Vicente Guaita ‘really important’ as Crystal Palace defeat Southampton at Selhurst Park

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira praised Vicente Guaita’s performance in their 1-0 win over Southampton.

Guaita arrived from Getafe on a free transfer in 2018 and has recorded 138 appearances for the Eagles during his time at Selhurst Park.

The Spanish shotstopper made four smart saves in the second half – denying Che Adams and Stuart Armstrong in quick succession – to ensure the South Londoners held on to their one-goal advantage.

“He was really important,” said Vieira. “You always expect the keeper to save you when you’re in a difficult situation.

“Overall, he made some really important saves that allowed us to win the game today.

When asked whether he believed that the arrival of Sam Johnstone in the summer had elevated Guaita’s performances to the next level, Vieira said: “We want to bring competition to every position.

“Vicente has been really consistent in his performances since I have been at this club.

“Today, he did really well for us.”

All of the Eagles’ three Premier League wins prior to Saturday’s kick-off had seen them go a goal down before coming back to secure all three points.

Against Southampton, Palace took the lead and held on to the win.

“It’s always good, but it’s difficult to control the game from the start to the end,” said Vieira when asked about breaking the pattern.

“You’re always going to go through difficult periods – it could be the first five minutes or the last 10 minutes. But it’s always about how you’re going to respond as a team.

“Having a clean sheet today means that we did really well as a team to defend.

“Accepting that you’re going through a difficult period means it is important to be behind the ball and waiting to get our momentum back. We did it well today.”

PICTURES: KEITH GILLARD