After a strong 5-0 win over Aston Villa on the final day of last season, Crystal Palace seemed ready for continued success. Manager Oliver Glasner even suggested that the summer break might disrupt their momentum. However, since then, Palace has been unable to secure a Premier League victory, leading to concerns about their chances of avoiding relegation.
A Sudden Downturn
Following that victory 155 days ago, Crystal Palace's form has dramatically declined. The team has:
Sold key players, including their top attacker and defender.
Scored only five goals, the fewest in the league.
Endured their worst start to a Premier League season since 1992-93.
Slipped into the bottom three of the table.
This poor run of form has left fans and analysts concerned about the future of the club.
Performance Issues on the Pitch
Last season, Palace finished strong, collecting 19 points from a possible 21 and securing wins over teams like Liverpool, Manchester United, and Aston Villa. This season, however, the team’s performance has taken a sharp decline. They are taking fewer shots, creating fewer goal-scoring opportunities, and having less impact in the opposition’s box.
On the defensive side, Palace is allowing more shots, making more errors, and losing more duels. Their pressing game has also dropped off, with fewer pressing sequences and high turnovers compared to last season.
Despite this, their expected goals (xG) statistics tell an interesting story. Last season, Palace overperformed their xG by 7.85, meaning they scored more goals than expected. This season, they are underperforming their xG by 4.32, indicating that they should be scoring more based on the chances they’ve created. Over time, this might balance out and help Palace secure some much-needed wins.
The Impact of Key Player Departures
One of the major factors in Palace’s struggles this season has been the loss of key players. While the club managed to keep Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi, they lost their star attacker Michael Olise to Bayern Munich for around £50 million. Olise’s departure has left a significant gap in Palace’s attack. He scored 10 goals in 19 league appearances last season and was vital to their strong finish.
Former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey highlighted Olise’s importance, calling him "one of the best that’s ever come out of Palace." Replacing such a talent has proven difficult for the team.
Another key departure was defender Joachim Andersen, who joined Fulham. While Andersen’s exit didn’t generate as much attention as Olise’s, it has weakened Palace’s defense. Last season, the team conceded just 14 goals in their final 13 matches, but they have already let in 11 goals this season.
Glasner's Focus on Unity and Confidence
After the team’s recent 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, which saw goalkeeper Dean Henderson make a critical error, manager Oliver Glasner called for unity. He urged the team to support one another, saying "it's time for hugging the players, not kicking them," and refused to place blame on Henderson for the mistake.
Glasner stressed that the team’s issues are more related to confidence than tactics, pointing out that poor decision-making in the final third is costing them opportunities.
Hope for Survival
Despite the challenging start to the season, there is still hope for Crystal Palace. This is only the fourth time in the club’s history that they have failed to win any of their first eight league games, with the last occurrence being in 1992-93, when they were relegated.
However, history shows that teams can turn things around after a poor start. Last season, Bournemouth had a similar record at this stage but managed to finish 12th. Palace themselves have avoided relegation twice before after similarly slow starts, in both 2014 and 2018.
With time on their side, Palace still has the potential to recover and steer clear of relegation if they can regain their confidence and form from the end of last season.
Conclusion
Crystal Palace’s current struggles are cause for concern, but the season is far from over. The loss of key players and a dip in form have certainly hurt the team, but with Oliver Glasner’s leadership and a potential balancing of their underperformance, Palace could still turn their season around and avoid relegation.
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