Crystal Palace 2025-26 summary: Top scorer, best moment, new signings and full verdict on Oliver Glasner's final campaign

From the implicit nadir of a non-league FA Cup exit to the axenic delirium of European glory, Crystal Palace's 2025-26 play provided capable play to past a lifetime.

A dismal mid-season slump threatened to derail their campaign, but Oliver Glasner masterfully engineered a fairytale decision to his tenure, rallying his broadside to a historic Conference League triumph in Leipzig that secured a 2nd large trophy successful 2 years.

Here, Sports Mole provides a afloat summary of Crystal Palace’s 2025-26 season.

Crystal Palace 2025-26 play summary

Crystal Palace began the 2025-26 play connected a existent precocious by beating reigning Premier League champions Liverpool connected penalties to assistance the Community Shield astatine Wembley, conscionable 3 months aft celebrating a historical FA Cup triumph astatine the location of football.

The Eagles carried their affirmative momentum into the caller Premier League campaign, launching a six-game unbeaten tally that included connection wins implicit Aston Villa (3-0) and Liverpool (2-1). They besides bushed Fredrikstad successful the Conference League playoff circular to seal their spot successful the League Phase.

However, Palace reluctantly bid farewell to prima playmaker Eberechi Eze astatine the extremity of August aft a £67.5m transportation to Arsenal was agreed. Glasner’s broadside were astatine slightest capable to support clasp of skipper Marc Guehi (for conscionable a small portion longer) arsenic a precocious determination to Liverpool failed to materialise.

Eze returned to haunt his erstwhile broadside successful October, scoring the victor successful a constrictive 1-0 triumph for the Gunners astatine the Emirates, but Palace responded good to that insignificant setback, arsenic they collected 13 points from their adjacent six games to ascent up to 4th successful the Premier League array astatine the opening of December.

On the continent, Conference League favourites Palace were made to enactment for their spot successful the knockout rounds. They acceptable a caller nine grounds of 19 games unbeaten successful each competitions (including results from the erstwhile season) erstwhile they bushed Dynamo Kiev 2-0 successful their opening European match, but they won conscionable 2 of their remaining 5 League Phase fixtures and had to settee for 10th spot successful the 36-team standings, forcing them to participate the knockout playoff round.

In their penultimate lucifer of 2025, Palace suffered different decision to Arsenal, this clip successful the EFL Cup quarter-finals having antecedently beaten Millwall and Liverpool - again - successful rounds 3 and four. This nonaccomplishment to the Gunners coincided with a winless nine-game tally successful the Premier League arsenic Palace’s run began to spiral retired of power astatine the opening of the New Year.

January was surely a chaotic period to hide for Palace supporters, who watched the FA Cup holders endure a daze decision to non-league Macclesfield successful the 3rd round. Glasner past dropped the bombshell quality that helium would beryllium leaving the nine astatine the extremity of the play earlier confirming Guehi’s £20m exit to Man City. Fan favourite Jean-Philippe Mateta, meanwhile, attempted to unit done a mid-season determination to AC Milan, though that woody collapsed owed to a failed medical.

Mateta staying did not halt Palace splurging a club-record £48m connected Jorgen Strand Larsen, conscionable a fewer weeks aft breaking their transportation grounds to motion Brennan Johnson for £35m. Those arrivals did not animate an contiguous upturn successful form, though, arsenic defeats to Newcastle, Sunderland and Chelsea contributed to Palace’s descent down to 15th spot successful the Premier League table.

Glasner’s nationalist disapproval of the Palace hierarchy sparked suggestions that helium could beryllium sacked earlier leaving arsenic planned successful the summer. However, pursuing talks with president Steve Parish, the Austrian expressed his “100% commitment” to the Eagles and tendency to extremity his last play astatine the nine connected a precocious with a European trophy.

It became wide during the 2nd fractional of the play that Palace were putting each their eggs successful the Conference League basket. Just 4 wins were posted successful their last 20 Premier League games, including a 1-0 occurrence implicit M23 rivals Brighton. Despite little fears of entering the relegation picture, the Eagles settled for 15th place, finishing six points supra the bottommost three.

In Europe, Palace navigated past Zrinjski Mostar successful the knockout playoff circular earlier gaining last-16 revenge implicit AEK Larnaca, who had antecedently beaten them successful the League Phase. Glasner’s men besides prevailed against two-time Conference League finalists Fiorentina successful the quarter-finals, earlier securing a 5-2 aggregate triumph implicit Shakhtar Donetsk successful the semi-finals.

Then came arguably the biggest nighttime successful Crystal Palace’s past - the Conference League showpiece against chap European last debutants Rayo Vallecano successful Leipzig. Just months aft being booed by the Selhurst Park faithful for requesting a transfer, Mateta’s ‘Boom Boom’ chant was bellowed retired by Palace supporters aft the striker netted the lone extremity successful a narrow 1-0 victory, securing the club’s 2nd large trophy successful arsenic galore years and Europa League shot for adjacent season.

Crystal Palace trophies won 2025-26

Courtesy of their FA Cup triumph past season, Crystal Palace faced Premier League holders Liverpool successful the 2026 Community Shield successful August - marking their debut successful the accepted curtain-raiser.

Goalkeeper Dean Henderson saved 2 penalties arsenic the Eagles won 3-2 successful a tense shootout pursuing a 2-2 gully successful 90 minutes astatine Wembley.

Glasner’s men were incapable to clasp the FA Cup, but they lived up to their billing arsenic Conference League favourites by lifting the trophy successful their archetypal ever play successful Europe.

Mateta’s close-range tap-in 5 minutes aft fractional clip was capable for Palace to borderline past Rayo Vallecano by 1-0 scoreline successful the final, with their triumph rewarded with a spot successful adjacent season’s Europa League.

Crystal Palace apical scorer 2025-26: Ismaila Sarr (21)

Ismaila Sarr has go conscionable the 2nd Crystal Palace subordinate to surpass the 20-goal people with the Eagles being a Premier League nine aft Andy Johnson (22) successful the 2004-05 season.

The Senegal planetary finished the 2025-26 run with a full of 21 goals successful 45 games crossed each competitions, including a tournament-high 9 strikes successful 13 games successful the Conference League to assertion the Golden Boot.

Sarr besides scored 9 goals successful 28 Premier League outings; six of those were netted successful the 2nd fractional of the season, including a brace successful a 3-1 distant triumph implicit Tottenham.

The 28-year-old produced a man-of-the-match show successful the EFL Cup 4th round, scoring doubly successful a 3-0 triumph against Liverpool astatine Anfield, portion helium besides recovered the nett successful a 2-1 FA Cup third-round decision to Macclesfield.

Crystal Palace's Player of the Season 2025-26: Ismaila Sarr

The likes of Adam Wharton and Tyrick Mitchell merit a peculiar mention, but it is hard to place apical scorer Ismaila Sarr arsenic Crystal Palace’s standout performer successful the 2025-26 season.

When the attacker represented Senegal during the Africa Cup of Nations midway done the season, his lack successful Glasner’s broadside was sorely felt. Upon his return, Sarr recovered a superb vein of scoring form, netting a team-high 13 goals successful 23 games from February to May.

Known arsenic a rapid, nonstop and versatile attacker, Sarr has excelled operating arsenic an precocious guardant successful down either Mateta oregon Strand Larsen up front. Without his goals, who knows whether the Eagles would person soared to European glory.

Crystal Palace's champion infinitesimal of the 2025-26 season

Palace’s 2025-26 play was an eventful 1 afloat of highs and lows, but their standout infinitesimal unquestionably came aft their 60th and last crippled of the run erstwhile they got their hands connected the Conference League trophy.

The roadworthy to Leipzig was arduous, but the Eagles supporters person thoroughly enjoyed their maiden European tour, with connection knockout wins implicit Fiorentina and Shakhtar Donetsk followed by their peculiar showpiece triumph implicit Rayo Vallecano.

Palace fans person been much accustomed to seeing galore of their London rivals lasting successful the spotlight, but it is present their clip to observe a historical achievement, with the nine pursuing successful the footsteps of West Ham and Chelsea by winning the Conference League.

Crystal Palace's biggest disappointment of the 2025-26 season

The pre-season fiasco that forced Crystal Palace to driblet down from the Europa League into the Conference League owed to multi-club ownership issues involving John Textor was a debased constituent for the club, but January was the period erstwhile the Eagles genuinely deed stone bottom.

Three defeats and 2 draws were recorded crossed 5 Premier League games, portion the daze decision to sixth-tier broadside Macclesfield successful the FA Cup represents the competition’s biggest giant-killing of each time, arsenic the non-league broadside were ranked 117 places beneath Palace successful the English shot pyramid.

The merchantability of skipper and cardinal defender Guehi for a cut-price £20m (with his declaration up successful the summer) soon followed, a determination that infuriated Glasner and fast-tracked his end-of-season exit announcement. Mateta’s privation to permission rubbed brackish into Palace’s wounds arsenic negativity sapped each the vigor retired of the Eagles.

Fortunately for the South Londoners, Glasner and Mateta settled their respective differences with the nine and were committed to ending the play connected a affirmative enactment by spearheading a historical continental complaint that culminated successful Conference League glory.

Oliver Glasner verdict - 2025-26 season

Crystal Palace had not won a azygous trophy successful their 120-year past up until 2025. Now they person 3 pieces of silverware successful their furniture acknowledgment to Oliver Glasner, who ‘changed the mode the nine thinks’ successful the words of Eagles fable Joel Ward.

Glasner has instilled a winning mentality astatine Selhurst Park since joining the Eagles successful February 2024, and the Austrian has present cemented his bequest by delivering the astir palmy play successful the club’s history.

The 51-year-old's determination to denote his end-of-season exit successful January ran the hazard of derailing Palace’s season. Instead, his squad galvanised down their departing manager to decorativeness the run successful historical manner with silverware successful Saxony.

Glasner has said that helium arrived astatine Selhurst Park arsenic a alien and volition permission arsenic a South Londoner – 1 everlastingly etched into the club’s folklore and 1 who volition beryllium hard to regenerate successful the summer.

Crystal Palace's caller signings 2025-26

Crystal Palace's summertime signings successful 2025:

Yeremy Pino (£26m, Villarreal)

Borna Sosa (£2m, Ajax)

Jaydee Canvot (undisclosed, Toulouse)

Walter Benitez (free)

Christianus Uche (loan, Getafe)

Crystal Palace's January signings successful 2026:

Brennan Johnson (£35m, Tottenham Hotspur)

Jorgen Strand Larsen (£48m, Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Evann Guessand (loan, Aston Villa)

Crystal Palace 2025-26 play rating

It has been a rollercoaster play for Crystal Palace, afloat of achy setbacks and magic moments, but the Eagles yet soared to historical heights by capturing some the Community Shield and the Conference League trophy.

Not galore would person envisaged Palace ending the play connected specified a precocious during a chaotic wintertime play erstwhile they plummeted down the Premier League array and exited the FA Cup successful embarrassing fashion.

Palace’s performances crossed those 2 competitions volition rapidly slice from memory, eclipsed wholly by a historical European triumph that beautifully vindicated their home struggles and guaranteed that Glasner bids farewell arsenic the club’s astir palmy manager.

It remains to beryllium seen whether the Eagles tin clasp their prima players successful the summertime and physique connected this play nether a caller manager, but astatine this contiguous moment, it has ne'er been a amended clip to enactment Crystal Palace, who are rightly feeling Glad All Over during a aureate epoch successful the club’s history.

Crystal Palace 2025-26 play rating: 8.5/10