Bournemouth delivered a dominant performance against Crystal Palace, leaving manager Oliver Glasner with plenty to reflect on after the 3-0 defeat. The Eagles boss didn't mince words, admitting his side ran out of steam following their midweek heroics against Shakhtar Donetsk.

"The tank was empty, we could see it," Glasner told Sky Sports. "The players tried, and in the second half we were much better—it was a game on the same level. But in the first half, it was too much, and we couldn't get the turnaround from Thursday evening."

The match highlighted a stark contrast in energy and execution. While Bournemouth pressed relentlessly, Palace struggled to find their rhythm, making uncharacteristic errors at set pieces and in possession. Glasner was quick to defend his squad, emphasizing that fatigue—not lack of effort—was the culprit.

"It's not to blame anyone. It was just really overwhelming for us, this match and the win against Shakhtar Donetsk. Overall, Bournemouth were much better," he added.

The three half-time substitutions were pre-planned, with attackers who featured on Thursday limited to 45 minutes. Will Hughes, a key option, was sidelined due to illness. At the break, Glasner's message was clear: "The first half wasn't us. It's time to show in the second half that we can do better and play more in front."

Despite having 50% possession in the first half, Palace failed to register a single shot—a first in a Premier League game since August 2021 against Chelsea. Glasner pinpointed the tactical flaw: "Against a team that presses like Bournemouth, playing square passes around their box doesn't make sense—but that's what we did."

The Eagles also conceded their seventh penalty of the season, the most in a single campaign in club history and tied for the league lead. It's a stat that underscores a challenging run of form.

Looking ahead, Glasner remains confident in his squad's resilience. "We made too many mistakes. It's not that we wanted to do this, but we have to accept it. Now we will recover and prepare for Thursday. It is maybe the biggest match in the club's history. I trust these players completely. They have shown they can play better, and I know they will find the focus."

With a grueling schedule and the weight of a long season, Palace will need to dig deep. As Glasner noted, "It's not an excuse, but we travelled back to London on Friday and then to Bournemouth yesterday. It's a lot at the end of a long season. None of our players have ever experienced anything like this."