Oliver Glasner and Crystal Palace suddenly have more at stake in their match against Liverpool on Saturday. Every Premier League game offers the opportunity to win three points, but Palace’s poor play left them without a win in their last six games going into the second international break. This is a far cry from their play at the end of the previous season, when they scored 20 goals in their final six games.
Due to an underdeveloped roster and the late arrival of high-profile signings Eddie Nketiah and Maxence Lacroix on deadline day, Palace struggled to start the season. While results haven’t been entirely convincing, two impressive comebacks—a 2-1 victory against QPR in the EFL Cup and a valiant comeback from a 2-0 deficit against Leicester City—hinted at improvement after a chaotic summer.
Glasner’s early reign has been marred by a disappointing goalless draw against Manchester United and a heartbreaking 3-1 loss to an Everton team going through its worst season start in 66 years. Palace could have led by two or three goals against Everton in the first half, but they were unable to build a comeback due to two careless mistakes made early in the second half that allowed Dwight McNeil to score twice.
Still trying to find his perfect team, Glasner switched up his defense once more, inserting Jefferson Lerma as a stand-in center defender. Daichi Kamada and Adam Wharton, the pivots of the midfield, also had trouble; Wharton was sidelined due to a groin injury, and Kamada was not quite strong enough to hold his own against players with greater stature, such as Abdoulaye Doucoure of Everton.
In attack, injuries and a depleted squad leave Glasner with few options as Eddie Nketiah and Eberechi Eze struggle to establish a reliable partnership to help Jean-Philippe Mateta. The Austrian manager is searching for answers, and if the winless streak continues, a tactical change is inevitable.
It’s concerning that Palace’s only victories have come against teams that are having similar difficulties to their own. Brentford’s lone other triumph came against Southampton, who are headed for relegation, while West Ham and Everton also won their season openers against the Eagles.
Glasner will be hoping that history repeats itself because a stunning turnaround for Palace was started last season by a 1-0 victory over Liverpool. Glasner will be aiming for a victory when Arne Slot’s Reds, who are presently leading the Premier League, visit Selhurst Park similar result to reignite Palace’s faltering campaign.
