Time for Hugging, Not Kicking: Is Crystal Palace’s Situation as Dire as It Appears

Time for Hugging, Not Kicking: Is Crystal Palace’s Situation as Dire as It Appears. Since their impressive 5-0 win against Aston Villa, Crystal Palace has faced a tough stretch. They’ve gone 155 days without a Premier League victory, selling their top attacker and a strong defender.

The team has scored only five goals, the lowest in the league, and is experiencing its worst start to a season since 1992-93, leaving them in the bottom three of the standings.

Time for Hugging, Not Kicking: From Triumph to Trouble: Crystal Palace’s Struggles and Hope for Redemption

Crystal Palace’s sharp decline this season contrasts sharply with their strong finish last year, where they earned 19 points from 21 and secured impressive wins against top teams. Currently, they are taking fewer shots, creating fewer chances, and struggling to maintain possession in the opponent’s box. Defensively, they’re facing more shots, committing more errors, and losing more duels.

Additionally, the team has shifted to a less aggressive pressing style, resulting in fewer high turnovers. Interestingly, while their expected goals (xG) stats indicate they were overperforming last season, this season they are underperforming by a significant margin. Despite the disappointing results, the statistics suggest their performances may warrant better outcomes. Fans are hopeful that, over time, these averages will balance out, allowing the team to secure much-needed wins and escape the relegation zone.

Missing Pieces: The Impact of Losing Olise and Andersen on Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace faced a challenging summer, managing to keep Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi but losing star player Michael Olise to Bayern Munich for around £50 million. Olise, who scored 10 goals in just 19 league appearances last season, was pivotal to Palace’s strong finish, and his absence has been felt deeply, with manager Oliver Glasner winning only one match without him.

Former Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey emphasized Olise’s impact, stating he might be one of the best players to come from Palace. Meanwhile, the departure of defender Joachim Andersen to Fulham has also significantly affected the team’s performance, as they conceded only 14 goals in 13 matches last season but have already let in 11 this season.

Overall, losing both a top attacker and defender has left Palace struggling to replicate their previous success, with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher noting the difficulty of replacing such quality players.

Tough Times Ahead: Crystal Palace’s Struggles This Season

After the 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest, where a mistake by goalkeeper Dean Henderson led to the losing goal, manager Oliver Glasner emphasized the need for support rather than criticism. He noted that the team is struggling, saying, “It’s tough at the moment,” and highlighted the importance of maintaining confidence.

Glasner pointed out that the issues are not tactical, but rather stem from poor decision-making in the final third due to a lack of self-belief. He stressed the human element of the game, underscoring the need for solidarity as they prepare for the next match.

Time for Hugging, Not Kicking: Relegation Woes: Is Crystal Palace Facing the Drop?

Crystal Palace finds itself in a tough spot, having failed to win any of their first eight league games for only the fourth time in history, with the last instance leading to relegation in 1992-93. However, there is a glimmer of hope, as several teams have faced similar situations and avoided the drop.

In fact, ten teams have managed to stay up after starting their season winless in the first eight matches. Bournemouth had the same record as Palace last season—three draws and five losses—and ended up finishing 12th. Notably, there have been 13 instances where teams with just three points from their first eight games went on to avoid relegation, including two cases with Palace in 2014 and 2018. While the current outlook is grim, history shows that survival is still possible.