Patrick Vieira insists only fine margins are standing between his Crystal Palace side and an upturn in fortunes despite a barren run of nine Premier League games without a win.
The 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa continued Palace’s slide towards an unexpected relegation battle as they still await their first three-point haul of 2023. The 2-0 win at Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve is their only victory since the season resumed following the World Cup.
With Manchester City up next, live on Sky Sports – followed by Brighton and Arsenal – life is unlikely to get easier any time soon.
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Crystal Palace
Manchester City
Saturday 11th March 5:00pm Kick off 5:30pm
Ill-discipline and misfiring
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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.
Crystal Palace are on the longest current winless run in the Premier League, drawing five and losing four of their past nine games, failing to score on five occasions in that run.
They had gone 196 minutes without a shot on target – the last coming in the 76th minute against Brentford on February 18.
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What didn’t help Palace’s cause at Villa was the dismissal of Cheick Doucoure, who was booked twice in six second-half minutes.
Doucoure collected his first yellow card for a 57th-minute challenge that ended Boubacar Kamara’s afternoon, and five minutes later he left Kamara’s replacement Calum Chambers in a heap to earn an early shower.
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It was Palace’s third red card this season – the second most dismissals only behind Wolves – while their 58 yellow cards is the third highest.
Image: Premier League table – bottom half since the World Cup
“He will learn from that incident,” Vieira said. “When you are a midfielder you sometimes go into the challenge a little bit late. He will learn from it but with 10 men I think we gave the right answer.”
But, with the side now just five points off the relegation zone, should supporters fear that failure to provide the first-team squad with adequate investment will come home to roost?
Palace have, however, one point more than at this stage last season – 27 points compared to 26. But their goal difference is down at -11 from -4 after 25 games of the 2021/22 campaign – and that is due to a big drop in goals being scored from chances created.
Will Zaha’s X-factor be enough?
Image: Wilfried Zaha is Crystal Palace's chief goal threat
Palace have scored 21 goals from an xG of 22.97 – the second-lowest in the league behind Bournemouth. The return of Wilfried Zaha to ease the load on the likes of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise is timely.
The 30-year-old Ivory Coast international was back in the fold to start last Saturday’s defeat at Aston Villa after missing the last four games with a thigh injury.
A fractional offside VAR call cost him the opener with Palace ultimately succumbing to an unfortunate own goal by Joachim Andersen.
Image: Palace have in fact one point more than at this stage last season – 27 points compared to 26
The Eagles had actually only lost once in his absence but drawn their previous three matches. Once Zaha is back up to full speed, the striker will provide an added cutting edge, but the Palace boss knows more will be needed from his support cast.
Former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison said on Soccer Saturday: “Zaha looked the most likely to do something for Palace, but he should be a bit ring rusty.
“You cannot keep relying on Zaha season after season. He has continually delivered for Palace and I’m sure he will be the difference again for them this season because he does have that X-factor. But other players do have to start contributing.”
Premier League goals this season
- Wilfried Zaha – 6
- Ebere Eze – 4
- Odsonne Edouard – 3
- Michael Olise – 2
- Five players – 1
- Own goals – 1
In the last two Premier League seasons, Crystal Palace have won 30 per cent of Premier League games when Zaha has played compared to only 10 per cent without. In this period they have won 1.3 points per game with Zaha in the team and 0.8 points per game without.
Palace’s lack of goals and attacking potency has been a problem all season – with only four players scoring two or more Premier League goals.
But Zaha’s record of scoring twice in two of the three games against City under Vieira will provide encouragement for the hosts this weekend.
Palace must get more from support cast
Image: Palace have scored just four goals in their last nine games
The Goal Involvement (xGI) statistics underline Zaha’s potential and importance to Palace; his xGI of 7.23 shows his expected number of combined goals and assists.
Unsurprisingly, it is the highest of any Palace player, while his average of 242.2 minutes per xGI is at least 80 minutes quicker than both Eze and Olise.
“Having Wilfried back is one more weapon,” said Vieira, whose side failed to have a shot on target four times in a Premier League match this season, at least twice as many times as any other team.
Selected attacking players snapshots
- Jordan Ayew – One goal in 1,757 minutes of Premier League football this season, having only six shots on target in 25 appearances.
- Odsonne Edouard – not scored in last 10 Premier League appearances (three starts) with last Premier league goal in 1-0 win against Southampton on October 29.
- Jean-Philippe Mateta – not scored in last 19 Premier League appearances (six starts) with only Premier League goal this season against Aston Villa on August 20.
- Wilfried Zaha – not scored in last eight Premier League appearances since November 6
“There is no doubt about his confidence and his self-belief, and the quality he has in front of goal. But if we want Wilfried to score those goals, we need to create opportunities, create chances and the team has to perform well.
“He doesn’t take the pressure off other players, it is more just one strength that we have in the squad,” Vieira explained. “Of course, Wilfried can score goals from individual quality or individual talent that he can show during games.
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Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira believes that the only thing that separated his team’s performance from Aston Villa was their own goal by Joachim Andersen.
“The responsibility of the players around has to be massive as well. We can’t put all our hopes on only one player. I want everyone to take responsibility, I want everyone to perform as best as they can.
“There are lots of players who can give more to the team to allow Wilfried or the other players around to score goals.”
Where have the legs gone at Palace?
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What will alarm Vieira, however, are the running metrics that show his side are inferior to all their Premier League rivals this term. It is not something that has just crept in since the World Cup or in Zaha’s recent four-game absence.
Palace’s average sprints per game clock in at 113.56 – significantly down on even the second-worst in the division (West Ham – 121.68).
Furthermore, Palace’s average distance covered per game is 103.16km – also the shortest distance in the top flight this term. These numbers directly feed into Vieira’s side having one of the lowest shot-ending high turnovers in the Premier League – 25, only marginally more than Brentford (24), Newcastle (24) and Bournemouth (22).
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Vieira will look to increase the intensity in his side’s pressing, with Palace’s 308 pressed sequences the fourth-worst in the division.
On the flip side, teams are now looking to press Palace more when they look to build out from the back, with the 405 pressed sequences against the third highest this term.
Palace had the oldest average age in 2020/21 on a whopping 28.8, before plummeting to 27.2 last campaign with 26-year-old Will Hughes the oldest of seven signings. That has fallen further this time around to 26.9 despite the 33-year-old James Tomkins starting four games.
Vieira has worked to reduce the average age of this squad since his arrival in the summer of 2021, but his players must be fast in the mind as well as fleet of foot if they are to avoid being sucked into further peril.
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Analysis: Palace being dragged into relegation scrap
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Ahead of their 5.30pm clash on Saturday live on Sky Sports, we take a look at a classic match between Crystal Palace and Manchester City back in April 2015 with City in need of a win to keep their title hopes alive.
Points: 27
Goal difference: -11
Form: LDDDL
Next six league games: Man City (H), Brighton (A), Arsenal (A), Leicester (H), Leeds (A), Southampton (A)
Clinton Morrison on Soccer Saturday:
“I’ve said before I don’t think Crystal Palace will be relegated, and I stand by that.
“But they are being dragged into the fight to avoid the drop, especially after the result against Villa [1-0 defeat on Saturday] and the way the game went.
“Other teams in and around Palace are winning football matches which is making things difficult.
“The next three games Palace play are against Man City at home and then Brighton and Arsenal away. They are tough games.”
Watch Crystal Palace vs Man City live on Sky Sports Premier League from 5pm on Sunday; kick-off 5.30pm.
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