Jordan Ayew is a man in form that knows how to generate praise.
Commendations from fans ooze effortlessly off the tongue of the SE25 faithful and others flock to the web to write endlessly of his revolutionary impact over the first four games of Palace’s season.
With two goals in the last two games, it is hard to brazenly ignore the vitality that appears to have been injected into Ayew’s game off the back of a poor 2018/19 season. In fact, Ayew has already surpassed his Palace record, scoring a lone goal in last season’s Premier League away fixture against Wolves. Crucial finishes against Manchester United and Aston Villa have placed Palace at a remarkable fourth place in the table, making them the highest-placed London team thus far.
And whilst Ayew is not solely to blame for this – Palace so far maintain the best defensive record so far too, conceding only 2 goals – he is certainly a driving force behind this formidable opener. But what has Jordan attributed to this recent success, and is he capable of carrying this form on during the season?
Speaking to the CPFC media team in the wake of his winning goal against the Villains, Ayew claims “[Crystal Palace] did the basics right”, implying that both the defensive rigidity and the service the attacking players received have been helpful.
As humble as this is of him to say, the same interview yielded an integral factor to Ayew’s form; his mentality appears to have been boosted by making his move to South London permanent. He claimed that the board had placed “faith” in him, trusting him with further success despite his poor form last season. Thanking the staff and chairman directly, he made no qualms over a new challenge off the back of a “difficult last season”.
It appears Ayew has a muzzled hunger and something to prove. Just as fans have been converted by Ayew’s stellar composure and no-nonsense work rate, it appears he is keen to make a long-run impression on the club’s success. This positive mentality may well prove vital in the tests to come.
It is worth noting that Ayew’s form over the last season appears to be a mere blip – despite Swansea’s ultimate relegation, Ayew still scored a commendable 11 goals in the 2017/18 season. Football is a chaotic sport, but if recent games are at least somewhat predictive of the future then there is no reason why Ayew can’t carry over this form. Palace fans and fantasy football pundits alike, be very excited!
