Oliver Glasner rejected suggestions that Crystal Palace should shape its team selection around Arsenal or Manchester City, after his lineup for Wednesday evening became the latest talking point in the title race. The Palace manager said he is paid to make decisions for his own club, not for either side fighting at the top.
Glasner responded to reports that he ought to weaken his team against Manchester City because he is expected to rotate again on the final day, before Palace head into a European final. Some coverage had even argued that if Palace were to rotate against City and then again against Arsenal, nobody could complain. Glasner was not interested in that logic. He said: “Nach Ihrer Frage habe ich auf meinen Gehaltszettel geschaut, um zu sehen, ob wir Geld von Arsenal oder City bekommen.” He added: “Ich konnte nichts finden.”
The Palace manager then drew the line in plain terms. “Ich bin für Crystal Palace verantwortlich, nicht für Arsenal und nicht für City,” he said. “Wir überlegen immer, was für uns am besten ist.” The debate has grown because Palace’s approach to squad rotation is being framed by some as a fairness issue, with their team selection now tied to Arsenal’s title chase and Manchester City’s position in it. Martin Samuel wrote in The Times that Glasner should field a weakened team against City, and argued that if Palace rotate against Manchester City and then against Arsenal, nobody could complain. He summed up that view with the line: “Es ist nicht Palaces Aufgabe, sich um City zu kümmern.”
That argument lands in a season where rotation is routine rather than unusual. Clubs change sides all year because of injuries, fixture congestion, priorities and form, and Palace are no exception. The timing matters because the club also has to keep players fresh for another match in 14 days, while balancing the demands of an upcoming European final. Earlier in the season, Burnley lost 1:5 at the Etihad Stadium, a reminder of how much one result can ripple through the table and fuel the next round of second-guessing.
Glasner has made his position clear: Palace will choose on the basis of Palace. In a title race that has drawn the club into arguments it did not start, that may be the only answer he was ever going to give.
