Amazing stat reveals Palace ace has matched former PL record-breaker in one key area - opinion

Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha is the type of player that most football fans would love to have on their team but absolutely hate otherwise; his pace and skill terrify defenders and he has a penchant for winding up the opposition supporters, whether purposeful or not. For all that technique, though, has he really got an end product?

On the chalkboard

The Ivorian is a nightmare to defend against, as the vocal Palace support will tell you via song on match-day but, prior to the rich scoring form he has recently discovered, the winger had struggled to find a killer pass or accurate strike at the end of one of his mazy runs.

The 26-year-old has, though, netted four in his last three Premier League games having not scored in the previous 18. Some rival fans will surely still insist that the number 11 has no end product and he is all about tricks and flicks.

I'd definitely have Zaha as backup to our front-three, but don't think his end product is worthy of the £50m+ he'd cost.

— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) May 14, 2018

Genuinely baffles me how people talk of Zaha as a £60m player. Talented, but his end product is average to say the least.

— Tim Bolton (@timbolton1) January 21, 2019

Zaha is a poor mans Sterling.

Does nothing apart from running with the ball then losing it. No end product

— Jessamine (@JessamineH10) January 1, 2017

One stat, though, should put that unfair criticism to rest.

Up there with the best

According to Squawka assistant editor Jake Entwistle, Zaha is behind only Raheem Sterling (53) and level with former world-record-buy Paul Pogba for chances created from open play this season, with 36 to his name.

It is somewhat baffling, therefore, that the former Manchester United man has chalked up just five assists this campaign, while Sterling and Pogba have teed up a teammate on 11 and eight times, respectively,

The arrival of Michy Batshuayi, who got off the mark against Leicester last weekend, will surely mean the Palace man has the opportunity to reach double figures for assists this season, particularly if Roy Hodgson persists with the 4-3-3 that is beginning to look like a winning formula.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Zaha bagged a brace against the Foxes on Saturday and seems to be relishing playing back out on the left-wing in a more advanced role – will he reach ten assists for Palace this term?

from FootballFanCast.com https://ift.tt/2VquBrs