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Decline? What Decline? - Wilfried Zaha's Season So Far

Written by Mihai Patrascu

An uneasy feeling creeps up at Selhurst Park, fueled by statistics provided by less than onerous Twitter accounts - Wilfried Zaha is not dribbling anymore. "He's past it" and "He's lost his legs" are just a few of the phrases hanging on the lips of mournful fans as they decry the decline of perhaps the greatest Palace player in history.

Zaha Leicester Ball

 

Not So Fast

 

In this collaboration between FYP and Tactics Not Antics, we aim to give Palace fans some well-deserved peace of mind. While Wilfried Zaha might be dribbling less, according to fbref, he is still in the 90th percentile when it comes to dribbles attempted (4.83 per 90), 86th percentile in terms of dribbles completed (2.30 per 90), and 88th percentile when it comes to players dribbled past (2.37 per 90). In addition, he is contributing to the team's attacking output more than ever. 

 

 

Context Is Key

 

Statistics must always be put into relevant context. Otherwise, numbers can be manipulated to push specific narratives. We have looked at data from the 2017/18 season onwards and catalogued Zaha's shot- and goal-creating actions.

 

 

READ MORE: Exactly what are Shot and Goal Creating ActionS?

 

These metrics provide an accurate description of how much a player contributes to the attacking output of his team, as assists are often a misleading figure and ignore other contributors to shots and goals. 

Looking a the team statistics from the last five seasons, Crystal Palace's SCA peaked in 2018/19 with 761 when Roy Hodgson had a comparatively younger team. Followed by a low of 530 in the subsequent season.

Last season the SCA was relatively similar to the 2019/20 season, with 546 SCA recorded. As of Gameweek 15, Palace has registered 257 SCA (17.1 SCA per game). If the current per game rate holds steady, the projected number of SCA by the end of the season will be 651.

 ZahaSCAGCA

 

 

The Numbers

 

Now that we have a good idea of how our SCA has fluctuated over the years, let us have a look at the top three SCA contributors in each season.

 

 SCA table Zaha

 

Zaha has been the top Palace SCA contributor for the past four seasons, and he has done so without free-kick or corner duties which accounts for 26.3% of Gallagher's SCA this season (as the current team leader).

Zaha has reached half his SCA contributions compared to last year already. His per 90 SCA is higher than in the previous two seasons and close to his highest in 2018/19.

 Starting with the 2017/18 season, Zaha's contribution to the team SCA has been 16.8%, 17.7%, 20.0%, 15.6%, and 17.5%, which shows how essential he is to the team's attacking output. 

 

GCA table Zaha

 

Zaha has been in the top 3 contributors in every season we have analysed in terms of GCA. This season he creates half a GCA per 90, which is a rate equal to his best GCA-creating years (2017/18, 2018/19), and is enough to place him 15th overall in the Premier League. 

This places him ahead of players such as Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, Emile Smith-Rowe, and Youri Tielemans. Moreover, his contribution to the team GCA is the best it has ever been: 18.4% (2017/18), 21.7% (2018/19), 14.0% (2019/20), 17.1% (2020/21), and 23.1% (2021/22).

 

More or Less Dribbling?

 

While these numbers show that Zaha is still a top contributor to Palace's attack, it is essential to look at how his contributions differ between years. Below find Zaha's SCA breakdown.

 

GCA SCA Contributions

 

It is pretty clear from the table above that in this season, Zaha has significantly  increased his live pass contribution to his SCA while also reducinghis dribbling contribution. 75% of his SCA contributions have come from live passes in open play this season. 

This is significant: combined with the dribbling percentiles described at the beginning of this article, we can safely assume that Zaha has switched to a more combinative style of play instead of having to carry the burden of scoring solely on his shoulders. His dribbling is now geared towards beating an opponent and passing rather than shooting. 

This updated style of play enables his teammates to take shots, which is clear from this season's shot statistics: Benteke - 37 (4 goals), Gallagher - 27 (4 goals), Zaha - 22 (4 goals), Ayew - 20 (0 goals), Edouard - 15 (3 goals). 

Shots and goals are now spread across the attacking players instead of concentrating only on Zaha. This style is identical to the economics principle of diversifying your investments to minimise risk. It can only help Palace in the long run, provided the team adds some is more clinical in front of goal. 

Another interesting fact is that his foul contribution to his total SCA is minimal, only 6.7%. This is surprisingly low considering that he is the most fouled player in the Premier League (44 fouls suffered, 3.1 per 90). The resulting dead balls from his fouls do not turn into SCAs due to two potential reasons: 

1) he is being fouled far away from the goal, which results in the set-piece turning into a short pass or turnover or 2) the set pieces are sent into danger areas but are poor and do not create SCAs. Both points likely hold some merit, as our set-pieces (both attacking and defending) have mainly been woeful this season. 

 

Zaha's Dribbling Demise Has Been Exaggerated

 

Wilfried Zaha is still a fantastic dribbler and is at the top of the Premier League charts for all the dribbling metrics. 

He has added a new dimension to his play rather than being seen as a negative against him or a player decline. This allows him to get involved in a more team-oriented playstyle. 

This "toolbox" expansion is beneficial for both Zaha and Palace. It allows him to reduce the burden on his shoulders and aids Palace in unlocking the potential of their other attacking players.

 

Manchester United 1 - 0 Crystal Palace - Match Takeaways

Written by Alex Pewter

Ayew Liverpool Clearance

Upset Avoided

In one corner, Ralf Rangnick's Manchester United and in the other plucky underdog Crystal Palace. With no expectations of an upset, the media narratives were already set in stone. The scene was set for a squash match. 

Manchester United, who despite little to no training time with their new coach, would be "reinvigorated", with various former-United players-turned-pundits ready to shower praise on a team and players 

they said hadn't measured up to their lofty standards, only weeks before. 

The sentiment that drove this club to seek European Super League riches is that teams like Palace are mere jobbers to be brushed aside in exhibition fashion in front of a rotating tourist audience as an interlude between the "real" games. 

Should they win, some oblique "gegenpressing" comments would be tweeted out as if Ronaldo occasionally closing down James Tomkins was the difference between victory and defeat for the media's protagonists.

 

Thankfully for MoTD2, Crystal Palace put up a good fight but lay down at the correct time to gift United the victory.

At one end, Jordan Ayew, after back-to-back games of hard work and endeavour, poses the question of whether any of it matters if there isn't an end product. As talented a defensive winger as he is, he managed to evade both the goal and Marc Guéhi at the back post with Palace's only real chance all game.

At the other, Jeffrey Schlupp, after a passive midfield display all game, was slow to react to closing down Fred, only for the team to see yet another shot sail into the goal from outside the area.

Another defeat, yet again by a single goal, is incredibly tough to take especially given how hard the team had battled defensively. Half an eye will now be on the teams catching Palace up in the table.

 

Defending the Edge

In the 2019-20 season, Vicente Guaita was the key reason the team stayed in the division. His shot-stopping passed both the eye test and gained a stamp of approval from analytics companies alike. 

His peak season was so good because he dealt with long-range shots on top of any reaction saves he would make. Facing 167 efforts, only two beat him, 1.2%. To highlight how good this was, Wayne Hennessey conceded twice from range against Liverpool in only three appearances in the same season. 

In the following season, 11 beat Guaita from range, at a rate of 6.43%. In this, the tally is already at 7. Even though we can remove both the Iheanacho and Maupay goals as they were from 1vs1 situations, that still means 7.04% of all shots outside the box are resulting in goals.

Where does this leave Palace? Either the goals are written off as all being top finishes, Palace is failing to defend the edge of their box correctly, or the goalkeeper can no longer bail out the team as he regresses/ages.

Much like the issue with set pieces, which does include a long-range goal from Naby Keïta, it does show some tactical naivety when it comes to closing down. One that coaching should be fixing. 

 

The xG Battle

xg utd palace

For whatever it is worth, in the eyes of Opta and Statsbomb, Palace is slightly over-performing this season in front of goal - based on the chances they are creating, with 19 goals from ~17.0xG.

Take the Man City game on the counter. The team scored twice from the only two decent chances created from ~0.7xG. The game goes down as a great victory, and it was, but is it a sustainable process? 

In many ways, this fixture against United followed a similar pattern. At one end, the dominant team had most chances, but Palace did well to restrict their quality by blocking and closing them down. In turn, Palace didn't do enough to justify the win. 

Ayew will draw the (negative) headlines over whether he was clinical, but it isn't realistic to expect a team to snatch two away wins in Manchester by this course. But on balance, the draw was a fairer result. 

Following three lean games for chances, Palace needs to force more shots, not rely on individual brilliance to overcome their lack. As suspected, opting from Schlupp over Hughes has meant Gallagher is now filling the "McArthur" role that removes an element of his attacking play. 

Patrick Vieira has been a week behind in his thinking regarding team selection. Schlupp arguably was needed against Aston Villa rather than in the next game. Hughes' flashes against Leeds could at least have justified a half-time introduction at Old Trafford when Schlupp wasn't working. 

Next Up: Everton (H)

For those with unsteady dispositions - look away now. 

P16 - W2 - D8 - L6 - 14pts

Everton feels like a must-win game at Selhurst Park, but against a team, Palace has struggled to defeat since promotion. Assuming Rafa Benitez survives an MNF game against Arsenal, this is another vulnerable team heading into a fixture against Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace. 

Joachim Andersen's fitness carries a considerable amount of weight, if only due to the team's record without him in the side, despite James Tomkins' solid performances. Joel Ward will also be back, following his yellow-card suspension.

Leeds 1-0 Crystal Palace - Match Takeaways

Written by Alex Pewter & Robert Sutherland

WardThrow

 

The More We Challenge, The More Dangerous the Risk

 

There will be days like yesterday. There will be days like Saturday too. Defeats will come, and those defeats will be tinged with frustration.

Palace had their chances. Christian Benteke should have put the club 1-0 up late in the second half. It was a miss the side would go on to rue as Leeds then won that late penalty.

This is the precarious position Palace find themselves in. This isn't a side that just wants to see out draws -- it's a side that wants to take the fight to their opponents. This isn't just a Palace side that sits deep and soaks up the pressure, only to counter late-on. This is a team that works its way into attacking positions and, at times, leaves itself open to conceding goals too.

It's frustrating losing a game like last night's. Palace had worked tremendously hard to win a point or more and, whether through bad luck or inexperience, with just seconds to go the penalty conceded by Marc Guehi undermined that effort.

The good news is that there is still a consistent level of performance. Palace must persist, and Palace fans must not panic. Because two defeats in a row aren't indicative of a systematic issue -- they are an opportunity to learn about the team's weaknesses and to address them.

 

Midfield Balance Returns

 

The Aston Villa defeats had aspects that felt self-inflicted. In trying to accommodate both Luka Milivojević and Cheikhou Kouyaté, Patrick Vieira tampered with the balance in midfield and failed to make up for the loss of James McArthur. The passing and pressing game suffered accordingly.

Jeffrey Schlupp making his first start in central midfield since the EFL Cup game against Watford was one of the clear options to add more drive into the middle, where it was lacking on Saturday. 

Schlupp, taking up Gallagher's usual spot, right of the midfield triangle, immediately gave balance to the team's press, allowing the team to get two players into the Leeds half. Gallagher, the defacto McArthur, and Kouyaté, the sole holding midfielder, had identifiable roles alongside him. 

The lineup changes by Patrick Vieira changed the fixed or static approach from the Villa game to a more fluid system. Whilst Michael Olise seemed tethered to the touchline on Saturday, the front three of Wilfried Zaha, Odsonne Édouard and Jordan Ayew were given the freedom to interchange. 

Schlupp was third in progressive carries behind Zaha and an impressive Ayew, showing that ability he had to drive the ball forward from midfield. The result, which went against Palace, is a tough one to take, but it was a vast improvement on Aston Villa as far as the setup goes. Will Hughes long-awaited appearance gave a glimpse of another midfield option, with a tidy debut. 

All Palace fans can ask from a starting lineup, and formation puts the team in an excellent position to compete in the match. The return to this mobile midfield is at least a step back in the right direction.

 

Palace Need Andersen's Passing

 

James Tomkins has had two solid games at the back and has reminded fans he is a far better "footballer" than he is often given credit for being. The team didn't abandon attempts to pass out from the back in either game until the introduction of Benteke in the second half at Elland Road. 

Whereas the team had most of the ball against Aston Villa, particularly in defence, against Leeds, the team registered the second-lowest total possession percentage of the season. Put under extreme pressure by Leeds, completion rates across the board dropped. 

The x-factor of Joachim Andersen is still missing, primarily his vision to find open players downfield. Against a team that is closing down, breaking through lines and finding pockets of space behind is an invaluable skill. 

In this respect, Patrick Vieira and fans alike have been spoilt by what Andersen has delivered in possession this season and isn't a direct criticism of his replacement by any means.

At this stage of a club rebuild, the team doesn't have the luxury of a third ball-playing-defender to replicate what Andersen produces, and this won't be the last absence of either him or Marc Guéhi. The team will need to consider how to mitigate this loss, as it probably isn't a coincidence that Andersen hasn't started in three of the four losses this season.

 

The xG Battle

 

 xG Leeds Palace

 

This was a cagey affair that came down to two or three decent chances. Leeds had the better of the attacking play, with Dan James looking particularly dangerous down the left flank. In the end, it would be the penalty that swung the game heavily weighted in Leeds' favour on the xG front.

It took until the 56th minute for either team to hit the target. Vicente Guaita quickly gathered a deflected effort from Adam Forshaw, untroubled.

Rodrigo had the best chance of the match, getting on the end of a Dan James pass before inexplicably trying to round the 'keeper rather than getting a shot away. At least in the fans' minds, the result would have seemed fairer had Leeds scored in open play.

Going into the final 15 minutes of the game, Palace was very much in the ascendancy, with most chances falling to Christian Benteke. Palace will be disappointed not to have turned more dangerous runs from Ayew and Zaha into better opportunities, which is ultimately where they fell short. 

 

Next Up: Manchester United (A)

The relentless Xmas fixture list is drawing near, and the quick turnaround leading into this Leeds fixture was a teaser of things to come. Seven matches in the next 28 days will be a gruelling test of Palace's depth.

The Ralf Rangnick (interim) era will be in full flow as Palace travel to Old Trafford, looking to halt a short run of defeats. There are flaws in the United side, but they will likely be energised with a new approach to games.

Joel Ward, the stand-in captain against Leeds, will miss out on the trip to Old Trafford after picking up a 5th yellow card. Nathaniel Clyne is the obvious choice to cover him, but other than one 90 minute outing for the U23s, he hasn't been seen since pre-season.

 

 

Burnley 3-3 Crystal Palace - Our Takeaways

Written by Robert Sutherland

Palace won a hard-fought point against Burnley in a game many will feel they could have won. Here are our takeaways. 

 

Guehi Burnley

 

It Might not be Pretty, but Burnley are Effective

 
 
We knew what Crystal Palace would be facing when we travelled up to Lancashire to face Sean Dyche's Burnley side, but just knowing isn't enough. Burnley are incredibly effective at making life for their opponents difficult, especially at set-pieces, and Palace learnt the hard way. 
 
Having taken an early lead with some incisive football and a clinical Christian Benteke strike, Burnley hit Palace with a set-piece double-whammy in quick succession -- first with a Ben Mee header and then with a Chris Woods header. Both were well-worked Burnley goals, with a touch of Palace's lackadaisical approach to corner-defending thrown into the concoction. 
 
From a Palace perspective, these were avoidable goals, but it was Burnley's pressure and direct approach that put Palace on the back foot whenever an opportunity came for the Clarets to put the ball into the box.
 
Post-match, much of the focus seemed to be on Palace's centre-back pairing but when it comes to set-pieces, defending is a team effort and it was the team that failed to prevent Burnley from scoring two of their goals from them. 
 
 

Benteke is Finding his Feet Again

 
 
There was a time where the only goal you'd expect Christian Benteke to score was a header, and the discussion about creating chances focused on the lack of crosses into the box. 
 
But this season, Benteke's threat has become more rounded as the striker has found a level of shooting confidence not seen since his initial signing.
 
Where once he would struggle with his first touch and would delay taking a shot, often to his own detriment, he is now showing that instinctive eye for goal. His first goal at Turf Moor was a clinical effort off the post having done well to control the pass into him, and his second showed awareness and readiness to take the chance when Conor Gallagher presented it to him. 
 
Disappointingly, the Belgian could have scored a second soon after Burnley went 2-1 up but he headed a wonderful Gallagher cross wide of the mark when most would have expected him to score it. 
 
This Benteke form is a reward to the striker for his persistence, Palace's decision to put their faith in his abilities and the fans' continued support for him during some of his darkest days. 
 
 
Luka Burnley
 
 

McArthur Can't Be the Missing Key to Palace

 
 
This has been a revelatory season for James McArthur. The Scotsman has rolled back the years and become an integral part of Patrick Vieira's midfield. His injury, the severity of which has not yet been disclosed, is a conundrum that Palace must find an answer for. 
 
Against Burnley, the aim seemed to be to give Gallagher that continued free role, with Cheikh Kouyate filling in for McArthur and Luka Milivojevic taking a defensive sweeper role. While Palace controlled much of the midfield play, Kouyate at times struggled to do what McArthur has done so well -- to break through the opponent's midfield press and find options further up the pitch. 
 
This became more obvious in the second half, where in one incident, Vicente Guaita and Joachim Andersen waited for a midfielder to show for a pass, as McArthur has done so regularly this season, only for that not to come. 
 
Palace fans will wonder where Will Hughes fits into this system, and perhaps the game against Aston Villa will provide an answer to that question. 
 
 

The xG Battle

 

xG Burnley

 
 
The 1.04 to 1.75 xG scoreline in Palace's favour is indicative of a game that had a number of big chances in the first half but petered out in the second. 
 
Benteke's first goal had an expected goals ratio of just 0.10 (meaning just 1 in 10 chances from this position are scored), while his second had an xG of 0.37. The header which he missed had the second-highest scoring probability, with 3 in 10 of those opportunities scored. 
 
For Burnley, their biggest chance came when Matěj Vydra broke clear on goal only for Guaita to make an impressive save. It had an xG of 0.26, while the goals they scored each had a probability of less than 1 in 10 to be scored from -- an indicator of how sloppy the defending was for the two headed goals, and how impressive Maxwel Cornet's finish was for the third.  
 
Eze Gallagher Burnley
 

Next Up: Aston Villa at Selhurst

 

Palace face Aston Villa at Selhurst Park in a game that will be new manager Steven Gerrard's second game in charge. His side won a decent 3 points against Brighton on Saturday and the former Rangers manager will hope to build on that much-needed win. 
 
Palace will have an opportunity to find a solution to the McArthur conundrum, in what may well be Eberechi Eze's first home game in front of Palace fans. 
 

Wilfried Zaha 50: His Top Crystal Palace Goals and Assists

Written by Brian Matovu

As Wilf Zaha reaches 50 Premier League goals for Crystal Palace, Brian Matovu picks out the Eagles legend's best efforts.

When Wilf Zaha scored the opener in Crystal Palace’s 2-0 win away at Manchester City, it was a significant landmark for the Ivorian as he became the first player in Crystal Palace history to reach 50 Premier League goals. Such a milestone edges the Palace academy graduate closer to cementing his position as Palace’s greatest ever player.

Throughout his career, Zaha has scored a number of fantastic goals and contributed to countless assists. So, here I will analyse my top 5 Zaha Premier League goals as well as his top 3 assists. Let's start with goals...

5. Chelsea 1-2 Palace (16/17) - Sublime finish

Some may be surprised by this pick but this is a goal of real quality. Palace had just gone 1-0 down early thanks to Cesc Fabregas but a short flick by Benteke found Zaha with the ball on the edge of the Chelsea box. With his back to goal surrounded by 4 Chelsea players, he shielded the ball magnificently and quickly dispatched a shot towards the bottom corner, in what was a fine solo finish.

4. Burnley 1-3 Palace (18/19) - Twist & Shout

How could I not mention a goal where Zaha makes defenders look silly? With Palace already 2-0 up and cruising, Kouyate plays in Zaha who’s inside the penalty box towards the right side. Faced up against Charlie Taylor in a 1 v 1, he drops a stepover to shift the ball onto his left foot to which he then fake shots back onto his right dropping Taylor. Up steps Ben Mee to have a go, so Zaha fakes a right-foot shot back onto his left to send Mee for a hot dog. With both left-sided defenders out of the game, Zaha then fires a fierce left-foot drive through Tom Heaton to put Palace 3-0 up.

3. Hull 3-3 Palace (16/17) - Firecracker

In what was a yo-yo game near the bottom of the league, Zaha had already won a penalty to bring Palace level. With Palace now in the ascendancy, a corner for Palace is cleared out to the Ivorian around 35 yards out. He drives at Clucas, but as he’s slowed down Huddlestone he checks back in on his left. Faced by Clucas again, he jinks his way around him to give himself a yard of space and unleashes an absolute rocket of an effort into the roof of the net. The ball was hit with so much conviction that Hull Keeper David Marshall barely had any time to react, let alone stop it. An unbelievable goal by an unbelievable player. It’s probably the hardest Zaha has ever struck a ball.

2. Huddersfield 0-1 Palace (17/18) - Don’t wind me up

Episode #3287393792 of why you don’t boo or wind up Wilfried Zaha. It looked as though it might be a frustrating afternoon for the Ivorian as he was purposely targeted by Huddersfield players. Furthermore, Zaha was also being constantly booed by Huddersfield fans who took offence to a challenge which resulted in him picking up a yellow card. But the Palace forward, who already plays on the edge, regained his composure and picked up the ball on the left-hand side. While enduring a flurry of boos from Terriers fans, he dropped a couple of stepovers to drive forward, then brilliantly cut across the two Huddersfield defenders chasing after him and expertly curled a fantastic effort into the top corner. Ping.

Palace 1-1 Brighton (19/20) - Why always me?

I couldn’t leave out a goal against Brighton, could I? Palace’s best ever player more often than not is always a major influence in Palace’s biggest game of the season. After a poor first-half display, Palace went 1-0 down early in the second half. With just under 15 mins remaining, Palace were desperate for some magic and inspiration. Well, up steps the GOAT. An impressive switch of play by Luka Milivojevic, flicked on by Tomkins, lands at Zaha’s feet on the edge of the box. Up against Montoya, Zaha cuts in to shoot on his right, fakes the shot and goes down the left. As he finds a yard of space, he unleashes a throttler of an effort with his left foot into the roof of the net towards the keepers near post. My all-time favourite Premier League goal from Zaha as it was another big goal delivered from a big-time player when they needed him most. Clutch.

I have to give out some honourable mentions which didn’t make the final 5, shoutouts to Zaha’s scissor kick against Swansea, the beautiful team goal in the 5-0 demolition of Leicester, the neat last-minute equaliser v West Ham, the roulette and hit goal against Bournemouth, and the rocket vs Chelsea in a 4-1 loss.

Assists

Now moving on to Zaha’s assists. Given Zaha’s exquisite dribbling ability and creativity, he has produced some unbelievable assists and I’ve chosen my favourite three.

Palace 2-1 Tottenham 2015/16 - Double team? No problem

As mentioned before, it doesn’t matter if you’ve got two defenders up against Zaha, he will somehow always find a way through and that’s exactly what he did to Tottenham. Faced up in the corner against Eriksen and Walker, Zaha weaves his magic, drops a stepover and body feint in between them taking them both out of the game. He then cuts the ball back to Jason Puncheon, who rifles home the powerful left-foot winner into the bottom corner.

Palace 5-3 Bournemouth (18/19) - Nothing can stop me

A game filled with goals and excitement was clinched by Andros Townsend who was set up by the brilliance of Zaha. A Bournemouth corner is cleared and Palace break out ready to counter, Max Meyer flicks the ball forward to Zaha who’s just beyond the halfway line. Zaha easily evades the first challenge by Clyne and then skips past an aggressive Lerma who literally pushed him with both hands but the Ivorian, who is always unfairly associated with going down easily, impressively somehow manages to stay on his feet. Driving towards the penalty box, Zaha plays a delightful ball with the outside of his boot to Townsend who finishes delightfully in the bottom corner.

(The whole game is great to enjoy all eight goals below...)

Palace 2-1 Watford (17/18) - The Greatest Showman

I believe this is Zaha’s best assist. After his parried shot led to the equaliser in the 89th minute, Zaha had more tricks in his locker, he was not done just yet. Scott Dann sends over the ball to the left-hand side, and Palace fans know all too well that Zaha in a 1 v 1 situation is cash money. As the ball reached Zaha he was actually double-teamed. Not fazed by the defenders, he executes an abundance of skills with 3 step overs and two ball rolls to beat Jaanmat and the covering defender, who were both dazzled by his tricks. As Zaha approaches the byeline, he cuts it back to James McArthur who scores the winner. A simply brilliant piece of skill from one of the Premier League’s greatest entertainers.

So there you have it, those are my top 5 Wilfried Zaha Premier League goals accompanied by his 3 best assists. Let me know what you think? Have I missed out on any obvious choices?

How Do Crystal Palace Replace James McArthur?

Written by Alex Pewter & Mihai Patrascu

Crystal Palace's Co-Captain is set for a long spell on the sidelines. 

The rumours about James McArthur's injury likely won't be officially confirmed until the pre-match pre-conference ahead of the Burnley game, but they leave the team with a gap in their new-look midfield. 

Yet, with newfound depth in the squad, all is not lost, and the manager will have options to rework his team.

McArthur's Role

As Naveed Khan described earlier in the season, James McArthur has been the player to mesh the team together. Whereas a box-to-box midfielder moves the play vertically, McArthur moves the play side-to-side. This movement links together the attacking emphasis of Gallagher with the anchor role of either Kouyaté or Milivojević.

His role-change this season was to be a feature article in its own right, but now becomes a footnote in trying to gauge who can help replace him in just a playing sense. His calm leadership will be sorely missed but leaves a space for Palace's next generation to step up in his absence.

What McArthur has been producing this season comes with the context of the role being asked to play. His defensive work stacks up very well against the rest of the players in his position in the Premier League, as shown with his player card.

 

His per 90-minute statistics show a player excelling at pressuring other teams (opposite Gallagher) whilst sitting in the 95th percentile for blocked passes/shots. Whilst he isn't a "ball-winning midfielder" in the formation, his combined tackles/interceptions is also at league-average.

What McArthur does best for Patrick Vieira is to facilitate the players around him, to link them together.

 

At the moment, the team is asymmetrical in possession. Mitchell goes forward, Ward sits. McArthur works into the spaces, Gallagher charges forwards to exploit gaps. These differences give the two central midfielders different zones to influence.

In his left-central midfield spot, McArthur can be a player that gets the ball into the feet of Palace's attacking outlets down the left, primarily Zaha and Mitchell. 

Going back to his player card, he is frequently on the ball, has the freedom to drive the ball into the space created by those left-flank players, but is more compact in his passing rather than expansive.

Yet, he is still having a very successful season, especially for a player deemed to be far beyond his peak years as a central midfielder in age alone.

Unfortunately, whilst these contributions for this season will be on pause, how can Patrick Vieira and Crystal Palace look to replace James McArthur?

Plan A: Like-for-Like Replacement

Why was Will Hughes signed? Well, let's dust off the player profile we wrote back in August.

As a manager in charge of transfers/recruitment, Dougie Freedman followed a logical thought process to build a team that ultimately won a promotion. He appears to have more freedom to plan ahead with a more flexible manager in control, while using that same logic.

There is clear reasoning for signing Will Hughes in a position that may not have an immediate "need". James McArthur's age and subsequent injury highlight it.

 

We have a single season of Will Hughes as a central midfielder in the Premier League in 2019-20. Watford would be relegated but would display Hughes in a role similar to what he could fulfil at Crystal Palace.

If Patrick Vieira is looking for a player able to maintain the engine room, pressing, harassing, and winning back the ball higher up the pitch, Hughes ticks those boxes. His development as a defensively-sound central player contrasts the creative wunderkind at Derby but makes him a better-rounded prospect.

He won the ball back for Watford at a much higher rate than McArthur has this season, in a per 90-minute comparison. Yet it would appear his contributions on the ball are "lacking", but that is less of a concern, as Watford registered the 4th lowest number of passes attempted in the league during that season. If we were to take a Roy Hodgson central midfielder and compare them to a league-average for passing volumes, they too would look "lacking" in this department - even James McArthur.

Placing Hughes into a passing team will boost these numbers, and if he has overcome some of the back issues that have left him off the bench recently, he is one option to cover McArthur.

Plan B: Rebalance the Midfield

Conor Gallagher FPL owners - look away now. 

How could you replace McArthur without changing the formation? By using Conor Gallagher. 

Gallagher has the versatility to play in a more conservative role in possession, as he showed at Charlton and WBA, which will remove his touches and influence further up the pitch. But he can still have the same impact on the pressing side of the game.

His influence on matches for Palace is concentrated down the right side of the pitch and in an advantaged position, trailing only Wilfried Zaha for touches in the attacking 1/3 of the pitch.

 

Compare that to his heat-map from his season at WBA, which shows a more balanced role across the entire range of the midfield. Getting touches deeper in possession and playing a more defensive role in a more conservative team - compared to the 2021/22 Palace side.

Enter Jeffrey Schlupp and a newly healthy Eberechi Eze. 

Palace then has two options with the freedom to get forward from a central position, getting into the areas in which Gallagher would typically operate and looking to replicate that attacking role. In the case of Jeffrey Schlupp, the football statistics website fbref.com lists him as highly similar in playstyle and stats to Gallagher. Thus, it would not be far-fetched to envision Conor Gallagher taking over James McArthur’s role, while Schlupp slots in the box-to-box midfielder position. 

Schlupp taking over the role would rekindle his long-standing partnership with Wilfried Zaha, who has lately been used by Patrick Vieira on the right wing, while Odsonne Édouard has been preferred on the left. Using Schlupp in this role would also introduce a left-footed player next to Zaha, who is primarily right-footed, which would offer a variety of choices for the duo (cutting inside, hugging the touchline, deep runs into the opposition half).

Schlupp's defensive output, whilst featuring as a wide-midfielder for Palace, matches up to being a very good defensive-winger against Premier League opposition. Sitting in the 98th percentile for tackles/interceptions per 90 minutes (over the past year), he has the physicality to be a pressing central-midfielder in this system, much like how he has been used to close out wins recently.

There is one more attacking wildcard the club now has available. Palace will likely view Eze as a "number 8" in this team instead of a winger, having seen glimpses of him playing in a 4-3-3 formation under Roy Hodgson.


Comparing Eze to a central midfield position, using his output from last season, he has a skill set that no other player in Palace's squad can display. His ability to carry the ball at a defence showed up in last season's highlight reels against the likes of Sheffield Utd and could help to break through teams when Palace are comfortably ahead in possession.

As a player who thrives on the ball, going from a team style likely to stifle his touches, this Patrick Vieira team is entirely the opposite. 

As the first real test of the strength of Palace's squad, it's time to see if the team can overcome injuries. This won't be the last.

 

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