Over the years, Crystal Palace have established themselves as a regular English Premier League outfit. The Eagles are a mid-table team and can be tricky for any opposition. To survive in the Premier League, a team needs to sign big players or players capable enough to handle the pressure of the top division.
In the winter transfer season, Crystal Palace made a key signing. Adam Wharton, a 20-year-old midfielder, arrived from Blackburn Rovers for a transfer fee of around £18 million and could rise to £22 million. Spending such a heavy amount on a 20-year-old raised a lot of questions at the start. However, his gameplay has impressed many in his first six appearances in the English Premier League.
Protective shield in front of the defence
Adam Wharton plays as a centre-mid and in front of the defensive line. Before joining the Eagles, Wharton made 26 appearances in the EFL Championship for Blackburn Rovers.
Since joining Palace, Wharton has started in six games. His English Premier League debut came against Brighton. The team suffered a 4-1 defeat. Crystal Palace haven’t played well this season and have shown signs of struggles. Wharton didn’t take time to settle and his defensive performances have been the ones to watch out for. The youngster has won 69.6% of his defensive duels, 36.4% of his aerial duels and 72.7% of his loose ball duels. In addition, he has made 22 interceptions and few came in the crucial defensive areas. Adam hasn’t given away silly fouls and shown discipline on the field.
These defensive performances have raised the confidence of the youngster.
In addition to this is the number of recoveries made by the youngster in these matches. Wharton has made 44 recoveries in these six matches and 31.8% of these came in the attacking half. Most of these have been counter-pressing recoveries. This shows that the player knows how to get into tight situations to win the ball. These recoveries often lead to a goal-scoring chance.
Midfielders are always in the mix to win the ball in the centre of the park. The midfield holds the key to moving the team forward and helping the defensive line. Wharton has won nine fouls for his team in the midfield area and this shows that the youngster is capable enough to hold the ball.
Creative edge
Adam Wharton is yet to score a goal and create one for his team. He is trying to make an impact for this Crystal Palace side. The youngster averages 28.6 passes per 90 minutes and 79.5% of these passes have been accurately delivered. These include 4.4 passes to the final third and 1.1 passes to the opposition penalty box.
The 20-year-old youngster has surely impressed with his defensive performances. He will aim to put in more solid displays and try to ensure Palace’s safety.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine