Jørgen Strand Larsen masterclass shows squad depth can power Palace forward
Selhurst Park witnessed a statement of intent on Tuesday night as Crystal Palace eased past Middlesbrough with a dominant 3-0 victory to book their place in the Carabao Cup fourth round.
Pierre Sage made eight changes to his starting line-up following the weekend win over Fulham, yet the Eagles produced a clinical display that never looked in doubt. This performance offered a timely reminder of the growing strength in depth building in south London.
The Strand Larsen show lights up Selhurst Park
Jørgen Strand Larsen opened his account for the 2026/27 campaign in style, netting a brilliant brace of headers that left the Middlesbrough defence chasing shadows all evening.
The Norwegian frontman first raced onto Óscar Mingueza’s precise in-swinging cross from the right flank before glancing past Sol Brynn from close range. Minutes after the restart, Ben Chilwell turned provider with another pin-point delivery, allowing Strand Larsen to power a header home and double the advantage.
Speaking after the match, the striker highlighted the work put in behind the scenes on penalty-box movement. Defenders want to grab physical forwards, but smart positioning makes all the difference. When deliveries arrive with that kind of quality, goals follow naturally.
New arrivals stake their claim under Sage
Sage rotated heavily, handing full debuts to summer arrivals Óscar Mingueza, Honest Ahanor, and Dario Osorio.
Mingueza grabbed the chance with both hands, forging an instant understanding down the right channel to set up the opener. The former Celta Vigo full-back knows Strand Larsen’s game inside out, and that telepathic connection paid off immediately.
Chilwell added further weight to the left side, backing up his weekend winner against Fulham with a polished assist. Substitute Daichi Kamada then applied the gloss late on, stepping off the bench to produce an exquisite chip from outside the area over a rooted Brynn.
Momentum builds for sterner tests ahead
Middlesbrough arrived with ambitions of an upset and eight rotations of their own, but Kim Hellberg’s side simply could not cope with Palace’s intensity. Championship joint-top scorer Will Lankshear remained tethered to the bench until the second half, by which point the tie was effectively settled.
Nights like this underline the value of a squad firing on all cylinders. Sage demands competition across every position, and fringe players answered the call emphatically.
With a fourth-round Carabao Cup spot secured and players finding form, Palace march into the next round with momentum and belief.
Comments.
Loading comments…