How Ismaila Sarr elevated his game to become Crystal Palace's Conference League hero

[p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/crystal-palace/AovF1Mia/"]Eagles[/a] are in a golden era as it stands, having gone from never winning a major trophy to claiming the FA Cup in 2025, the Community Shield shortly afterwards, and now a potential first piece of European glory.[/p][p]Palace have evolved to a new level under Oliver Glasner, and although fans might be experiencing these bits of silverware for the first time, they're no strangers to the maverick players that often play a huge role in such success.[/p][p]Over the past few years, Eagles fans have witnessed both [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eze-eberechi/Stf4BYFn/"]Eberechi Eze[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olise-michael/E5pvwqkK/"]Michael Olise[/a] tear up the competition, as well as perhaps the greatest star to ever feature for the club in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zaha-wilfried/YHEohwp4/"]Wilfried Zaha[/a].[/p][p]With all three of those moving on in the last two years, it's fitting that a new name has come to the fore for Palace as the spearhead of their Conference League campaign: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sarr-ismaila/ll2uTDkB/"]Ismaila Sarr[/a].[/p][embed guid="3e5f3055-7621-4128-81e7-bf7999400b1b" url="https://x.com/Conf_League/status/2058834204163535136" social-type="twitter" /][h2]21 goals in all competitions[/h2][p]Having to juggle a European schedule can make or break some players, and while the overarching effect has been felt by Palace with a 15th-place finish in the Premier League, Sarr has taken to the extra games with ease.[/p][p]He operates on the right of a front three, usually alongside [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/santos-yeremi/8fnHDvMe/"]Yeremy Pino[/a] and either [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/larsen-jorgen/lQ5EYyWg/"]Jorgen Strand Larsen[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mateta-jean-philippe/nsFUj6GN/"]Jean-Philippe Mateta[/a]. He also has strong support on the overlap from underrated wing-back [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/munoz-daniel/4vZVW6Ur/"]Daniel Munoz[/a], all-important components that allow Sarr to thrive.[/p][p]The forward has featured 44 times this season and played 47 matches last term - significantly more than in previous spells with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/marseille/SblU3Hee/"]Marseille[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/watford/UmMRoGzp/"]Watford[/a].[/p][p]Extra games mean more opportunities for Sarr and he has taken his chance by bagging 21 goals in all club competitions for the current campaign, the highest tally of his career so far.[/p][p]That also doesn't account for the nine games missed when away with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.[/p][p]While he ended the Premier League season with nine goals, perhaps the more impressive tally is a further nine in the Conference League.[/p][image alt="Sarr's xG map for the 25/26 Conference League" id="c514d3b3-3f86-4238-8b20-3a14ccca5429" credit-line="Opta by StatsPerform" guid="c22f6f8b-05ec-4bbf-a03c-990e95cdf5ee" original-width="768" original-height="576" /][p]People will question that standard of opposition, but Sarr scored vital goals to defeat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aek-larnaca/4lUZQCQq/"]AEK Larnaca[/a] in extra-time and netted in both legs of the quarter-final with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fiorentina/Q3A3IbXH/"]Fiorentina[/a], as well as both of the semi-final fixtures against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/shakhtar/4ENWX2OA/"]Shakhtar[/a].[/p][p]Sarr has quickly become one of Crystal Palace's best and most important players - and will be crucial to their chances against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rayo-vallecano/8bcjFy6O/"]Vallecano[/a] on Wednesday evening.[/p][h2]Player of the Season[/h2][p]Sarr was named both Crystal Palace's Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season - highlighting the form he has been in and the standard to which both supporters and teammates hold him.[/p][p]The 28-year-old is hitting his prime years as a footballer and will be keen to cap off an incredible individual campaign with a European trophy.[/p][p]He is also essentially guaranteed to be named the Conference League's top scorer, with the nearest challenger that can still move up the standings being Vallecano striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alemao/ljVRztTj/"]Alemao[/a] (four goals).[/p][p][b]"That (scoring goals) is what's expected from me here by my manager and my teammates,"[/b] Sarr told [b]UEFA[/b]'s website.[/p][p][b]"We work as a team. Without the team, I wouldn't have scored many goals or scored at all. At an individual level, we're good, but as a team, we're great.[/b][/p][p][b]"I'm very happy to be scoring goals, as well as being the top goalscorer of the competition. I hope the streak continues in the final. I'd like to be decisive and I'd like to score another two or three goals."[/b][/p][embed guid="48b70b00-3d2d-433a-84af-7368de945d99" url="https://x.com/CPFC/status/2058647222091133161" social-type="twitter" /][p]Sarr's current scoring streak has seen him net in the last five Conference League matches - including the fastest goal in the competition's history at 21 seconds against Shakhtar.[/p][p]He is in the perfect form heading into what will be a tricky final against a Vallecano side that hasn't lost in nine and just finished eighth in La Liga.[/p][p]Sarr was also taken off at half-time in Palace's final Premier League game in preparation for Wednesday's match, keeping him as fresh as possible for one final push to a first-ever European trophy.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/crystal-palace-AovF1Mia/rayo-vallecano-8bcjFy6O/?mid=Q17aZoV7"]Follow the Conference League final with Flashscore[/a][/h2][image alt="Ali Pollock" id="6788fa0e-f27b-43fe-94d9-4ab89b500aac" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="18875412-4d24-4382-8dd7-a4b242855524" original-width="1200" original-height="380" /]