been “weak” in one crucial area recently, acknowledging that set-piece defending must improve if Palace are to overcome Arsenal and reach the semi-finals.

The Eagles arrive in north London off the back of consecutive defeats, most recently a surprise loss to Leeds United in the Premier League. While that result dented momentum, it has not overshadowed what has otherwise been an encouraging start to the campaign.

A place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals would represent a major achievement — but Glasner knows Palace must address what went wrong at Elland Road.

“For me, there's always two possibilities to act when you're weak in defending set-pieces like we were [at Leeds],” Glasner explained.
“One is to have concerns and be worried about the next game… or it’s to see that there's a challenge.”

Rather than dwelling on mistakes, the Austrian has urged his players to adopt a positive, solution-focused approach.

“If we feel like victims or concerned and worried and scared, no chance,” Glasner said.
“It’s about taking the lessons and saying, ‘OK, we will do it better in three days.’ We know we can do it better. We showed this so often.”

With little time for tactical training between fixtures, Glasner stressed the importance of clarity and confidence — giving players clear solutions rather than fuelling anxiety.

The challenge facing Crystal Palace is clear. While Palace rank among the Premier League’s strongest sides for scoring from set-pieces, defending them has been an issue in recent weeks.

That weakness is particularly worrying against Arsenal, who are statistically the league’s most potent set-piece scorers.

“I think the game will be different to Leeds,” Glasner added. “Arsenal will have a few set-pieces. I know that we can defend them better. It’s not always about big problems — we have a chance to do it better.”

He pointed to Palace’s recent win over Brentford, where two set-piece goals proved decisive and defensive organisation was strong, as evidence his side are capable of responding.

Glasner believes the Arsenal clash presents an opportunity rather than a threat — a chance for Palace to grow under pressure and show resilience against elite opposition.

“It’s always a good challenge,” he said. “If we take this challenge, we can grow and learn from it. This will be our approach.”

Crystal Palace travel to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night aiming to reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals for the first time in several years. Arsenal are expected to rotate but still pose a significant threat, particularly from dead-ball situations.

For Palace, defensive discipline at set-pieces will likely decide whether their strong start to the season gains further momentum — or whether the cup run comes to an abrupt halt.

Can Palace rise to the set-piece challenge — or will Arsenal’s biggest weapon prove decisive?