Analysis

The one Maxence Lacroix stat which shows Crystal Palace are not missing Joachim Andersen

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For Crystal Palace, the late summer overhaul has yet to bear fruit with some teething problems, with just two points from a possible 12.

The Premier League campaign has gotten off to a bad start as Crystal Palace sit winless after four games – although, on a positive note, the Eagles are unbeaten in four games.

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Last Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Leicester was the most frustrating result of them all, a game in which the Eagles were the better side. Following this, the Eagles progressed to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with Eddie Nketiah among the goals.

Despite a frustrating start, one new signing is impressing and making the loss of Joachim Andersen seem like the right decision.

Maxence Lacroix is replacing Joachim Andersen perfectly

When Andersen was sold to Fulham for £30m, his absence was thought to potentially be a massive blow for the Eagles, but since then he has barely been missed.

The club added Maxence Lacroix and Trevoh Chalobah to the ranks – and so far Lacroix has been doing an excellent job of replacing the Danish defender.

Crystal Palace FC v Leicester City FC - Premier League
Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

One quality Andersen had which many are concerned is now lacking from the club is his long passing.

However, now stats have showcased that Lacroix is actually not only better than Andersen at this but leading all players outside of the big six in completing accurate long passes through the opening four games.

#PlayerAccurate long passesInaccurate long passesLong pass accuracy
1Maxence Lacroix11378.6%
2Jan Paul van Hecke19676%
3Nikola Milenkovic11568.8%
4Joel Veltman8466.7%
5Jan Bednarek15865.2%

What makes this even more impressive is Lacroix has only played one game in the league and yet already completed half of that Michael Keane has completed (22).

READ MORE: Who is Maxence Lacroix? Get to know the pacey Crystal Palace defender with a TikTok lookalike

Crystal Palace will come good eventually

While it has not been the perfect start to this season, the signs are there that the Eagles will eventually get things right and the new signings look likely to be vital.

Lacroix before his debut gave the pre-match speech in a huddle which is interesting and showcases the leader he is and why he had donned the Wolfsburg armband.

Lacroix and Nketiah are showing early signs of being top additions and it does seem just a matter of time until the Eagles click into gear and the players get back to the level Glasner established during his opening months.

Against Manchester United, things could get even worse with the Red Devils coming off the back of a 7-0 win. Despite the current form being relegation-worthy, we would be shocked if this did not improve, perhaps starting this weekend.