Jo Potter is gearing up for a defining moment in Crystal Palace Women’s season, as her side prepares for a high-stakes derby against Charlton Athletic with promotion ambitions firmly on the line.
With momentum building and the spotlight returning to Selhurst Park for the first time since November 2024, Palace are ready to step onto a bigger stage.
The occasion brings added excitement, but Potter insists her team must keep their focus locked on performance rather than the atmosphere.
“Yeah, it’s going to be good,” said Potter. “We always want to play in the best stadiums and the best grounds. The pitch will be beautiful, it looks in great condition.
“I think we want to put on a show no matter where we play. We’ve got a really good fan base at Sutton and we’ve come up with some really good performances there.
“We’ve got a great atmosphere at the VBS, so we want to bring that to Selhurst.”
As the countdown continues, Palace know a win could be a major boost in their promotion race.
However, Potter is keeping her squad grounded, emphasizing discipline and execution once the whistle blows.
She added: “It’s an occasion, it’s a derby, it’s a big game – but we have put in a lot of mental work and psychology work towards the back end of the season.
“The opponent that we play is going to pose different threats and I think that shifts down to our training habits and our game plan.
“We saw it in the second-half on Sunday and you can see the difference in our performance.
“It’s about trying to do that for 90 minutes. As soon as that whistle goes, I’m sure the players will just be fully focused on what’s laid ahead of them.”
Charlton, however, arrive as formidable opponents, having maintained remarkable consistency throughout the campaign.
The Eagles suffered a narrow defeat in the reverse fixture earlier in the season, and Potter is fully aware of the challenge ahead.
“They’re really close to the finish line now. I think what Karen and her staff have managed to do this season has been unbelievable.
“To go that many games unbeaten and to be super, super consistent and keep pulling away with results and points – there’s no fluke to that.
“That’s not luck. They’re where they deserve to be. We’ve got to make sure that we can match that.
“It’s a very long time since we played them last. Obviously, it was the first game of the season. It feels like forever ago.”
Both teams have changed quite a bit since then. We’re looking forward to it. We know it’s going to be a really, really tough test.
“They do what they do really, really well. There’s no coincidence in the fact. We’ve got a huge amount of respect for where they sit in the league and what they can achieve this season.
“We’ve got our own goals and our own ambitions as well. That starts with us putting on a good performance and trying to take all three points.”
As derby day approaches, Palace will be aiming to rise to the occasion, match their rivals stride for stride, and take a decisive step forward in their push for promotion.
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