Another Monday night game, another last-minute equaliser. Here is our takeaway from the match against Arsenal.
Heartbreak Once Again
During this run in the Premier League, Palace's results against Arsenal have been abysmal. Only the fixtures against both Manchester teams and Tottenham have yielded less than the 0.69 points-per-game against The Gunners.
As the clock ticked beyond the four allocated minutes of added time, it seemed that Palace would begin to overturn that record, the ball fell to an Arsenal striker for the second time in the match. This time Alexandre Lacazette with an easy chance to equalise.
Crystal Palace denied another chance to add three points to their tally, left the game heartbroken. In the later stages, the team sunk deeper into their half, switching to a 5-4-1 formation as Patrick Vieira sought to grind out the victory. Had the team come away with the win, the introduction of James Tomkins would have been hailed as a masterstroke, but it removed the team's ability to press further up the pitch, which had been a successful part of their game up to that point.
On paper, eight points from eight fixtures may look like a promising start, given the relative strength of the fixtures. With four points thrown away in the dying seconds of games, it's difficult not to feel robbed.
Having been undone by set-pieces once again, it continues to be an area of play the coaching staff desperately needs to work on fixing.
Édouard and Benteke Combine
Crystal Palace's record without Wilfried Zaha is often an overblown statistic used in the media. The Arsenal game gave fans the first glimpse of a Zaha-less team under Patrick Vieira in a Premier League fixture.
Retaining the 4-3-3 Vieira is accustomed to playing this season, Odsonne Édouard took up the left-wing/inside-forward role with Christian Benteke playing through the middle.
It's incredibly tricky to replicate the dribbling ability of Zaha, as Édouard struggled to make an impact on the ball in the first half.
Defensively, however, Édouard worked hard for the team in a position he isn't as used to playing. With a different style of pressing across the front three, Édouard and Ayew took on higher positions in the wide areas, with Benteke able to drop deeper onto Arsenal's defensive midfielder.
If there were any question marks over Édouard's dedication in his final Celtic season, he isn't showing it under Patrick Vieira.
The pairing of Benteke and Édouard ought to have won the game. Benteke was naturally drifting left, with Édouard playing close to him, both took their chances well in front of goal.
Whilst it seemed most likely the two strikers would only play together in more a traditional 4-4-2, it would seem they can co-exist in the same XI, rather than being direct rivals for the centre forward role.
Team of Two Halves
Patrick Vieira's side has started slowly in a lot of their fixtures this season. Both comeback draws came following deficits at halftime, the same again in defeats against Chelsea and Liverpool.
There were early signs of pressure as the midfield looked to disrupt Arsenal, only to concede an early goal. The majority of the first half was a frustrating affair, as Palace looked awkward in possession.
The passing seemed inaccurate, aside from the combinations between the central defenders. Midway through the first half, Joachim Andersen finally connected on a meaningful forward pass as he found Mitchell streaming down the left flank. Mitchell immediately turned the ball over, an apt metaphor for a lot of the decision making in the final third.
Having failed to get a shot away in the opening 20 minutes, Arsenal's switch to a more defensive outlook before the half allowed the Palace defence to push forward. Both centre backs often occupying the area beyond the halfway line gave the side a solid base in attack. However, the decision making as the team reached the final third continued to be a problem. The Conor Gallagher volley with one of the last kicks of the half drew an excellent save from Aaron Ramsdale but felt like one of the only decent efforts on goal.
It would appear that Patrick Vieira has a knack for making halftime adjustments that pay dividends for his team. Yet again, in the second half, Palace found their way back into the match. Christian Benteke, with a finish looking like a throwback to his Aston Villa days, was followed by an excellent effort from Édouard off the underside of the bar.
These second-half performances, whilst encouraging, will need to be replicated over a full 90 minutes if Palace is to make headway this season.
Jordan Ayew: Defensive Winger
The debate on Jordan Ayew rages on, as on the one hand, wingers are often judged purely on their attacking contributions. On the other Ayew, not always the most successful presser of the ball in terms of forcing turnovers, shows a tremendous defensive work rate, ranking highly amongst any winger in the top 5 leagues in Europe.
Today was Ayew's day. Capitalising on an error from Thomas Partey, Ayew made the key challenge allowing Christian Benteke to score the equaliser. Moving across the pitch from the right side in the second phase of pressing after Conor Gallagher forced the ball into the middle of the pitch, Ayew challenged from the blindside.
Patrick Vieira spoke about building confidence in Ayew's game in recent weeks. As a player often shy when it comes to taking shots on goal, even in his nine-goal season, he found a way to make a difference against Arsenal.
Michael Olise's immediate impact off the bench will put greater pressure on Ayew's starting berth, but competition for places will only raise the standards.
The xG Battle
Source - https://understat.com/match/16446
Arsenal had the edge at the full-time whistle on the balance of chances if the numbers are the only measure. The golden opportunity for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang following a save, the deflection off Gabriel Martinelli from the late Ben White shot, and the second goal for Alexandre Lacazette made up the bulk of the xG Arsenal.
Palace essentially lost the stats battle across the board, but as the xG suggests, they were clinical with the few chances they did get. A deeper look at Palace's inability to create higher quality chances will come in time, as the team seems unable to create shooting opportunities beyond the penalty spot. Michael Olise's exceptional contribution in a short space of time will be a massive encouragement for the manager and could help solve this puzzle.
Vicente Guaita, who appeared to have an exceptional game, will be disappointed to concede twice despite making several good saves. Nicolas Pépé's fantastic curling effort was met with a save for the cameras, but the result is all that matters, even if it is down to misfortune.
Luka Milivojević's set-piece contributions are becoming a more significant concern and are worthy of more analysis in the cold light of day. It doesn't feel like Palace can threaten from either his corners or free-kicks from crossing positions. Possibly it's time to hand the baton to Michael Olise and Conor Gallagher, despite the captain currently pulling rank.
Next Up: Newcastle
At this point, potential and promise are not delivering the points Patrick Vieira's team deserves. Despite their newfound oil/blood money, Newcastle is a perfect chance to provide a much-needed victory.
Michael Olise ought to be given a start in front of the home fans, despite the defensive work of Jordan Ayew in this game. Wilfried Zaha's inclusion, even in a substitute capacity, will be helpful if he recovers from his illness. Still, with the rest of the central midfield having played a lot of minutes, this could be the chance to give other players a run-out.