Crystal Palace had a decent winter transfer window where they secured the services of Michy Batshuayi and Lucas Perri on temporary deals while West Bromwich Albion’s Bakary Sako also joined on a free transfer.
Here is the strongest Crystal Palace lineup if we take into consideration the new arrivals in the winter transfer window.
Formation: 4-4-2
Defence
Wayne Hennessey has missed a few games this season due to injury, which has allowed Vicente Guaita to emerge as the number one keeper for Palace in recent weeks. And the Spaniard definitely seems like the better option, given the fact that he has kept five clean sheets in just eight league matches.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has arguably been Palace’s best defender this season and is by far the strongest option in the right-back slot while Patrick van Aanholt is also a guaranteed pick on the opposite flank.
Roy Hodgson has predominantly used the defensive duo of James Tomkins and Mamadou Sakho in central defence this season and with Jairo Riedewald and Scott Dann struggling with injuries for the most part of this campaign, they remain Palace’s number one choices at the heart of the backline.
Midfield
It won’t be surprising to see Hodgson sticking to a 4-4-2 formation following the addition of Batshuayi. As a result, the 71-year-old will have the privilege of choosing only two central midfielders.
Luka Milivojevic is definitely a guaranteed pick, with the Serbian having played a key role for the Eagles since joining the club two years ago. His incredible work-ethic coupled with a pinch of creativity makes him a vital cog in the Palace midfield.
Cheikhou Kouyate, on the other hand, could partner Milivojevic at the base of Palace’s 4-4-2. The former West Ham midfielder is defensively astute, and his physicality and aggression could complement the Serbian really well.
Elsewhere, the addition of Batshuayi and the return of Christian Benteke will allow Wilfried Zaha to feature in his preferred position on the wing, where he can utilize his pace and dynamism to cause the opposition all kinds of problems.
Andros Townsend will start on the opposite flank. The left-footed attacker is adept at cutting in and unleashing powerful shots on goal. He is also an excellent dribbler and the duo can certainly cause mayhem on their day.
Attack
The duo of Benteke and Batshuayi offer an exciting prospect in attack and both can be utilized in a 4-4-2 formation.
Batshuayi’s excellent intuition and offensive positioning will make sure the Eagles do not squander too many goalscoring opportunities while Benteke’s aerial prowess and physicality will help in winning the ball and also during set-pieces where the likes of Townsend and Milivojevic will come into play.
