So the outcome on Monday night was not ideal, with Chelsea rallying from a goal behind to defeat Crystal Palace 3–1.
This will definitely have disappointed Roy Hodgson; yet, during the game, he uncovered a new dangerous duo to join
Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.
Here’s who Adam Wharton has unlocked throughout his full Palace debut.
Jefferson Lerma has been decent but not outstanding for Crystal Palace since joining the club for free this summer.
This, however, was mostly his own fault, as he struggled in a deeper role with significant defensive responsibilities.
But on Monday night, everything looked to alter owing to one player making his full Palace debut. Wharton was
excellent in his job of sitting deep, breaking up play, and winning duels before passing it on to his more creative
colleagues.
Lerma was thus given the freedom to attack, and he took full advantage of it with a fantastic strike that beat the
Chelsea goalkeeper and put Palace ahead at the moment.
On £70,000 a week, Lerma now appears to have found his place in the Palace midfield, with Wharton taking
responsibility for the defensive side, allowing Lerma to roam and participate in attacks.
We wouldn’t be surprised if Lerma’s goals started to flow as he looked to make up for Eze’s absence. Lerma will enjoy
playing with Wharton already, as he was so impressive in his role that he was dubbed a ‘Champions League player’ in
the aftermath.
Palace’s main strength throughout this campaign has been individual brilliance from Olise or Eze, but with the
acquisition of Wharton, the midfield has improved tenfold.
Against Chelsea, Palace’s midfield outperformed Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, who cost £200 million each.
A very optimistic indication for Palace, and something Hodgson should surely build on if he wants to see out the
season.
