Why Crystal Palace are the group to look at within the Premier League proper now
endured a rotten begin to the season.
The Eagles received simply certainly one of their opening 10 video games, drawing 4 and shedding 5. It left Oliver Glasner’s aspect seventeenth with simply seven factors.
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However they’ve discovered some glorious kind since, choosing up 33 factors from their subsequent 19 video games, successful 9 instances, drawing six and shedding 4. Throughout this 19-game interval, Palace are fifth within the kind desk, with solely , , and choosing up extra factors.
Crystal Palace arrange in a 3-4-2-1 formation beneath Glasner, prioritising a powerful defensive base to spring their counter attacking possibilities from. To this point this season, no Premier League group has extra tackles per sport, with the Eagles averaging 21.59. The truth is, Palace are the very best tackling group in Europe’s high 5 leagues.
Different robust defensive metrics embody their 52.9 ball recoveries per sport, the place they rank second within the Premier League — behind solely Bournemouth’s 56.3. Palace even have just one.17 targets conceded per sport, with solely Liverpool and Arsenal conceding fewer. Away from dwelling, Palace have the perfect defence within the Premier League with 12 targets conceded in 14 video games — averaging 0.86 per match. They lately noticed a run of 5 away league video games with out conceding come to an finish towards .
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These robust defensive metrics have been the platform for a lot of of Palace’s latest performances, holding eight clear sheets already in 2025, solely shedding twice.
Maxence Lacroix has been a revelation this season alongside Marc Guehi taking part in in a again three. The Frenchman has averaged 2.62 possessions received within the defensive third per 90, 2.35 tackles per 90 and 1.73 interceptions per 90, including some restoration tempo and managed aggression to their backline.
However there’s one other defender who must be highlighted, this time transferring away from the three central defenders and transferring on to a key place in Glasner’s system: his wing-backs.
Daniel Munoz has been sensible this season, already making 34 appearances throughout all competitions, scoring 5 targets and offering six assists, whereas contributing to 13 clear sheets. The 28-year-old has been important to the way in which Glasner needs to play at each ends of the pitch.
Within the Premier League alone, Munoz ranks second for tackles within the Premier League this season, with 94 in whole. Solely Idrissa Gueye (112) has made extra.
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Not solely does Munoz closely affect Palace’s out of possession strategy, making tackles and regaining possession for his aspect, however he additionally then appears to be like to offer the width. The Colombian makes runs in behind and stretch the pitch for Glasner’s aspect, creating 33 possibilities this season to date, 5 of which have been massive possibilities.
Munoz has developed a pleasant little dynamic with summer time signing, Ismaila Sarr on that proper hand aspect, which has been key since shedding Michael Olise to Bayern Munich. Sarr began the season pretty sluggish, solely managing one help in his first 11 Premier League video games.
However very like Palace’s upturn in kind, Sarr has since managed to register seven targets and three assists in his final 18 Premier League appearances. Sarr offers that additional risk on the counter assault, making persistent runs in behind and being environment friendly with the photographs he takes. The Senegalese star has the very best capturing accuracy for the Eagles this season with 55.81%, amongst gamers to have taken a couple of shot.
Summer season signings corresponding to Lacroix and Sarr, together with a powerful core group established final season, together with Dean Henderson, Guehi, Tyrick Mitchell, Munoz, Adam Wharton, Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta, has allowed Glasner to handle the lack of Olise. It might need even improVED the general performance of the aspect, now set to journey to Wembley within the semi-final.
Might Glasner ship Crystal Palace’s first main trophy of their historical past?