“It’s a huge advantage,” he told Sky Sports after the game. “The club, the atmosphere of the fans…the DNA of the football club is all about supporting the team.
“When we play at home we really feel that support, and it allows us to really perform. We went through a really difficult period in the game, especially in the second-half, and they had a couple of chances.
“But we kept defending well. [The] players were tired, but the big difference of course was the atmosphere and the fans being behind the players.”
Vieira was pleased with the team’s performance throughout the 90 minutes, as Palace refused to let Arsenal create without pressure.
“We did well, and we took our chances in a really important period,” he said. “We managed to score in a really important period of the game. It was a really good team performance today, and we are really pleased.
“We wanted to put the pressure on. The support and the atmosphere in the stadium allowed us to take that kind of risk. We didn’t want to let them develop their game.
“Especially in the first-half, I think we worked really well. I think we were really smart with the way we defended from up-front, and we managed to create chances and score goals.”
Conor Gallagher was once again tireless in midfield, with Vieira issuing special praise for the England international.
“This is the energy that he brings to the team – it allows other players to follow him behind,” he explained. “The majority of the time he is the one who starts the pressing and puts on the pressure.
“That really forces the players behind to follow and to reduce the distances between the lines. He is a massive player.
“There are a lot of people talking about the goals he has scored and that is good for the team, but the work ethic and the passion that he is showing every day is something that is a huge plus for us as a team.”