Dean Henderson was full of admiration for the performance of his teammates at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night despite a late defeat from the penalty spot, as he reiterated his belief that positive results were just around the corner.
"The team set up and played really well,” Henderson told Palace TV. “We got the ball down, we passed it about, we showed some good courage to get on the ball and everyone to a man played really well.
“We created some good opportunities and we were unfortunate. Obviously, we had some breakaways and just lacked a bit of quality in the final third.
“To be honest, the kick in the teeth at the end with the penalty, it's really tough to take.”
Henderson says he believes Palace’s performance would have warranted all three points, let alone the draw that they were just minutes away from claiming.
“What I would say as well is that we're getting in these positions and hopefully it's going to click,” he explained. “I'm sure people can see we're playing really well at the moment.
“Things just aren't quite going our way. That’s football. It's unfortunate. It was almost like we'd have been disappointed with a draw and then we go on to lose the game somehow.
“It's really disappointing. I thought we defended really well as a unit today as well. I thought everyone to a man again was really good. Just that last bit and hopefully that'll come really soon.”
Now focus turns to the visit of Brentford to Selhurst Park on Saturday – the final home game of 2023.
“We've got the home support there,” Henderson said. “I think if we play like we did first-half the other night and obviously today and away at [Manchester] City, we've got a great chance of picking up a lot of points.
“We [have] just got to trust it and the luck will come.”
