It has been a mixed start to the season for Crystal Palace. They opened the season with a slender 1-0 away win over newcomers Sheffield United before losing by the same margin to Arsenal at Selhurst Park.
A 1-1 draw with Brentford earned them a credible point at the G-tech Community Stadium. Prior to the international break, the Eagles came out on top against Wolves, winning 3-2 in a dramatic encounter that took them to seventh in the table.
With the international break in full swing, let us take a look at the three things we have learned watching Crystal Palace in the opening four matchweeks.
- Odsonne Edouard’s revival continues
Odsonne Edouard has proven to be too hot to handle for defenders in the early weeks of the 2023/24 season.
The French striker has blown hot and cold since arriving at Selhurst Park from Celtic in 2021. 11 Premier League goals across the last two campaigns is an underwhelming return, considering how lethal he was in front of goal in Celtic colours.
However, with a strong pre-season under his belt, Edouard has managed to transform that form in the Premier League. He has netted three goals in four appearances, including a brace in Palace’s 3-2 win over Wolves last weekend. This has undoubtedly raised hopes that the Frenchman is en route to reviving his career at Selhurst Park.
- Tough nut to crack
Crystal Palace have shown this season that there is more togetherness and discipline when defending. In the opening four games, they have conceded only four goals which stands as a better defensive record than the likes of Brentford, Chelsea, Manchester United and Aston Villa.
Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi continue to impress at the heart of the Palace backline, while the arrival of Jefferson Lerma on a free transfer from Bournemouth seems to have strengthened the midfield as well as added a further layer of protection to the defence. The presence of two strong holding midfielders Jefferson Lerma and Cheick Doucoure has provided Eberechi Eze the freedom to roam around and wreak havoc in the final third.
Since replacing Vicente Guaita as Palace’s No.1 this term, Sam Johnstone has performed well in between the sticks, and his commanding presence behind the back four continues to inspire a lot of belief and energy within the Palace rearguard. Tyrick Mitchell and Joel Ward have produced strong performances from full-back positions, making the Eagles a tough nut to crack for the opposition.
- Eberechi Eze taking more responsibility
The departure of Wilfried Zaha in the summer was a big blow for the Eagles, given his talismanic status at the club. He was Palace’s best player for many years and single-handedly dragged the club to countless memorable wins.
As the Ivory Coast international’s contract expired and he decided to move on, Roy Hodgson had hoped to see someone take responsibility and become his team’s creator-in-chief. Eberechi Eze has done that in the opening weeks of the new season, scoring his first goal in the 3-2 win over Wolves which did end up being the winner.
The 25-year-old has taken the creative burden on his shoulders following Zaha’s exit and has completed the most dribbles this season—13. Eze’s eye-catching performances so far this campaign have again demonstrated why Palace held such a lofty price tag of £70m for their star midfielder when Man City were heavily linked with him in the final weeks of the summer transfer window.