As Crystal Palace head into the final weeks of the season there is still a lot for the team to play for. Hunting a top-10 finish in the Premier League for just the second time in a decade and with a trip to Wembley to play Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final, Patrick Vieira still needs to keep his squad motivated if they want to finish the campaign on a high and make it one that will live long in the memory of the club’s supporters.
Barring the rotation of strikers, the Palace team has largely picked itself over the course of the season, with the majority of the club’s summer signings - Marc Guehi, Joachim Andersen, Conor Gallagher, Michael Olise - afforded regular game time where they are clearly the standout players in their position.
One area that hasn’t been nailed down by any player this season though is the third spot in Vieira’s 4-3-3 midfield trio. Gallagher’s place in the midfield has been assured every week and for good reason, while Cheikhou Kouyate is the clear favourite to start in the holding midfield role when fit and available.
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The other space has been chopped and changed due to form, fitness and availability, however. James McArthur, Will Hughes, Jeffrey Schlupp and Ebere Eze are all looking to nail down that spot in the middle of the pitch for the remaining 10 games but none of them have managed to keep hold of the shirt for a prolonged period of time for Vieira.
McArthur is the most experienced and most trusted of the quartet but has struggled with injury problems this season and hasn’t had a run of games in 2022 to suggest he can cope with starting every match in Palace’s final run in. He recently returned from his second spell on the sidelines with a 20-minute cameo against Arsenal on Monday night and should get more game time this weekend against Leicester City.
The Scotsman was the clear favourite in that position at the start of the campaign and struck up a strong partnership with Gallagher that helped pick up valuable results at West Ham and at home against Spurs and Wolves. His hamstring tear put an end to that, though of late he has still highlighted his tactical nous and experience with committed defensive performances against Chelsea and Burnley at Selhurst Park.
Hughes was made to wait patiently for his chance in midfield meanwhile, but was one of the main beneficiaries to McArthur’s absence from the team. After finally making his Palace debut in late November against Leeds he went on to string together a series of strong performances during one of the club’s more difficult spells of the campaign. Of late, he has featured less, with only 15 minutes of action across each of the last four matches in all competitions.
That has largely been down to the form of Schlupp, who in the 2-0 away win over Wolves and 0-0 home draw with Manchester City had his two best games of the season. As such, he was handed his 15th Premier League start of the campaign in the recent win against Arsenal and is currently the player in the best form of the quartet of midfielders vying for a spot.
Alongside Gallagher and Kouyate, Schlupp has impressed Vieira with his work rate from midfield and tactical discipline. After the 1-1 draw with Burnley - a game in which Schlupp opened the scoring after nine minutes - the Eagles boss commented in his post-match press conference about his decision to start Schlupp, citing his attacking output and mobility as key factors in him getting the nod over other midfielders.
The final wildcard spot is for Eze, who Vieira says has been desperate to get more minutes after he recovered from the Achilles tear he suffered during training last season. His only league start from six appearances came in the 1-1 away draw at Brighton, although he looked in good form when stepping in for the suspended Schlupp in the 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final win over Everton last month.
It would be a huge sign of faith from Vieira if he were to start Eze in the semi-final at Wembley next week, but with Gallagher unable to feature against his parent club there’ll be an extra spot that he could fill as the midfield’s more creative spark.
The task for Vieira now is to decide which of his midfielders can step up and help see Palace over the line for a strong finish to the season. With a lot still to play for the decision could be make or break - especially for the trip to Wembley - where the Frenchman’s tactics will be under heavy scrutiny due to the magnitude of the match.
A combination of McArthur, Hughes, Schlupp and Eze drifting in and out of the team is one solution, though with Vieira so often calling for consistency in his players’ performances, it’s likely he’ll pick one player and stick with them as the campaign draws to a close. Which one that will be remains to be seen.
