Crystal Palace’s away defeat to Sheffield United highlighted the fact that Wilfried Zaha may no longer be the answer for the club.
The Ivorian came ever so close to leaving the club over the summer and made his feelings very clear about wanting to pursue a move to either Arsenal or Everton. Both clubs were heavily linked with the player, but with Palace refusing to budge on their mouth-watering price tag, no deal could be agreed and he would remain at Selhurst Park.
Roy Hodgson’s side kicked off their campaign with a goalless draw against Everton without Zaha in the side and the early signs were positive against an improved Toffees outfit.
Marco Silva’s men were unable to come away with three points on the day but for Crystal Palace, it was something of a false sense of security. The magnitude of the season they have ahead became much clearer as they fell to a defeat against newly-promoted Sheffield United on Saturday.
Zaha was brought back into the fold and with Max Meyer and Andros Townsend alongside him. There was hope that he could renovate the Palace attack, one he largely single-handedly carried away from danger last season.
However, it wasn’t to be for Palace and they left Bramall Lane with nothing. The home side were deserved winners and Chris Wilder’s men showed their Premier League quality.
Despite the return of Zaha, Palace offered little to nothing in the final third, with the unhappy attacker looking disinterested as he was given the tough treatment by last season’s Championship runners-up.
During the match, he managed just one shot and just two dribbles, failing to seriously test Dean Henderson in the United net.
The best may be to come for Zaha at Palace this season after a busy summer with the African Cup of Nations, but Hodgson will need him to rediscover his best form sooner rather than later, or the club face the prospect of being dragged into an early relegation scrap that they cannot afford to be in.
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Their positive away form was a staple of their success last season and it’s games like the one against Sheffield United where they really need to be getting points on the board.
Add to that an unhappy record at home, there is lots to be improved on for Palace as the new Premier League season gets up and running. If Zaha is no longer going to be the man they rely on for goals, they need to find them from somewhere else in the squad, which is easier said than done.
Christian Benteke continues to look a shadow of his former self as the confidence struck striker fails to impress in front of goal. Andros Townsend, while not prolific, looked bright in moments for Palace, but with Aaron Wan-Bissaka no longer offering support on the right, his game has changed.
Palace have a mixed run of fixtures to come that could define their early season form. Trips to Manchester United and Tottenham are on the cards, but they also face Aston Villa, Wolves and Norwich City before the end of September.
Three of those games represent a great chance to get some points on the board for Hodgson and a couple of wins would help boost the mood around the club, but it looks like once again a lot of their hope for the season going forward will rest on the shoulders of Wilfried Zaha.
