Crystal Palace are unbeaten in 17 video games. This is how they do it

It is without doubt one of the Premier League’s most outstanding data, but in addition probably the most unheralded.

Crystal Palace are actually 17 video games unbeaten in all competitions after Saturday’s 2-1 win at West Ham United, a sequence that stretches again to April and consists of Wembley wins over Manchester City in final season’s FA Cup remaining and Liverpool, on penalties, on this yr’s Community Shield.

The south London facet have solely as soon as loved an extended unbeaten run of their historical past (they went 18 video games unbeaten in 1969) and solely three sides outdoors of the normal ‘Big Six’ have longer unbeaten runs than this because the Premier League’s institution in 1992.

It is an excellent document, even when it does embrace 10 attracts. But whereas sure gamers have made headlines — often within the type of switch curiosity from larger golf equipment — and their Austrian supervisor Oliver Glasner has earned widespread plaudits, it has not attracted the kind of consideration you may count on. 

So what underpins Palace’s success? 

A cast-iron defence

While Manchester United have laboured to make a again three work beneath Ruben Amorim, Glasner’s 3-4-2-1 system has been supremely efficient for Palace.

Each of the three centre-backs affords a unique high quality. Captain Marc Guehi, who was denied a transfer to Liverpool in a dramatic summer time switch deadline day U-turn, affords management and an exemplary means to learn the sport. Next to him, Frenchman Maxence Lacroix supplies athleticism and tempo and timing in restoration tackles. On the best, United States worldwide Chris Richards has grown in assurance, notably in his means to win aerial duels.

Chris Richards has been imperious for Palace (Sebastian Frej/Getty Images)

Richards was particularly spectacular in opposition to West Ham, conserving Crysencio Summerville at bay, shepherding him into much less harmful areas and offering cowl for goalkeeper Dean Henderson. He could not have the finesse of Guehi and Lacroix, however he enhances them effectively together with his wonderful positioning and no-nonsense, persistently succesful model of defending. It not solely bodes effectively for Palace’s prospects for the remainder of the season but in addition for USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino as he plots a path in direction of the 2026 World Cup. 

They additionally boast a effective goalkeeper in Dean Henderson, a daily once more in England squads, though the truth that he has made a mean of 1.6 saves per recreation this season (the third lowest within the Premier League) suggests he’s very effectively protected. 

Glasner usually factors out that every little thing begins from the again for his workforce. Ensuring they’re troublesome to attain in opposition to is his precedence. That, in flip, permits them to hit groups in transition and capitalise on the area with their wing-backs and the direct operating of attacking midfielder Ismaila Sarr.

Familiarity and consistency

This is the bedrock of Palace’s success. Much of what they do has come from Glasner instilling a transparent tactical plan, counting on gamers who’re accustomed to the best way he needs to function and prioritising the workforce over particular person success. He will not be afraid to forged apart anybody whose selections are usually not in one of the best pursuits of the collective.

“Football is a game of momentum and I’ve not seen many games that go in one direction,” Glasner mentioned in his press convention after the win over West Ham. “It’s our mentality (to dig in at difficult moments). This is the result of our good results not just for two weeks but for months.

“The players believe in what we are doing and they know. It’s about keeping calm and defending well — we’ve been doing this really well for months, it’s not easy to create chances against us. We can (then) rely on creating chances (ourselves).”

Oliver Glasner has taken Palace to new heights (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Glasner prefers to make use of a smaller squad, though he has little alternative at Palace, who final season had the bottom funds of any of the established Premier League groups, regardless of now having three American billionaires — David Blitzer, Josh Harris and Woody Johnson — as basic companions.

Palace’s core has been ruthlessly and effectively coached to be efficient and consider that they will beat anybody. The gamers have responded to that unrelenting positivity in sort.

The lack of influential attacker Eberechi Eze for an preliminary £60million ($81.2m) to Arsenal in the summertime will harm Palace within the attacking midfield positions however he was the one departure from their core squad. In got here 5 new signings, of which two had been versatile attackers to assist fill that gap, with Glasner usually observing that it’s simpler to combine new expertise from a place of power. 

A formidable No 9

It helps that, in Jean-Philippe Mateta, Palace have a striker in one of the best type of his profession.

Mateta’s opener in opposition to West Ham was his fiftieth purpose in all competitions for Palace, with 34 of them coming in 68 video games beneath Glasner. He scored 30 instances within the earlier two league seasons however it’s simply not his targets which might be so vital: his much-improved hold-up play is an integral factor of how the workforce builds assaults.

Jean-Philippe Mateta scores for Palace at West Ham (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

Senior worldwide recognition with France could not but have arrived however his performances ought to have caught the attention of many golf equipment within the Premier League and Europe.

Offers haven’t been obtained, and Palace are eager to cost groups out of any approaches. An extension to take the 28-year-old’s current deal past the summer time of 2027 has been mentioned however these talks are at an deadlock. Clubs might do worse than search to take advantage of that scenario subsequent summer time.

Palace have gone about their enterprise on the pitch by being sturdy and constant. That could not essentially entice the limelight, however given the win over West Ham put them fourth within the desk on Saturday night, the query was put to Glasner: did he suppose his workforce might goal a Champions League place?

His response was to snicker it off and say that he pays no heed to the desk. But to have that query even requested is a testomony to the continual enchancment that has been evident all through this spectacular unbeaten run. 

The sequence could not final for much longer, given Liverpool are Palace’s subsequent opponents at Selhurst Park on Saturday. But the previous couple of months have underlined that, beneath Glasner, Palace concern no person.

(Top photograph: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)