They might not have managed a single shot on target in their previous two Premier League games but this 2-0 win against Bournemouth showed that Crystal Palace are becoming a multi-faceted attacking outfit.
Under the counterattacking approach favoured by their previous manager, Roy Hodgson, it often felt as though the best plan was simply to get the ball to Wilfried Zaha and hope that he produced a moment of magic. The Selhurst Park faithful felt it too — an extra buzz greeted every touch from their talisman.
Now there is more than one creative spark to get them off their feet. Patrick Vieira arrived at the club with the intention of rewarding young talent and a philosophy which encouraged attacking players to have the freedom and innovation to express themselves.
In Michael Olise, 21, and Eberechi Eze, 24, Palace have two young talents yet to reach their peak. Against Bournemouth they both provided goal contributions, with Olise proving adept from dead-ball situations with two assists, while Eze supplied a superb first-touch finish for the second goal.
While the general trajectory will be positive with such talent, that will not always bring a level of reliability or consistency, but Vieira understands this comes with the territory of trusting young players. “When you have a young group and players who are a bit new in the Premier League, there will be up and downs,” he said.
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The development of Olise and Eze has been under the guidance of not only Vieira but also Zaha, who has taken on a leadership role — encouraged by his manager. Zaha has ensured that both players understand the importance of being clinical and productive, rather than indulging in needless tricks and flicks, passing on the wisdom he has gathered from the evolution of his own career.
Now 30, Zaha’s contract at Palace expires in the summer, meaning he could leave the club for the second time in his career, a decade after joining Manchester United aged 20. It reflects his standing that Vieira says they will allow him to make his own decision.
“Wilfried knows the position of the club and the decision is going to be his,” the Palace manager said. “When he is ready, we will listen to what he has to say, but everybody knows that we want him to stay. We want to grow with Wilfried as one of our leaders and the decision has to be his.”
It is no longer unthinkable that he will leave, nor that Palace will collapse without him. Recruitment under Vieira has pointed to a longer-term vision and two signings excelled against Bournemouth. Marc Guéhi, the 22-year-old defender who received his first England caps in 2022, is a ball-playing centre back who exudes calm but can also compete well in physical duels, as he showed in nullifying the threat from Bournemouth’s imposing strikers, Dominic Solanke and Kieffer Moore.
Another of Vieira’s recruits, Cheick Doucouré, only joined in the summer but is already one of the most vital players in the team. His industry and tenacity in midfield allows players such as Eze, Olise and Zaha the freedom to roam further forward.
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It is no coincidence that in the games the pair have been suspended — Guéhi in the 3-0 defeat by Fulham on Boxing Day and Doucouré in the 3-0 defeat by Everton in October — Palace have found life difficult.
Where once the plan was to find Zaha, now it feels as though Vieira’s philosophy is all about the strength of the team. Zaha’s departure would be keenly felt but they are at least putting the foundations in place for a future without him.
