Oliver Glasner’s secret Crystal Palace weapon can beat Brentford at their own game
Crystal Palace are looking to get back to winning ways in the Premier League as they welcome Brentford to Selhurst Park this weekend.
Crystal Palace have struggled to pick up results since their 19-game unbeaten streak was ended by a 2-1 defeat to Everton on 5 October.
Two defeats against AEK Larnaca and Arsenal followed a draw against Bournemouth before they emphatically beat struggling Liverpool 3-0 in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday (29 October).
Oliver Glasner has built a team full of strong, fast players who like to cause problems from set-pieces, focus on being resolute at the back, and are quick to get the ball up the pitch to attack.
They face a Brentford team who also like to wreak havoc from dead-ball situations on Saturday (1 November), but a hidden Eagles trick could mean that the Bees go home empty-handed from South London having being played at their own game.
Chris Richards has the most successful long-throws in the Premier League so far
Long throw-ins are well and truly back in style in the Premier League right now, and Brentford’s Michael Kayode is one of the pioneers of its current renaissance.
Brentford scored their opener against Liverpool from one of Kayode’s launched throws, but they could face an afternoon of defending from that situation as they travel across the capital to Palace.
That is because, according to new analysis from the Premier League, Eagles defender Chris Richards has completed the most successful long-throws into the box of any player in the division so far.
The USA international has found a teammate with 10 of his 29 launches, meaning he also boasts the second-best success rate of any player with over five long-throws taken, only behind Newcastle’s Tino Livramento with five completed from 13.
Not only that, but Palace have been the best team at attacking long-throws up to now, with a league-leading 18 shots taken after the ball has entered the box, as well as 2.03 xG, which is also better than any other side.
Brentford are close behind in each of those metrics, while Kayode is the standout in the top-flight when it comes to sheer length of deliveries from the touchline, but they may well be rueing the upturn in long-throws if Richards is able to help the likes of Jean-Philippe Mateta or Marc Guehi to score on Saturday.
Richards is fit to play against Brentford after injury concern
Richards has been an ever-present in the Palace backline for league games so far this season, which is no surprise considering his long-throw success.
Everyone connected with the club would have been concerned to see him left out of their squad to face Liverpool in midweek, especially as Glasner did not rest his main men, with later reports confirming that Richards had suffered a calf injury prior to the game.
He has not been kept out for long, however, with new reports stating that Richards has trained before the Brentford clash and so is set to be fully fit and ready to play.
Football Insider have recently revealed that Palace want to agree a new contract with Richards soon amid his strong start to the new campaign, and that notion could be reinforced even further with an impressive performance and potential long-throw masterclass against Brentford this weekend.