SELHURST PARK — It seemed Crystal Palace had dodged a bullet when Evann Guessand made a whimpering introduction to English football after his move to Aston Villa in the summer. Yet his struggle in the Midlands has now left Palace reaping the rewards, benefiting from an opportunistic loan move at the end of the winter transfer window.
Palace disregarded the warning signs demonstrated at Villa and backed their prior scouting report on the 24-year-old, who they tried to sign last summer to replace the maverick quality of Eberechi Eze. Nevertheless, their faith has proved advantageous, with Guessand scoring decisive goals in consecutive matches to overcome a pressurised spell of the season.
Guessand all but batted away Palace’s relegation concerns on Sunday, helping them climb 10 points clear of the drop zone with an instinctive 90th-minute winner from the bench against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Four days later, he inspired Palace to the last 16 of the Uefa Conference League after an awkward play-off tie against Zrinjski Mostar.
The season was unravelling, and Oliver Glasner’s immediate future was under consideration just last week. But two crucial goals from Guessand, securing two crucial wins, have allowed the buoyancy to return. The Frenchman joined Palace to regain his confidence, which seems to have been restored and boosted the entire squad. His two goals in five appearances since joining Palace match his output in 21 matches at Villa.
The last two games have salvaged Palace (Photo: Reuters)In Palace’s 3-4-3 system, he roamed, drifting wide and slotting inside to play off club-record signing Jørgen Strand Larsen. A role he is comfortable in, having played there at Nice last season — registering 23 goal contributions in 42 appearances.
He has offensive initiative and steely determination to put the team on his back, a quality Palace have missed this season. Carrying the ball into the Zrinjski half, he lured Neven Durasek to yank his shirt and prevent him from dribbling any further. From the resulting free-kick, he carried possession further down the line before again drawing a foul. Adam Wharton’s whipped delivery was on the money and found Maxence Lacroix free to head past Goran Karacic from close range.
“We talked to him in the summer,” Glasner said after Thursday’s 2-0 win. “I had a long Zoom call with him. Unfortunately, we couldn’t realise the deal then, but now he’s here. When Ebs left, we knew we would need somebody who could score, assist, and dribble past someone, as Ebs was more or less the only one doing this last year. Evann is getting better and better in this position.”
Palace have been profligate in front of goal in Europe, with an expected goals underperformance of 3.8. They had hoped their quality would begin to tell over two legs after an inconsistent league phase campaign, but once again underperformed their xG by more than a goal on Thursday night – until Guessand stepped up in the 93rd minute, combining with substitute Brennan Johnson before drilling low from inside the box.
Guessand is efficient in carrying the ball, which has been noticeably missing since Eze’s departure. He does, however, possess a heavy touch, and there are occasions when he takes too many touches. His sharpness allowed him to pounce on a poor touch and dribble into the penalty area, but he pulled the ball too far to the left with an extra touch before taking a shot, which allowed Karačić to smother. It is an area he must target for improvement.
Meanwhile, Glasner opts for functional attackers who conform to his ideals both in and out of possession, but being hellbent on his offensive players mastering his defensive ideals has restricted their invention in attack this season. It was his freedom against Zrinjski that made him dangerous.
Guessand may not put in the defensive hard yards as well as others, but his unpredictability and attacking class are what Palace have missed this season. They have been a mix of turgid and toothless this term — Guessand proved he can be the solution.
Hence then, the article about how crystal palace s new eze saved their season was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( How Crystal Palace’s new Eze saved their season )
Also on site :
- Samsung Taps SUGA for New Galaxy Buds4 Pro Earbuds Announcement: Shop It Here
- Walmart Has 'Very Comfortable' Kitten Heel Booties on Sale for Just $50 in 3 'Stylish' Colors
- 'Survivor' Fan Favorite Shares Health Update After Season 50-Ending Injury