What’s Next for Crystal Palace After Their First Defeat of the Season

Crystal Palace’s club-record run of 19 matches unbeaten in all competitions has finally come to an end. Everton ended the streak with a 2-1 victory in the last round of Premier League fixtures before the October international break. Afterwards, the Eagles’ boss Oliver Glasner spoke positively about his team, suggesting that perhaps they needed to feel the pain of defeat to take the next step in their development as a club. The manner of the loss, however, will surely have frustrated the Austrian.

For 70 minutes against Everton, they looked mightily impressive as they have for months, creating chances to score while giving up very little to the home side. Then a foolish mistake from centre-half Maxence Lacroix allowed Everton to equalise, shifting the momentum before the hosts pushed to find a winner. They did just that, inflicting Palace’s first defeat in any competition since their 0-5 hammering away to Newcastle on April 16th.

End of Their Record-Breaking Run

So, what were the reasons behind this disappointing loss? Was it simply a case of the team going 1-0 up and being wasteful, failing to build on their lead when in control? Or was it a sign of mental and physical fatigue from a small group of players who have already played 12 matches this season?

To highlight the lack of depth in Glasner’s squad, four of his preferred starters, including captain Marc Guehi and star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, have started every match so far. Another three have started at least 10 of the 12 fixtures, leaving some key players with little opportunity to rest. With Palace set to compete on four fronts this season, their FA Cup success last year means that continental competition has been added to their schedule. While Glasner prefers to work with a smaller core, he may need to become more comfortable with rotation if Palace are to maintain their intensity throughout the campaign.

Glasner’s style of football takes extensive work on the training ground to perfect, which explains his reliance on a trusted group of players. However, if the Eagles hope to make an impact later in the season, resting some of their key players in the coming months may prove crucial.

Reasons to Be Optimistic

Despite the disappointment of their unbeaten run ending, it’s worth noting that Palace should have actually won the game against Everton. Daniel Muñoz’s goal should have been followed by more, with Mateta missing several opportunities to put the tie to bed. Once again, as they have done for much of the season, Palace created plenty of chances and played with the swagger of a team full of confidence.

Defensively, they looked strong for much of the game. Apart from the rare mistake from the usually reliable Lacroix and the fatigue that crept in late on, Everton rarely looked like breaking down a Palace back line that had conceded just six goals in their previous 11 matches.

The Formation

2022 Europa League winner Glasner has developed a system that appears perfectly suited to this era of Premier League football. His team typically defends in a mid-block, neither too deep nor overly aggressive, setting traps for opponents before springing into life with quick, direct attacking transitions once possession is regained.

Glasner has at his disposal one of the league’s strongest defensive setups, with a back three of Lacroix, Guehi, and Chris Richards supported by Dean Henderson in goal. He also boasts several players who can claim to be among the best in their positions. Daniel Muñoz is certainly among the best wing-backs in Europe, while Adam Wharton’s vision and technical ability make him fundamental to how Palace attack under Glasner. Up front, Jean-Philippe Mateta remains central to the team’s attack. Although he has had a slow start to the season, his physical presence and link-up play are crucial to Palace’s transitions.

Conclusion

Glasner has instilled a winning mentality into his squad, and it will be fascinating to see whether that mindset wavers after their first loss of the season. A collapse seems unlikely, but how the manager utilises and manages his players could determine the next steps for Palace and how successful those steps will be.

Stay tuned for more weekly sports content.