Being a club's record signing brings immense pressure, and for Jorgen Strand Larsen, the weight of his £48m price tag initially seemed too heavy. Since joining Crystal Palace from Wolverhampton Wanderers on 2 February, the Norwegian striker managed just three Premier League goals in 14 appearances. But his fourth goal, scored in Thursday's Europa Conference League semi-final first leg against Shakhtar Donetsk, may be his most significant yet.
Substitute Strand Larsen latched onto Daichi Kamada's pass in the 84th minute, broke into the box, and showed remarkable composure to sidestep a sliding defender before chipping the ball over the advancing goalkeeper. The strike gave Palace a 3-1 lead in Krakow, Poland, providing a crucial two-goal cushion ahead of the second leg at Selhurst Park on 7 May.
"If that was Harry Kane scoring that goal we would all be saying 'wow what a beautiful goal'," said former England midfielder Glenn Hoddle on TNT Sports. "The calmness and then to dink it into the corner—impressive."
Palace's forward line is proving formidable. Jean-Philippe Mateta has 13 goals this season despite wanting to leave, while Ismaila Sarr leads the Conference League scoring charts with eight goals. Sarr's opener against Shakhtar, scored after just 21 seconds, was the fastest goal in the competition's history.
"I needed that," admitted Strand Larsen, 26. "Two good players fighting for one spot, but to come in and score is amazing. We know the structure of the manager and the team."
Palace's European run has showcased a team stepping up collectively. Kamada, who hadn't scored since October, restored Palace's lead with a composed finish before Strand Larsen's highlight-reel goal sealed the win.