- Crystal Palace star enjoying outstanding season
- Statistically the best in his position
- Daniel Munoz is quite simply brilliant
Crystal Palace fans know Daniel Munoz’s importance, and the Colombian is statistically among the best, if not the best, wing-backs in Europe. He has proven to be a bargain buy for the South Londoners.
Munoz joined Palace from Belgian outfit Genk in January 2024 for a mere £6.5m. He’s since been a mainstay of Oliver Glasner’s team, delivering superb performances during the club’s most successful period.
The 29-year-old’s absence during the winter period due to a knee injury proved problematic for Glasner. His side won just one of eight league games without the right wing-back.
Daniel Munoz Top of the Lot
Munoz’s return coincided with an upturn in form at the turn of the year. The Eagles got back to winning ways with wins over Newcastle United (2-1), Tottenham Hotspur (3-1), Wolverhampton Wanderers (1-0) and Brighton & Hove Albion (1-0).
It’s no longer just Palace fans shouting from the rooftops just how good a player Munoz is. The statistics back it up as WhoScored’s ranking of right-backs has the Colombian sitting at the top.
Munoz is in first place with a rating of 7.06, just ahead of Manchester City’s Matheus Nunes who sits on 7.05. It speaks volumes of his importance in the team and that’s not even taking into account his contributions in the Europa Conference League.
Munoz has made 22 appearances in the Premier League this season, providing three goals and two assists. He continues to stake his claim as the best right-back in the country.
That’s despite Palace legend Clinton Morrison recently suggesting that Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber is superior. That claim might just have worked as a curse because the Dutchman’s displays as of late haven’t been exactly convincing.
Glasner: Don’t Compare ‘Dangerous’ Munoz to Right-Backs
While ranking Munoz against competitors is difficult because of his position, his versatility means you can do so as a full-back. It will be interesting to see what role he’s handed next season when a new manager replaces Glasner.
The Palace boss, who leaves in June, highlighted the Colombia international’s importance when speaking back in December. He said (via club media):
“I think it’s unfair to compare him with right-backs because when you play a back four, as a right-back, you have to be a little bit more cautious. He’s, let’s say, a mix between a right-back and a right winger, and that’s why we’re also playing this system because we know his attacking style and we know that he’s very dangerous.”
Glasner added:
“Of course his physicality, his runs, always being there and having this feeling in the box, at the far post, this is something special. You can’t always have your right-back in the opposite box, but in our system we can, and that’s one of the reasons why we play a back three. For us, Dani is a very important player.”
Munoz will be in action for Palace in the second leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final against Fiorentina on Thursday (April 16th). The Eagles have control of the tie following a 3-0 win in the first leg.
