Mitchell reveals half-time shift in focus at Chelsea
Tyrick Mitchell says Crystal Palace refocused on the opportunities within Sunday’s game against Chelsea at half-time – and that it paid dividends in the second 45.
The full-back celebrated his 25th birthday with an impressive performance in Palace’s 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, a hard-fought match which saw the Eagles claim a deserved point following Ebere Eze’s delightful goal after 53 minutes.
Mitchell told Palace TV: “It was a hard game. The first-half was very hard. They attacked us well. But I think in the second-half, we showed what we're capable of. We created many good chances and Ebs got the goal, so it was a good point.
“I feel like in the first-half, we knew what we could have done better, which was pressing them a bit better, and we knew if we pressed them a bit better, we would get the chances. The type of team they are, they attack very well, but they leave a lot of gaps, so it was just about exploiting those gaps.
“We knew that if we started [the second-half] fast and got a goal early, we could cause problems. Thankfully, Eze scored a wonderful goal, and then we just built on from there. We had a few good chances and we defended well, so it was good.
“Every stadium in the Premier League will be hard to play in, especially away from home. Chelsea are a massive club, so it’s good to get a point.”
Mitchell was also pleased for goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who excelled on Sunday afternoon, saying: “He's an amazing goalie. You can tell every week he's pulling off big saves.
“He's helping us, so it's good to know when you're a defender that sometimes when a team does get in behind you, that you've got a great goalie behind you.”
And on last week’s four new arrivals – none of whom were eligible to play at Stamford Bridge – Mitchell added: “We've got a squad full of great players, so it's good that the next game we'll have everyone there, so it’ll be exciting."