2021/22 Premier League Preview – Crystal Palace

04/08/21 1881

With a new manager at the helm and a mass squad overhaul taking place over the summer, can Crystal Palace finally make the step up from mid-table mediocrity?

• Manager: Patrick Vieira

• Stadium: Selhurst Park

• Last Season: 14th

After four years in charge at Selhurst Park, veteran manager Roy Hodgson stepped down from his role at the end of the previous campaign, with Patrick Vieira replacing him.

Although Vieira enjoyed huge success as a player, he has yet to prove his worth as a manager. It will be interesting to see if he can make an immediate impact in London.

• What Happened Last Season?

The Eagles only managed to win 12 of their 38 league games last term, recording eight draws and 18 losses along the way.

They also conceded 66 goals (1.7 goals per game), meaning they finished the previous campaign with the third-worst defensive record in the division.

Once again, Wilfried Zaha was the standout performer – bagging 11 goals and two assists in 31 appearances across all competitions.

• Players In

• Marc Guehi – Chelsea (£21.00m)

• Joachim Andersen – Lyon (£15.75m)

• Michael Olise – Reading (£8.37m)

• Remi Matthews – Sunderland (Free)

• Conor Gallagher – Chelsea (Loan)

Palace have bolstered their defensive options with the addition of centre-back duo Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen, along with Goalkeeper Remi Matthews.

Following an impressive stint with West Brom last term, Conor Gallagher has been signed on loan from Chelsea. The Eagles also paid just over £8m for young attacking midfielder Michael Olise.

• Players Out

• Andros Townsend – Everton (Free)

• Patrick van Aanholt – Galatasaray (Free)

• Mamadou Sakho – Montpellier (Free)

• Wayne Hennessey – Burnley (Free)

• James McCarthy – Celtic (Free)

• Stepehen Henderson – Released

• Nathaniel Clyne – Released

• Gary Cahill – Released

• Scott Dann – Released

• Connor Wickham – Released

• Sam Woods – Released

There have been a whopping 11 departures from Selhurst Park over the summer, with five players joining other clubs on free transfers and six players being released.

Notable names on the departure list include long-serving left-back Patrick van Aanholt and veteran centre-back Gary Gahill.

• Crystal Palace’s Key Player

Wilfried Zaha – It’s fair to say that Palace would be lost without Zaha. The Ivorian forward has made just shy of 400 appearances for the club, notching 68 goals and 72 assists.

If the Eagles want to improve on last season’s fourteenth-place finish, they will need Zaha to be at the top of his game once again.

• What Can Crystal Palace Achieve in 2021/22?

It is difficult to predict exactly how Palace will fare this year, especially when you consider that Vieira isn’t a proven manager.

If Vieira can get off to a good start, the Eagles could soar. But if they don’t hit the ground running, they could find themselves flirting with relegation.