Cast your mind back to April. While not exactly a lifetime ago, it was the last time Crystal Palace tasted defeat.
The Eagles crashed to a 5-0 loss against Champions League-chasing Newcastle United at St James’ Park. Strikes from Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes, Fabian Schar, Alexander Isak and a Marc Guehi own goal compounded a miserable 90 minutes for Oliver Glasner’s side.
In the 17 games since, Palace haven’t lost once. This includes an FA Cup final win over Manchester City and Community Shield triumph over Liverpool. Victory on Saturday piles further pressure upon Graham Potter, who was now won fewer games as West Ham United boss at the London Stadium (2) than Glasner (3) in his managerial career. The latter has overseen three games in east London. So just how has Glasner masterminded such an impressive run?
In this article, we’ll cover:
Defenders complementing one another
Crucial to Palace’s form is the fact that Glasner has assembled a nigh-on watertight backline in his effective 3-4-2-1 setup. Since shipping five against Newcastle, Palace have only conceded 11 goals in all competitions. That run includes impressive clean sheets at Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Aston Villa. And let’s not forget a shut out against Man City at Wembley back in May.
It’s easy to see why Glasner threatened to resign had Palace sold Marc Guehi to Liverpool on deadline day without an adequate replacement lined up. Alongside Maxence Lacroix and Chris Richards, the trio bring a number of different defensive qualities to the three-man backline.
Dabble sign-up offer: Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets
Not signed up to Dabble yet? Here's how to claim the Bet £10+ & Receive £10 In Free Bets welcome offer:
- Sign up to Dabble through this link
- Register your account with accurate personal details
- Place your first bet of £10 or more
- Receive your £10 in free bets when your qualifying bet has setted
- Use your Free Bet on any eligible sportsbook market within 7 days
#AD 18+ 7-day free bet expiry. Stake not returned. Promotional Terms Apply. GambleAware.org
Captain Guehi is the calming presence at the back, Lacroix is the athletic heartbeat of the backline and Richards brings the muscle. With the ever-impressive Dean Henderson between the sticks, Glasner has a settled setup at the back where the strengths of the individual benefit the collective.
If Palace are involved in a physical battle, then Richards is there to repel direct opponents. If you’re dominating possession but lacking the penetration, Guehi is able to play the forward passes to try and catch teams out. And with a high defensive line, few will get the better of Lacroix in a foot race. It goes some way to explaining why no team has conceded fewer goals than Palace (2) in the Premier League this season, and just once from open play.
A settled side
It’s rare that Glasner will tinker with his XI unless needs must. Not only will the familiar back four – Henderson and the three centre-backs – feature week in, week out, but there are other areas where the Austrian is unlikely to make sweeping changes. Injuries permitting, fans routinely see Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell line up at right and left wing-back, respectively.
For the most part, it’s Adam Wharton and Will Hughes in the middle of the park, the pair battlers in a key area of the pitch, while the former has drawn widespread praise for his ball progression. The issue came over the summer when Eberechi Eze departed for Arsenal.
Palace’s FA Cup winner was always going to be difficult to replace, and they have sought to do so with the addition of Yeremy Pino. The Spaniard, though, will need time to get up to speed following his arrival from Villarreal.
With Daichi Kamada and Ismaila Sarr also options for Glasner in the supporting pair, the Palace boss at least has a couple of further attacking options to ease Pino’s settling in period, while the arrival of Christantus Uche has swelled the offensive ranks
That said, with a first European campaign looming, Glasner’s desire to name a consistent starting XI will be put to the test. He made a number of changes to the side that beat rivals Millwall on penalties last week and having been able to regularly name the same side, Glasner needs to adapt to ensure his side can deal with both domestic and continental commitments.
A quality focal point
Jean-Philippe Mateta was never the most prolific forward until Glasner got his hands on the French forward. He scored his second league goal of the season at the weekend having netted Palace’s first equaliser in the Community Shield success and the only goal of the two-legged victory over Fredrikstad to secure a spot in the Conference League. No wonder supporters belt out ‘Boom boom boom boom, Mateta’s in the room’.
Playing the lone forward in a 3-4-2-1 setup is no easy feat with the 28-year-old expected to tie up opposition defenders and get on the end of chances but Mateta does so to a standard few thought possible. With impressive link up play with those around him, it’s no wonder that Premier League rivals have taken an interest in the former Mainz man, whose game has elevated considerably under Glasner.
Mateta is a brute of a number nine who is not only able to physically dominate opponents, but also make the off-the-ball runs that means he can operate in a plethora of roles as the leading man. The versatility to his game has helped to ensure Glasner’s setup has succeeded.