Tag: Odsonne Edouard

Michael Olise makes Premier League mark with brilliant cameo against Leicester City

Michael Olise makes Premier League mark with brilliant cameo against Leicester City

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.

Crystal Palace vs Leicester City: Match Preview

Crystal Palace vs Leicester City: Match Preview

KICK OFF: Sunday 3rd October 2021, 14:00PM

MATCH PREVIEW:

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

Crystal Palace v Brighton & Hove Albion: Match Preview

Crystal Palace v Brighton & Hove Albion: Match Preview

KICK OFF: Monday 27th September 2021, 8PM

PREVIEW:

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.

LIKELY LINE-UPS:

Crystal Palace:

Brighton & Hove Albion:

SCORE PREDICTION: Crystal Palace 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion

Rampant Zaha finally ready to lead new dawn at Crystal Palace

Rampant Zaha finally ready to lead new dawn at Crystal 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.

What Odsonne Edouard will bring to Crystal Palace

What Odsonne Edouard will bring to Crystal Palace

Out with the old, and in with the new.

There is a new era dawning in South London.

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.

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.

Leicester City have secured their future in attack with the signing of Patson Daka

Leicester City have secured their future in attack with the signing of Patson Daka

Leicester City have confirmed the signing of striker Patson Daka from Red Bull Salzburg, with the fee thought to be around £23m.

The Zambian forward, who scored 34 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions last season, signed a five-year contract at the King Power Stadium.

A striker had been high on Brendan Rodgers’ priority list this summer, and 22-year-old Daka emerged as Leicester’s number one target despite Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard also being linked to the club.

“I’m so, so excited to join this great, historic club. It has been my dream and I’m so happy and looking forward to what’s coming next,” Daka told LCFC TV.

“I have followed Leicester from the time they won the league. I feel it is the perfect place for me, because it’s a team that fights for titles. I know it’s not going to be easy, but I feel ready to face this new challenge.

“I will give my best for the club each and every day, and I look forward to seeing the Leicester City fans inside the stadium soon.”

Leicester City have yet again undergone another astute piece of business, more importantly the club have also secured their future post-Jamie Vardy with Patson Daka’s capture.

The club had been monitoring Daka for a significant period of time and feel this is the perfect period for them to sign the striker, after his tremendous goalscoring feats last season in Austria, scoring 34 goals in 42 games (27 goals in 28 games in the Austrian Bundesliga).

The Zambian joined Salzburg as a teenager in 2017 and signed a five-year contract. He broke into the first team in 2019 and has been an absolute revelation since then, becoming one of Europe’s most devastating strikers. Daka was named Austrian Bundesliga player of the season this year after his extraordinary scoring record as well as providing seven assists for his teammates, finishing the season with 34 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

Brendan Rodgers have been searching for an eventual successor to Jamie Vardy for a long while, searching for players with the potential to be honed and developed and one they can ease into a first-team role gradually, Daka represented the perfect addition.

Rodgers had always stated he wanted a striker who is incredibly mobile, pacey, energetic, can stretch defences by running in-behind at speed and fits the profile of his emerging side. All of those characteristics are all similarities to Jamie Vardy’s game, and Daka is built in the same mould, but a more fresh, young and vibrant alternative.

Standing at 6ft 1in, Daka also offers a physicality that is rarely seen in Jamie Vardy and Kelechi Iheanacho, and a focal point that will allow Leicester City to become more flexible and devastating in the attacking third.

Patson Daka was seen as the replacement for Erling Haaland when the Norwegian left Salzburg for Dortmund in January 2020, and the Zambian has repaid that faith to such incredible effect, bagging 61 goals in 87 appearances in the last two seasons alone.

Daka is of course in a similar mould to Jamie Vardy, and that will have been plainly in the thoughts of Leicester’s recruitment team. Of course, expectations of him will be managed carefully, given that he is arriving from a league that is not as robust and competitive as the Premier League.

Once Daka is in full flow, eventually, he’d be almost unstoppable. His profile is of a player who has fantastic raw pace and great movement, one who is also of a ‘fox in the box’ ilk. He comes alive in the penalty area and like Vardy, enjoys playing on the shoulder of the last defender.

Unlike Iheanacho, Daka rarely gets involved in the build-up – again, similar to Vardy – but once the ball comes to him, he’s either finishing moves or assisting someone else. Players like James Maddison, Youri Tielemans and Harvey Barnes would absolutely thrive playing off Patson Daka because of his energy, constant movement and ability to find the perfect pockets of space in order to get an effort on goal.

There are several key components to Daka’s style. His speed and agility over short distances stand out.

His acceleration can be devastating, tearing past seemingly flat-footed defenders with an aura of grace in his long strides. He is a tremendous athlete, incredibly energetic and a non-stop runner which is a nightmare for even the most elite of defenders.

The Zambian is so smart in how he uses his athleticism to his advantage. It makes him a very adept poacher, pouncing on loose balls in the box, reacting quicker than anyone in congested areas. In that act, he is very well capable of creating something for himself out of nothing. It’s clear, Jamie Vardy isn’t getting any quicker, so Daka represents the perfect and swift solution to fill that void.

When Daka has time on his hands – particularly when through on goal – he is at his most clinical. He possesses such a unique knowledge of when to time his runs across defenders and latch onto through balls. Once Daka takes a pass in his stride, it is simply game over for his opponent; he is simply no slouch when the opportunity arises to go in one-on-one with a goalkeeper.

Once he picks his spot, there’s no stopping him. Daka holds an assured aura about him when finishing chances, like a throwback to the great Samuel Eto’o. His finishes itself are a foregone conclusion; he is a good striker of the ball, crucially with both feet which makes him so dangerous when an opportunity arises.

Last season, he contributed 1.4 non penalty goals or assists per90 mins, the best of any player in the Austrian top-flight. Daka can also be described by casual observers as a player who relies on scoring tap-ins, but that isn’t to say most of his goals comes as a tremendous amount of luck for him. In fact, it all owes to his predatory movement and instincts in the penalty box. He knows where to be in order to score goals and that’ll be a valuable trait at Leicester City.

At times last season, Brendan Rodgers lacked the potency to finish off chances, ultimately sacrificing a priceless Champions League spot for next season. Once Patson Daka beds himself in, he could provide that missing ingredient in front of goal, that incredible potency when needed.

In Salzburg’s customary 4-2-2-2 system, Daka usually lined up with a strike partner in Mergim Berisha or Karim Adeyemi offering such exhilarating pace, movement and the ability to stretch opposition defences. Rodgers usually favours a lone-frontman, but showed his superb flexibility tactically when proposing a twin attack of Vardy and Iheanacho towards the end of last season. Daka isn’t foreign to that, and will certainly fit in perfectly whatever formation Rodgers utilises.

Patson Daka is set to be Brendan Rodgers’ long-awaited man. While Jamie Vardy is unfortunately on the wane, Leicester City and their fans can move forward knowing that their future in attack is in safe hands.