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Firstly, Crystal Palace will be relieved to prove that they can win while being dominant in possession. Last season, they took one point from the three games in which they had most of the ball. In 2021-22, they won of the five matches in which they dominated possession most (1-0 at home to Watford). Here they had 67 per cent of the ball and should have won more comfortably.
I think the reason for that instant improvement is the arrival of Jefferson Lerma, who was superb on debut. The combination of Lerma and Cheick Doucoure, player of the Season last year, acts as a very handy roadblock for potential counter attacks. Palace can push forward without fear of being exposed as they were before, particularly before Doucoure settled in last season.
The other impact of that double pivot is that it allows Eberechi Eze to take on another new role, the advanced central midfielder who can stay high up the pitch. Under Roy Hodgson last season, Eze drove forward from a deeper midfield position and scored goals with those late runs – now he can dictate play. His seven chances created was the highest of any Palace player in a match since 2016; he had eight shots too.
This is an extract of The Score. Sign up here to receive the newsletter every Monday morning this season for Daniel Storey’s verdict on all 20 Premier League clubs
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