MY ACCOUNT
Michael Olise is yet to hit top gear this season — but Crystal Palace’s midfield starlet looks set to explode in South London.
The 20-year-old arrived at Selhurst Park in the summer of 2021 as manager Patrick Vieira set about revamping an ageing Eagles squad.
And their No7 played a key role in last term’s commendable 12th-place finish, chipping in with two league goals and five assists.
As Palace prepare to host Leeds this afternoon, we consider whether Olise can enjoy an even more productive campaign this time around.
Limited action
After featuring in 26 of the Eagles’ Premier League matches last season, Olise’s impact has been more limited in 2022-23.
He has racked up just 236 minutes of action over six games to date, only making two starts across Palace’s eight fixtures.
None of the Hammersmith native’s substitute appearances have exceeded half an hour, so it is perhaps no surprise that Olise is yet to contribute a goal or an assist this term.
Mitigating factors
Olise’s reduced game time has little to do with his ability — the playmaker endured an injury-hit pre-season after struggling with a foot problem.
Vieira addressed the issue prior to Palace’s season opener against Arsenal in August.
He said: “Yes, it’s the same foot injury he picked with the French Under-21s but he has started working with the team today so he is getting there and he is looking much better now.
“We have a plan in place and it is important for him to have a proper pre-season.
“We’re not going to rush him, we’re going to work properly because it is an important season for him and it is an important season for us.”
Making an impact
Both of Olise’s league starts have come in Crystal Palace’s last three matches — in their 1-1 home draw with Brentford and last weekend’s late 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.
The former Reading creator showcased his ability in the latter of those two fixtures, creating more chances than any other Eagles player (three) and completing the joint-most take-ons of anybody on the pitch (two).
He also attempted an impressive four crosses, which was only matched by fellow forward Wilfried Zaha.
Eye-catching numbers
Olise’s performance against Chelsea was reflective of his overall displays across Palace’s campaign to date.
The France Under-21s international ranked inside the Premier League’s top 10 players for completed crosses per 90 minutes (1.91) ahead of this weekend, from a similarly impressive 6.48 attempted.
He also placed highly for chances created per 90 (2.29), while only eight players had attempted more take-ons (4.58 per 90) after eight rounds of action.
Time to catch fire
The underlying numbers indicate that it is only a matter of time before Olise starts troubling the goals and assists charts.
And Palace’s favourable run of fixtures should help with achieving that aim.
The South Londoners follow today’s clash with Leeds by facing Leicester, Wolves, Everton and Southampton later this month.
With some of this season’s tougher encounters behind them and Olise now injury-free, expect the Eagles — and their midfield maestro — to soar to new heights in the weeks ahead.
