It was inside 50 minutes, Crystal Palace were 2-0 down against Leicester City – down but probably not out – Patrick Vieira’s men pressing and harrying their opponents but without any real incision or cutting edge in the final third. It had been the story of their season so far, conjuring up fine openings but lacking the ruthlessness when it mattered most.
Vieira knew that, and felt it was the perfect time for a change, for a fresh new impetus, and a significant one it turned out to be.
On came new summer signing and exciting young midfielder Michael Olise in place of the misfiring Jordan Ayew.
As soon as the 19-year-old wonderkid took his position on the pitch, Palace instantly stepped it up a notch and the former Reading man was at the centre of it alongside fellow substitute and goalscorer Jeffrey Schlupp, Odsonne Edouard and Wilfried Zaha.
Every time Olise took possession, he attempted to make things happen, expressing his bravery and courage on the ball, taking on Premier League experienced full-back Ryan Bertrand at every opportunity.
There was a moment soon after Olise came on, picking up the ball with his back to goal, swiveling on the half-turn past his marker before slotting a finely threaded through ball for full-back Joel Ward to rush onto.
It was only a small exhibition, but a true sign of what Michael Olise brings to Palace’s midfield. Not many players in Vieira’s weaponry possess the ability to unlock defences at such an alarming rate as Olise.
This is a uniquely and technically gifted midfielder, a delight to watch with the ball at his feet.
If you saw Olise during his Championship days, you’d know he holds a wand of a left-foot possessing the abilities not just to thread deft incisive through balls, but to cross effectively, make the most of set-piece opportunities and also the unique ability to get by a defender with the swiftness of feet and the most deceptive of movements on the ball.
The midfielder recorded an impressive 7 goals and 12 assists in the Sky Bet Championship last season making him one of the division’s most consummate, effective and influential attacking midfielders.
Under Paunovic at the Madejski stadium, Olise fulfilled a variety of roles in attack; on the left-wing, right-wing, centre-midfield and at no.10 highlighting his incredible versatility, tremendous tactical knowledge and awareness but also the superb knack of becoming an influential cog no matter where he is on the field.
Olise was used in Jordan Ayew’s position when he came on, and immediately changed the whole trajectory for Crystal Palace,. The midfielder got his just rewards scoring a scorching effort inside the box past Kasper Schmeichel just eight minutes after stepping on to the pitch.
It’s fair to say Olise has taken in his new surroundings like a duck to water, and his 30-odd minute cameo against Leicester City will have surely captured the imagination of the Palace faithful. They now know they’ve got a real talent on their hands, and that was made perfectly clear when they jeering on his name soon after scoring.
Within those 30-odd minutes, Olise recorded 28 touches of the ball, 2 key passes, 2 long balls, 2 crosses and won 2 of his aerial duels as well as three shots according to WhoScored.com. His pass percentage read at 82.4% meaning he is not afraid to create something out of nothing. If cameos are anything to go by, Michael Olise’s was very impressive.
As much as its easy to get carried away by Olise’s short stint against Leicester City, Patrick Vieira has correctly warned that Olise is not at his best form yet, and that patience must indeed be handed to the youngster as he acclimatises himself to the Premier League, he said:
“We are all really excited by his talent, but at the same time we have to understand it will take time to be a Premier League player. He is working well and hard at a good club to support him to develop himself. It’s about him keeping working, he’s doing well in training, he can score goals, but we have to support him to develop himself.
“It is a long season, so he will definitely play some games. He’s had a long injury and is not at his best yet, but he is improving and will be a really important player for us.”
Michael Olise of course must be given much time to get used to the rigours of the Premier League, though all of his impressive cameos have come against the league’s big boys in Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Leicester City. Yet another stark reminder that 19-year-old doesn’t under the weight of expectation, pressure or lofty responsibilities.
Olise’s future in a Crystal Palace looks very promising, and his performance against Leicester will have surely given Patrick Vieira something to think about heading into the international break; that he isn’t here to sit on the bench, he’s here to make his mark on the biggest stage in the country and boy, does he possess all the tools necessary to become one of the brightest young players this nation has seen.
Two sides who have struggled for some consistency so far this season as Crystal Palace host Leicester City at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Eagles have taken six points from their opening six games, while Leicester City have accumulated a point more from the same amount of fixtures.
Brendan Rodgers’ men have won just two of their six league games this term, most recently losing to Manchester City and Brighton & Hove Albion prior to drawing 2-2 with Burnley last time out.
The Foxes have also been out of character in Europe, picking up on a point from their opening two UEFA Europa League group games against Napoli and Legia Warsaw, they fell 1-0 away to the latter in midweek.
A win on Sunday will be crucial and much needed for Leicester City in order to boost morale heading into the upcoming international break.
However, Leicester City have won just one of their last five away league games against Crystal Palace and Sunday afternoon’s fixture will certainly prove a difficult test for Brendan Rodgers and his floundering team.
The Eagles are are also unbeaten in their last four games under Patrick Vieira, beating Tottenham Hotpsur either side of draws to Brentford and Brighton.
Palace were made to rue their missed chances at Selhurst against neighbours Brighton, that draw with will very much feel like two points dropped, as they conceded to a brilliant 95th-minute strike from Neal Maupay.
It had indeed been a mixed start for Patrick Vieira at his new club, but he can certainly take much more positives than negatives in his opening six Premier League games as Palace boss.
A win over Leicester City could well give Vieira and his men the impetus and confidence they need to progress even further in their development.
The good news for Palace is that Leicester have lost each of their last three away games against London clubs, most recently going down 4-1 to West Ham United last month.
PREMIER LEAGUE FORM (last six games):
Crystal Palace: LDDWLD
Leicester City: DLDWLD
MATCH FACTS:
Leicester City are unbeaten in all four Premier League matches against Crystal Palace under Brendan Rodgers (W3, D1). The Foxes had lost the four previous league meetings under Claude Puel.
However, the Foxes have won just one of their past five away matches at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace are unbeaten in their three home league games this season, conceding just one goal at Selhurst Park.
They could avoid defeat in their opening four home fixtures for just the second time in 25 seasons.
Leicester City have won only five of their past 15 league fixtures, including two of six this season.
The Foxes can equal their longest Premier League winless run of four matches under manager Brendan Rodgers, set in February 2020.
They have kept one clean sheet in 12 league games.
TEAM NEWS:
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira will select from an unchanged squad.
Former Leicester player Jeffrey Schlupp returned from a hamstring injury as a substitute against Brighton on Monday night.
Odsonne Edouard and Luka Milivojevic were brought into the side as the Eagles’ only two changes for the Brighton match, but Vieira has still yet to find his preferred XI.
Leicester City
Leicester City pair Jonny Evans and Wilfred Ndidi are both unavailable to face the Eagles.
Evans has been struggling with illness and a foot problem, while Ndidi is set to be missing for several weeks because of a hamstring injury.
Leicester can at least call upon striker Kelechi Iheanacho, who was unable to enter Poland for Thursday’s Europa League game due to a problem with his travel documents.
LIKELY LINE-UPS
Crystal Palace:
Leicester City:
SCORE PREDICTION:Crystal Palace 1-2 Leicester City
Selhurst Park plays host to Patrick Vieira’s first M23 derby on Monday evening as Crystal Palace and Brighton lock horns, concluding the latest round of Premier League fixtures.
Graham Potter’s impressive Brighton unit could end the day top of the Barclays Premier League table if they come away with the three points in South London, and Vieira and his men will want to put that ambition to the sword as Palace aim to redeem their fortunes after losing 3-0 to Liverpool at Anfield last weekend.
After their thrilling 3-0 triumph over 10-man Tottenham Hotspur, the Eagles were quickly brought crashing back down to earth at Anfield, where Liverpool notched up a trio of unanswered goals to temporarily halt Vieira’s momentum.
Palace were starting to build up a head of steam with four points from their London derbies against Tottenham and West Ham United before their humbling at Anfield, and a total of five points from their opening five fixtures sees them occupy 15th place in the Premier League standings before they kick off against rivals Brighton.
However, Vieira’s side have managed to navigate their first two home games unbeaten without conceding a goal, and following their early EFL Cup exit at the hands of Watford, the Eagles – unlike most of their top-flight counterparts – have no midweek fatigue to contend with.
Not since the days of the Ian Holloway have Palace kept three clean sheets in their first three home league games of a domestic season, and that mettle will be extremely tested against Graham Potter’s inspired outfit.
For much of last season, Brighton may not have always garnered the results their performances deserved, but the Seagulls are currently in dreamland after a superb start to the campaign, with 12 points from their opening five games this season.
After claiming a hugely impressive 2-1 win over Leicester City in their last Premier League battle, the Seagulls swooped to sink Swansea in the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening, as Aaron Connolly’s double sealed his side’s progress into the fourth round.
Only Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have taken more points than Brighton so far this term – but they could overtake all those clubs including Manchester City providing they beat their M23 derby rivals – but their tally of seven goals scored is by far the fewest in the top six.
Nevertheless, Brighton have only conceded four goals at the other end of the pitch and have plenty of reasons to be optimistic ahead of the first M23 derby of the season, especially seeing as they have a 100% success rate on the road this term with wins over Burnley, Brentford and Cardiff City.
The Seagulls head to the capital winless in four against Palace, though, with Roy Hodgson’s side claiming a 2-1 win during the last meeting at the Amex in February, but the last two meetings between the sides at Selhurst Park have finished 1-1.
With both sides much improved since their last meeting, this game could well be the most enthralling M23 derby in a long while.
PREMIER LEAGUE FORM:
Crystal Palace: LDDWL
Brighton & Hove Albion: WWLWW
TEAM NEWS:
Crystal Palace:
Patrick Vieira has confirmed that Jeffrey Schlupp will be in contention to feature in Monday night’s game, but long-term absentees Nathan Ferguson and Eberechi Eze are still out continuing their road to recovering.
Odsonne Edouard’s quickfire double against Spurs did not earn him a start over Christian Benteke at Anfield, but the former Celtic man will certainly hope to feature from the off here after Benteke’s current poor form.
Fellow new signing Michael Olise has performed some impressive cameos from the bench but is unlikely to feature from the start.
Brighton & Hove Albion:
Brighton, meanwhile, are sweating over the fitness of star midfielder Yves Bissouma and new recruit Enock Mwepu, with the former though to have a stronger chance of featuring from the first whistle.
Alexis Mac Allister should also be okay to feature after a back scare, while Tariq Lamptey got 45 minutes under his belt against Swansea in midweek, but Adam Webster is out until after the international break.
Connolly has put himself into contention for a start with his game-winning brace against Swansea, but neither Neal Maupay nor Leandro Trossard are expected to concede their places after impressive individual performances so far this campaign.
MATCH FACTS:
Crystal Palace are unbeaten in the four most recent league meetings (W2, D2), though both victories in this run have come away from home.
Brighton have won just one of their previous seven away fixtures against Crystal Palace but they are unbeaten in their last three games at Selhurst Park.
Palace’s only victory in their past 12 Premier League matches on a Monday was February’s 2-1 win against Brighton (D3, L8).
Brighton could win their opening three away matches in a top-flight season for the first time.
Last season it took Brighton 21 matches to record four league wins.
Wilfried Zaha has scored seven goals against Brighton, the joint highest figure of his career against any side.
Zaha has scored four goals in his last four appearances against the Seagulls at Selhurst Park.
After a brief two-week pause of international, the Premier League finally returns this weekend offering up yet another cracking group of fixtures to feast our eyes on.
Title contenders Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool will look to strengthen each of the cases for Premier League supremacy as they return to action while fourth-placed Manchester United are looking to return back to winning ways as they head to currently inconsistent Leicester City at the King Power, arguably the weekend’s most intriguing encounter.
Another tasty encounter will be played at the Brentford Community Stadium as newcomers Brentford face another giant test taking on Thomas Tuchel’s European champions Chelsea after their impressive showings against Liverpool and West Ham picking up four points from those two games. Can Thomas Frank’s men write another exciting chapter in their new Premier League adventure?
So, let’s dive in with some predictions and previews for this weekend’s fixtures.
Watford vs Liverpool, Saturday 12.30pm
Claudio Ranieri prepares for a baptism of fire in his first game back in the Premier League, with his Watford side welcoming a rampant Liverpool to Vicarage Road on Saturday lunchtime.
The Hornets lost 1-0 to Leeds United during Xisco Munoz’s last game in charge, while Jurgen Klopp’s men played out a thrilling 2-2 draw with Manchester City at Anfield.
After Watford’s trigger-happy board relieved Xisco of his duties – a decision that received mixed responses given their respectable start to life back in the Premier League – the Hornets wasted no time in bringing back revered title-winner Ranieri following the end of his Sampdoria spell.
The Italian returns a much improved coach according to sources close to him, after a successful two-year spell at Italian outfit Sampdoria finishing 9th and 15th respectively, steadying a rocky ship. Ranieri takes the reins with Watford lying 15th in the table with seven points taken from a possible 21, and there is a comfortable four-point gap separating them from the relegation zone at this early stage.
His first match? Against Jurgen Klopp’s unstoppable force that is Liverpool, who alongside Bournemouth in the Sky Bet Championship remain the only the team unbeaten in England’s top four divisions.
Klopp must also factor in the midweek Champions League battle with Atletico Madrid as he prepares to navigate another unrelenting fixture schedule, but his side are now unbeaten in 19 competitive fixtures across all tournaments and have scored three goals in each of their last four Premier League games away from home.
However, the Reds will need no reminding how an Ismaila Sarr-inspired Watford stormed to an emphatic 3-0 success in February 2020 to end their 18-game winning run, and with Ranieri boasting four wins from five home league games against Liverpool, the Vicarage Road faithful have every right to dream of a memorable start to the Italian’s reign.
MATCH FACT: Mohammed Salah who has eight goals in six appearances vs Watford, has scored in seven straight matches for Liverpool.
KEY MEN: Mohammed Salah (Liverpool) & Ismaïla Sarr (Watford)
Villa Park plays host to a highly-anticipated West Midlands derby on Saturday lunchtime, as Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers lock horns in the Premier League.
Dean Smith’s side suffered a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur just before the international break, while Wolves marched to a 2-1 win over Newcastle United.
There was little time for Smith and co to bask in the jubilation of beating Manchester United on their own turf last month, as Aston Villa were brought crashing back down to earth with a 2-1 defeat to an out-of-sorts Tottenham Hotspur before the international break.
All three of their league defeats have come away from home, with Smith’s side taking seven points from their first three fixtures at Villa Park this term and notching up six goals in that hot streak.
Villa have also shipped just one goal in front of their own fans this season so far and will hope to see the defeat to Tottenham prove to be just a minor blip in their quest for Europe, but their upcoming opponents are starting to find their feet under Bruno Lage.
Filling Nuno Espirito Santo’s shoes at Molineux was going to be a tough task for whoever took the reins, but after a shaky start to life in the West Midlands especially in front of goal, Lage appears to be working his magic to good effect given his side’s recent run of results.
After a heart-warming goal for Raul Jimenez saw Wolves overcome Southampton 1-0 last month, the Molineux outfit made it back-to-back wins with a 2-1 triumphed over Newcastle United, as Jimenez turned provider for a pair of Hwang Hee-chan strikes.
With the RB Leipzig loanee leading the charge alongside reinvigorated talisman Jimenez, Wolves have won three of their last four Premier League games to rise to 12th in the rankings and will temporarily leapfrog their upcoming opponents into the top half with all three points here.
MATCH FACT: Wolves have lost just one of their last seven visits to Villa Park (W2, D4)
KEY MEN: John McGinn (Villa) & Raul Jimenez (Wolves)
Arguably the most intriguing tie of the weekend, with two teams struggling for consistency in results and performances. Manchester United may of course be in a better position in the table than their opponents heading into their Saturday afternoon kick-off, but the feeling around the club doesn’t reflect their positioning with much of their performances in recent weeks leaving a lot to be desired.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men face a tough few weeks ahead with significant league encounters coming up against the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham as well as crucial UEFA Champions League group stage ties against Serie A outfit Atalanta. These games could indeed be crucial to how United aim to go about their season, amongst the title hopefuls or as unfortunate cast offs.
Recent injuries could indeed derail Solskjaer’s progress too with both Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane out for the next few weeks. Defeat against Aston Villa and the disappointing draw to Everton – both at Old Trafford – have left fans questioning Solskjaer’s pedigree once again, and an impressive win over Rodgers’ stuttering Leicester side could be the catalyst they need heading into a fiery period.
Leicester City on the other hand, have started off the campaign in disappointing fashion, currently lying in 13th place on eight points, six behind their opponents and performing well below expectations.
In fact, Brendan Rodgers’ men have not tasted a Premier League win since late-August, their 2-1 win at Carrow Road. Both teams are in desperate need of the three points, a win for Leicester City could also be their own catalyst to kick on and improve. This game is indeed a perfect six-pointer.
MATCH FACT:Leicester City can record back-to-back Premier League victories over Manchester United for the first time
Manchester United: De Gea (GK); Wan Bissaka, Bailly, Lindelof, Shaw; McTominay, Matic, Greenwood, Fernandes, Pogba; Ronaldo
SCORE PREDICTION:Leicester City 2-1 Manchester United
Manchester City vs Burnley, 3:00PM
Manchester City will aim to make an immediate return to winning ways in the Premier League when they take on Burnley at the Etihad on Saturday afternoon.
The reigning champions played out a pulsating 2-2 draw with Liverpool last time out, while Sean Dyche’s side could only take a point from their clash with Norwich City.
A 2-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in their most recent European battle means that City head into Saturday’s game aiming to avoid a third game without a win in all competitions, but they remain unbeaten at home this season and have kept four Premier League clean sheets in succession at the Etihad, the most recent of which came in a goalless draw with Southampton.
Only leaders Chelsea have also conceded a league-low three goals so far this season, and not since 2010 have City failed to score in successive home matches in the Premier League – a streak which is highly unlikely to end anytime soon as they come up against Sean Dyche’s warriors.
Their result at Carrow Road was certainly not have been the same engrossing spectacle as Liverpool-City, as neither side could find a way through in a 0-0 draw which extended their winless runs in the top flight.
That result did represent Norwich’s first point of the new season, but Burnley will be aware that they have passed up a golden opportunity to put their first win on the board as they struggle to break away from the other relegation candidates.
Burnley travel to the Etihad having lost their last eight in a row against Man City in all competitions – scoring only once in that miserable streak – and each of the last four fixtures at the Etihad between the two clubs has ended 5-0 to the hosts.
MATCH FACT: Manchester City can be the first team in English football to win five straight home matches against an opposition by 5+ goals.
KEY MEN: Phil Foden (City) & Maxwell Cornet (Burnley)
LIKELY LINE-UPS:
Manchester City: Steffen (GK); Walker, Dias, Laporte, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Rodri, Foden; Silva, Jesus, Grealish
Brighton & Hove Albion come into this game in tremendous form, unbeaten in their last six Premier League games, although their draw against Arsenal before the international break should really have been a win considering the amount of chances they created on the evening.
Graham Potter will be hoping his side do not revert back to last seasons antics, creating chances but not finding the back of the net. Top scorer Neal Maupay already has four Premier League goals to his name in seven appearances
Potter’s men sit sixth in the table, and could find themselves in the Premier League top four come Saturday evening with a win over strugglers Norwich City who are still yet to record their first win so far this campaign.
Their home draw over Burnley ended a run of six straight defeats, but Daniel Farke’s men would be in a real hole if they do not register points on the board in the coming weeks.
MATCH FACT: Brighton have won both their Premier League meetings against Norwich, with Leandro Trossard involved in all three goals
KEY MEN: Teemu Pukki (Norwich) & Neal Maupay (Brighton)
Leeds United will be looking to make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League when they head to St Mary’s on Saturday afternoon to take on Southampton.
The Whites are currently 16th in the table, having picked up six points from their opening seven matches, while Southampton occupy 17th, two points behind their opponents in this game, and without a single victory to their name so far this campaign.
Southampton’s position of 17th is far from ideal, and their issues in front of goal this season is still a big worry having just score five goals in their seven games. But, there is a lot of football to be played this season, and Hasenhuttl will have been encouraged by certain aspects of his team’s early-season performances.
The Saints have actually lost their last three games against Leeds in all competitions, though, including both Premier League meetings between the two teams last term, and they have not overcome the Whites on home soil since August 2011 in the second tier of English football.
Leeds, meanwhile, finally picked up their first Premier League win of the season before the international break, with Diego Llorente’s first-half effort seeing them record a 1-0 victory over Watford at Elland Road.
Bielsa’s men have won one, drawn three and lost three of their first seven matches of the campaign to collect six points, which has left them in 16th position in the table ahead of the next set of fixtures.
It is not quite the start that Leeds would have had in mind considering their success last term, but they now have a run of winnable matches, facing Southampton, Wolves and Norwich City in their next three.
Leeds remarkably won 10 away games in the Premier League last term, meanwhile, and will certainly believe that their free-flowing football can cause Southampton problems once again, but there has also been a lot of space for teams to operate in against the Whites this term, suggesting that this may well be an entertaining contest.
MATCH FACT: Leeds United have 14 PL wins over Southampton including two last season, their most against any a single opponent.
KEY MEN: Adam Armstrong (Saints) & Raphinha (Leeds)
Chelsea will aim to cement their position atop the Premier League rankings but face no easy task in doing so this weekend against a fired-up and an impressive Brentford side in Saturday evening’s London derby.
Thomas Tuchel’s side eased past Southampton before the international break registering a 3-1 win, while the Bees got the better of West Ham United 2-1 at the London Stadium.
Thomas Frank’s men have taken points against Liverpool, Arsenal and West Ham, and will be hoping Chelsea will be amongst those prestigious results.
Seeking to establish themselves as Premier League mainstays during the first few weeks of the season, Brentford’s Premier League success story is earning a few more superb chapters, with the Bees following up their pulsating 3-3 draw with Liverpool with a 2-1 win at West Ham before the international break.
Brentford’s stellar start to the season is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon, and having taken seven points from their last three games, Thomas Frank’s side have risen to seventh in the table – above the likes of Leicester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
The hosts’ only defeat so far this season did come on home soil, though – 1-0 against another surprise package in Brighton & Hove Albion – but having beaten Arsenal and drawn with Liverpool on their own patch, Chelsea can hardly travel across the capital expecting a routine three points.
With Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Everton all playing out draws in game-week seven, Chelsea’s comfortable 3-1 win over Southampton has seen them surge to the top of the rankings with 16 points taken from a possible 21 so far this term.
Desperate to add a top-flight title to his European crown at Stamford Bridge, Tuchel’s staunch and resolute defence has conceded a joint-low three league goals this term – level with champions Man City – and the German coach has lost just one of his 12 away games in the Premier League since taking over at Chelsea.
Tuchel’s men are strong favourites for the Premier League gong this season after their successful capture and return of Romelu Lukaku, who has three league goals to his name and will be looking to follow that up in the coming weeks.
Not since the 1938-39 season have Brentford prevailed against Chelsea in any competition, with the Blues marching to successive 4-0 FA Cup wins in the 2012-13 and 2016-17 seasons, although the victory in the former season came during a replay after an initial 2-2 draw.
MATCH FACT: Chelsea could be the first team in English football to get seven straight London derby away wins.
KEY MEN: Ivan Toney (Brentford) & Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)
Everton will be hoping to continue their impressive start to the season under new manager Rafael Benitez when they welcome West Ham United to Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon.
Heading into this weekend’s fixtures, Everton are fifth in the table, only two points off top spot, while the Irons occupy ninth place and are just three points behind Sunday’s opponents.
Appointing Benitez, who was in charge of Everton’s arch-rivals Liverpool from 2004-2010, was always going to be a risky move by the club’s owners, but it appears to have paid off with the Toffees making a strong start to the campaign.
Players like Andros Townsend, Demarai Gray and Abdoulaye Doucouré have undergone a stark rejuvenation under Benitez’ management, and even without the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and Seamus Coleman have they still managed to pick up impressive points especially against Manchester United at Old Trafford, a game which Everton could well have taken three points on another day.
Home form has been key to Everton’s solid start and they boast a 100 per cent record at Goodison Park this season, beating Burnley, Southampton and Norwich, but they have only managed to keep one clean sheet during this run and that should offer hope to West Ham.
The Hammers are unbeaten on their travels across all competitions this term, winning four times and drawing once, and they have failed to score in only one of those matches. David Moyes and his men will be looking to get back to winning ways after disappointing home defeat to Brentford in injury-time.
Benitez has often been seen as a pragmatic manager, creating a solid base to build from and trying to nick games by the odd goal, but his Everton side have found the back of the net 13 times in seven league matches. Only five teams have scored more.
West Ham are one of them, netting 14 times, but they have also looked fragile in defence and are one of 11 teams already in double figures for goals conceded.
An entertaining and intriguing affair is expected at Goodison Park this Sunday.
MATCH FACT: Everton can win their opening four league matches at Goodison Park for the first time since 1978.
KEY MEN: Andros Townsend (Everton) & Michail Antonio (West Ham)
West Ham: Fabianski (GK); Coufal, Zouma, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Rice, Soucek; Bowen, Fornals, Benrahma; Antonio
SCORE PREDICTION:Everton 2-2 West Ham United
Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur, 4:30PM
Newcastle are set to usher in a new era against Tottenham with this match set to be the first under their respective new owners, however the club remains in the bottom three and without a win in their seven league games so far. Steve Bruce’s immediate future at St James’ Park is currently up in the air, with his sacking a matter of when not if.
If Newcastle fail to pick up three points against Tottenham on Sunday afternoon, you’d expect Bruce to be out of the manager’s hotseat Monday morning. One positive for Bruce, has been the performances of his players though, they have indeed battled hard but without gaining wins. Their defeat to Wolves came only through the brilliance of Raul Jimenez and Hwang Hee-Chan, but its those small margins that is proving Steve Bruce’s undoing right now, and you could argue the Manchester United legend and former captain is lucky to be still in a job.
Looking at their personnel, it’s easy to see why – Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron provide real dynamism in forward areas. Without Callum Wilson, the club have struggled to score consistently to beat teams, whilst still getting goals on the borad
However, defensively, they have struggled, conceding 16 goals in seven matches, which represents the joint-worst record in the division along with bottom club Norwich City.
Tottenham, however come into this game off the back of a much needed, crucial three points against Aston Villa with goals coming Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and a Matt Target own goal. Star man Harry Kane is still without a league so far this season, and Nuno Espirito Santo will need his striker firing on all cylinders if they are to challenge for the top four places once again.
Spurs do have an excellent recent record against the Magpies, losing only one of their last eight Premier League contests. They were last beaten at St James’ Park in 2016, losing 5-1 on the final day of the campaign. It’s been a happy hunting ground since then, and its a game Tottenham will be expected to get all three points in.
MATCH FACT: Spurs have lost just one of their last eight league games against Newcastle, (W5, D2)
KEY MEN: Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle) & Harry Kane (Tottenham)
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris (GK), Emerson, Rodon, Dier, Reguillon; Hojbjerg, Skipp; Lucas, Ndombele, Son; Kane
SCORE PREDICTION: Newcastle United 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Arsenal vs Crystal Palace, Monday 8:00PM
Monday night football marks the return of Arsenal legend and former captain Patrick Vieira to North London as he takes his new and improved Crystal Palace side to the Emirates as Arsenal take on Crystal Palace.
Arsenal could only manage a draw away at Brighton last time out but the way the Seagulls have played in comparison to the Gunners, suggests that it was a decent point for Arteta’s men. They have indeed undergone an upturn in form and performances in recent weeks, and you can argue the international break came at the wrong time for Mikel Arteta and his team.
Despite their improvement the Gunners still have an unhealthy goal difference of -5 and need to add more goals to their game. Arteta’s men are unbeaten in four Premier League games, their last defeat coming in the 5-0 drubbing at Manchester City. The Gunners may well be expected to grab the three points in this game, though they are coming up against resurgent Crystal Palace who have proven very tough to beat under Patrick Vieira so far this campaign.
Before the international break, Crystal Palace claimed a 2-2 draw at home to Leicester and will have been happy with a point having come from two goals down. Olise and Schlupp scored the second-half goals that brought the Eagles back onto level terms and Vieira will have been happy to see his players fight back against such a good team.
His side have been performing brilliantly and resolutely without getting wins on the board with their only victory coming against Tottenham mid-September. The Eagles currently sit in 14th place four points off the drop zone, and will need to be turning good performances into wins, starting at the Emirates against Patrick Vieira’s former side.
MATCH FACT: Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang is the only Arsenal player to score on more than one occasion so far this season.
KEY MEN: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) & Wilfried Zaha (Palace)
They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks but in Wilfried Zaha’s case after Saturday’s mauling of 10-man Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park, the old saying may well be much further from the truth.
To put it simply, the Ivorian forward was unstoppable as Nuno Espirito Santo and his Spurs side felt the full force of Zaha who completely tormented new signing Emerson Royal and their much depleted back-line.
Patrick Vieira could not have asked for a better way to record his first win as Crystal Palace boss, in such a manner against his old fierce rivals from his own playing days.
A renewed, reinvigorated Zaha, a clinical double from new signing Odsonne Edouard and a promising cameo from Palace’s other exciting new summer addition Michael Olise means Crystal Palace are a club progressively on its way to much clearer waters in the Barclays Premier League.
The concerns and doubts that had understandably arisen over their creativity and clinical edge in the final third from their first few games under Vieira were completely blown away in an enthralling second-half performance in their 3-0 win over Tottenham who came into the game unbeaten and two points clear at the top of the early Premier League table.
On the eve of their London-derby fixture against West Ham before the international break, Palace faced much criticism for their lack of incision and cutting edge in creating chances following their 3-0 defeat to Chelsea, their 0-0 draw at home against newcomers Brentford and their very premature Carabao cup exit against Watford at Vicarage Road losing 1-0.
However, fast forward a couple weeks and Vieira’s men have now scored 5 goals in two games. You wait a long time for a South London bus, and soon after you get a variety of them arriving in quick succession.
Against their London rivals West Ham and Tottenham that famous comical theme reigned supreme. Much of that will of course be placed on the brilliant Connor Gallagher who hit two superb strikes against West Ham and continued his soaring emergence against Spurs, or the clinical edge of their exciting new addition Odsonne Edouard or of course Palace’s new found confidence under Vieira, however, it was down to their old dog and reliable talisman Wilfried Zaha who looks more hungrier than ever.
Japhet Tanganga’s red card for two silly bookings in quick succession early in a then-goalless second half certainly allowed Palace the opportunity to exploit the space vacated by the young defender, but the question was whether Palace would be clinical enough to actually take advantage, an opportunity they regularly failed to exploit under Roy Hodgson in the past.
However, those former concerning traits were put to bed in an instant and Wilfried Zaha’s faultless performance proved the catalyst for Palace’s Saturday lunchtime success.
It will be Edouard’s two ruthless finishes that steal the limelight and not since James Vaughan’s impressive hat-trick on his own Palace debut over a decade ago this week has the Palace faithful been entertained by a fine display of finishing by a striker tasting first appearance in Palace colours, but the usual sight of Zaha racing down the left-flank at full speed remains worth the admission fee alone.
Certainly fans are used to such a sight, they are expectant of it – especially on a more consistent basis – because of the Ivorian’s immeasurable abilities but with this current crop of players under Vieira’s tutelage, Odsonne Edouard, Connor Gallagher and Michael Olise (remember the superfluous Ebere Eze is still to return from injury), Zaha may finally possess the tools to become a prominent Premier League player alongside the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Kevin De Bruyne, Mo Salah, Jack Grealish and so on and so forth.
For too long, Zaha has wowed only for a moment to then fade back into obscurity, seeming disinterested, lacking motivation and failing to live up to his in-house hype.
For the opening three league matches of the season, Zaha had been in that all too similar zone which in the past had been Palace’s own undoing. When Zaha doesn’t perform, the whole team follows suit and suffers as a result.
But now, things have changed, he may not have to do things on his own. Finally, he holds wealth of talents alongside him to entertain, capture the imagination of the Palace faithful and to most importantly link up expertly with.
Against Tottenham, we saw just that. Looking and feeling confident, enjoying linking up with the likes of Connor Gallagher and Edouard when he came on, buoyed by the perceived injustice and the energy of the crowd putting in a match-defining performance.
Finally, Palace have a squad potentially capable of matching Zaha’s abilities and ambitions.
In full flight, Wilfried Zaha is electrifying, bordering on unplayable even for the most accomplished full-backs as Emerson Royal found out on his Tottenham debut.
Also keeping his cool to not react too aggressively to Japhet Tanganga and risk a red card himself, before the Spurs defender then walked for a second booking after a lunging challenge on Jordan Ayew soon afterwards, was to Zaha’s credit.
This is a new and improved footballer, a mature but rampant and electrifying one.
For so long, there has been little in Palace’s side to take the pressure off Zaha, and even in the early stages of this season, it was unclear whether anyone other than on-loan midfielder Gallagher could offer playing on the same wavelength. But credit must go to the recruitment team at Selhurst Park and Patrick Vieira for identifying the issue and quickly addressing it.
As we saw in Edouard’s first of his two goals, Zaha providing the assist and a much more capable player confidently taking on the pass to clinically find the back of the net. This is what Zaha has desired all long, for the club to sign players who can complement his game. Odsonne Edouard is a footballer who fits the mould, someone who could assist Zaha and vice-versa.
Let’s take a mention Palace’s new and exciting attacking crop of players again: Connor Gallagher, Michael Olise, Ebere Eze, Odsonne Edouard and Jordan Ayew. This is Wilfried Zaha’s Selhurst Park dream, to play with the best footballing talents, and the Ivorian international can finally now lead the club into an exciting new era.
Crystal Palace have enjoyed a productive, efficient and tremendous summer transfer window transforming what was an ageing, rigid and in-balanced squad into arguably one of the most exciting outside the Premier League’s so called ‘top-six’ clubs.
New coach Patrick Vieira has been significantly backed in this window, and now possesses a thrilling group of players at his disposal, filled with youthful exuberance, quality, precision, industry and dynamism, a far cry from the depleted squad Roy Hodgson possessed in the latter years of his reign.
The squad desperately needed a revamp, a refreshed outlook and Vieira has now got what he needs to take the club into the next level.
Roy Hogdson could only take the club as far as he could, year-after-year consummately steering them away from the dreaded state of relegation, and therefore solidifying their positioning as a stable Premier League outfit.
Vieira will now be tasked in leading this new-look Palace side into much more loftier waters, and the players he now holds at his disposal means the expectations to deliver are now higher than ever.
Marc Guehi, Joachim Andersen, Michael Olise, Will Hughes, and Connor Gallagher have all been recruited to provide the club with a much more attractive and pleasing-on-the-eye outfit, one that will certainly excite the Selhurst Park faithful.
Though, arguably the most exciting capture of the lot could certainly be the dramatic transfer deadline day capture of Celtic’s French goal-machine Odsonne Edouard, bought for a fee of around £14.67m.
The 23-year-old became Palace’s seventh signing of the summer in a deal that could potentially rise as high as £18 million via add-ons, depending upon the level of success Edouard enjoys at Selhurst Park.
The whole deal in all fairness plainly reads ‘bargain’.
There is much for Palace fans to be excited about in Crystal Palace’s acquisition of Edouard. The club have for a long while needed a consistent goalscorer, or even a player who exudes goals not just in scoring them but creating them also.
The Paris Saint-Germain academy product’s ability is far from limited to just his goalscoring, but it is his record in finding the back of the net that firstly stands out above all else.
Since his move to Celtic Park from Paris Saint-Germain, his goalscoring record reads at 77 goals in 150 games for the Scottish giants, an astonishing rate.
Every single season, Edouard is guaranteed over 20 goals. 23 during the 2018/19 first domestic treble winning campaign under Brendan Rodgers, 29 in another treble triumph during the 2019/20 season and 22 goals last season while Celtic unfortunately finished trophyless.
Despite a healthy goal-return last season, Edouard did have his difficulties largely as a result of him wanting a move away from Scotland to a much bigger outfit. There is now an opportunity for the striker to kick on in a career where his impressive rise has somewhat faltered.
The promise of a move away from Celtic before the 2020/21 campaign failed to materialise, leaving him unsettled, but he still recorded such impressive numbers scoring 22 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions. He averaged a goal every 99 minutes in the Scottish Premiership last season, a superb return by anyone’s standards.
His underlying stats were excellent, with an average expected goals (xG) of 0.74 per 90 minutes, and 0.21 expected assists (xA) per 90 meaning the Frenchman is an incredibly efficient goalscorer as well as a flamboyant creator. Crystal Palace hugely require both, as evidenced by their only two goals in the opening 3 Premier League games so far.
Can’t tell you how excited I am about Odsonne Edoaurd deal to Crystal Palace. Arguably their best and most impressive deal of the summer.
Evidently clear Vieira needs creativity and goals at Selhurst Park, with Edouard they can potentially kill two birds with one stone.
At times so far this season, Vieira’s attacks have often looked disjointed, or lacking in any real precision and fluidity until Connor Gallagher stepped up to the plate in Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke’s influential absence against West Ham. In Edouard, Palace can potentially kill two birds with one stone solving both their goalscoring deficiencies and their imbalance when creating chances.
Edouard is a tremendously elegant and multi-functional player. The Frenchman oozes confidence and quality when he steps on the pitch. Up-front maybe his natural position, but his contributions and influence in attack run deeper. This is a footballer who is very technically gifted, with a deceptively good first touch, terrific close control and a vast range of finishing.
As well as being a ruthless goalscorer, Edouard recorded impressive assist numbers in the SPFL, 21 in his five years at Celtic Park, showcasing his creative spark and abilities in the final third.
Edouard regularly acts as the team’s main creative hub from the front in order to create space and opportunities for his teammates. He loves to drop into the half-space to exchange passes before moving into spaces vacated by the defence. While its so effective and complimentary of Celtic’s attacking play, it is also bamboozling for opposing defenders, they are often left confused as to who to mark.
We all know Crystal Palace need such a player, for too long during Roy Hodgson’s tenure, they’ve heavily relied on the spark and creativity of Wilfried Zaha, often looking lost and hopeless without him. Now under Vieira, Palace possess players who can unlock defences in abundance. Odsonne Edouard is the common denominator, potentially along with Ebere Eze when he returns from injury and Michael Olise too – a trio of creative enforcers who will tantalize the taste buds of Crystal Palace fans.
Edouard’s dribbling abilities emerge from his South American roots. He is rarely exuberant or the showboating type with the ball, but he exhibits an effective use of his control in tight spaces and a technique which few players in the Scottish division can match. It’s abilities such as this, his fantastic movement, and effective link-up play making him such a dangerous outlet within the final third.
Averaging both 0.70 goals per 90 minutes, and 0.15 assists per 90, it’s no wonder why he was the Scottish Premiership’s most deadliest forward.
His goals and assist ratio per 90 last year, read at 0.85. The forward is a creative phenom, performing as Celtic’s driving force spearheading almost every attacking scenario.
Palace have acquired a striker who is more than just a goalscorer. There’s not many strikers in the Premier League currently who can boast at such a wealth of versatile qualities.
It is his movement and positioning which stands out in particular, while the 23-year-old has also demonstrated many of the features required for the role he will likely play under Vieira; excellent at dropping deep, linking up with his fellow forwards, drifting wide and spearheading Vieira’s knack for playing a possession-based game.
That constant movement and mobility will aid Palace’s game considerably, with Edouard just as good in the air as he is with his feet. He is considerably more agile, more flexible and more intelligent than Christian Benteke, whilst also capable of creating openings on his own rather than relying on others to provide for him – as Benteke’s game is based.
Edouard is also highly adaptable too. He has performed admirably and consistently despite the changes in philosophy Celtic underwent in the past few years, from the patient possession-based system under Brendan Rodgers, to the risk-taking approach under former manager Neil Lennon. It is a sign of his suitability to different systems and his versatility also.
He possesses the pass and move intelligence to perform well in a possession-based system and the speed of thought, movement and clinical edge to also thrive in a pressing, and counter-attacking system.
Edouard fits perfectly into the Palace’s refreshing model of recruitment this summer. The risky decision to prioritise youth to reach a degree of sustainability will have been factored heavily in this move. The silky forward will provide plenty of competition for Benteke, but it also means Palace will possess two very different forwards: one who fits Vieira’s mode of playing and the other who will strongly disrupt and dispel opposition forwards to aid his teammates, an effective plan B.
It provides an alternative style of forward player who can be utilised effectively when switching between game-plans during matches. More importantly though, Palace will now no longer just be the defensively resolute and counter-attacking side they were under Roy Hodgson, they will hopefully be more fluid, more expansive and certainly more clinical with the addition of the brilliant Odsonne Edouard.
Lining up alongside Ebere Eze, Michael Olise, Conor Gallagher and Wilfried Zaha will certainly be an absolutey thrilling prospect for Patrick Vieira to unleash, possessing arguably the most exciting of forward lines in the Premier League.
How Crystal Palace could line-up with a fully fit squad to choose from:
If the giant strides Odsonne Edouard enjoyed at Celtic is replicated at Premier League level then the fee, reduced anyway as a result of only having a year left on his contract in Glasgow, then the 23-year-old will prove a yet another superb bargain as Palace continue their impressive transition this summer.
Building such an alternate side takes time, but the capture of a player possessing the abilities of Odsonne Edouard can only compliment Palace’s rebuild even further. What a magnificent summer Crystal Palace have had.
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