Palace suffer back-to-back 1-0 losses as finishing woes persist

Crystal Palace’s recent scoring struggles were laid bare this week as the south London club suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat to AEK Larnaca in the Europa Conference League on Thursday and followed that with a 1-0 loss at Arsenal on Sunday. The losses extended a run of three games without a win in all competitions and intensified scrutiny of Palace’s finishing and in‑game management.

At Selhurst Park, Riad Bajic’s 51st minute goal proved decisive as AEK Larnaca, the Cypriot cup holders, frustrated Palace’s attempts to convert pressure into goals. Jean‑Philippe Mateta came closest for the hosts, clipping the crossbar before half time, and Palace registered 15 shots with only one on target. The deadlock was broken when an error by Jaydee Canvots allowed Larnaca to take the lead. Manager Oliver Glasner declined to single out the young player, saying after the match that mistakes are part of development and that the squad would support him.

The defeat followed a narrow loss at Arsenal, where former Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze, who left the club in the summer, scored the only goal. Glasner said the goal stemmed from a foul by new signing Yeremy Pino and suggested Pino’s late...