Can Palace sustain their success?

On a cold night in east Lancashire, Oliver Glasner trusted his players to show the kind of endeavour that will be required in the coming weeks, or at least until Crystal Palace are able to strengthen their squad.

This was their 23rd match of a gruelling campaign and came on the back of successive losses that had prompted Glasner to speak out over the club's lack of major summer transfer activity.

The players he does have at his disposal orchestrated a gusty win at Turf Moor, hardly laden with attacking prowess, but exemplary when out of possession.

Shorn of Ismaila Sarr, Glasner opted to make sure his team had control in midfeild, selecting Jefferson Lerma over the more forward-thinking Eddie Nketiah.

Glasner has a rigid system, and it is a shape that limits Nketiah's chances of starting when Jean-Philippe Mateta is the first choice centre-forward.

The goal Palace managed to score came from that midfield control. Marc Guehi has a fine ability to move into space in the left channel, overloading the midfield, and his crossing ability saw him supply the wicked cross for Daniel Munoz to head in brilliantly.

If Glasner is concerned over recruitment then he can have few qualms about the quality of recruitment when it does happen.

So often, Munoz looks as good as any wing-back in the Premier League. His running never ceases, a player others must be inspired by.

The same goes for Guehi - but there is so much graft in this team. They ground out this win with the England defender exceptional alongside band-mates Maxence Lacroix and Chris Richards. It is little wonder Palace concede so few goals away from home when those three together just close the door and stick a big 'No Entry' sign on it.

Such energy and tactical discipline runs through this Palace team and it is the reason they sit so high in the league. It is the reason Glasner has that trust - and it is the reason they bounced back from two disappointing results.

But can they sustain it? That is maybe the question looming over this team. Can they really make a Champions League spot or win another trophy? Glasner clearly sees so much potential and it is little wonder he just wants his squad to be given the best opportunity to do something special again in 2026.

That has to involve new signings in January to join this already talented team, just so he can have more options to maybe change his steadfast system or cover for key injuries, maybe even the departure of Guehi.

And there will be sterner tests than the one they experienced at Burnley.