Having said that, this game was slightly unusual. Palace have very specific threats, the enigmatic (if quite whiny) Zaha, and the controlling influence of Milivojevic. Rarely are teams so overly reliant on one or two individuals, but Palace fall into this category comfortably. Zaha’s importance has been more widely documented, and for good reason: during the 2017/18 season, Palace did not claim a single Premier League point without him. Not one. Not even a draw. Nothing.
Thus heading to Selhurst Park, Hughton was well aware that if we wanted to get a result, we needed to keep Palace’s two danger men quiet. Albion employed a mid-block, looking to press Milivojevic when he dropped deep to receive the ball, and set pressing traps to intercept the ball, or to ensure Zaha was never isolated 1 v 1 against any Albion players.
Both teams set up using a 4-3-3 - Murray leading the line after Andone’s late withdrawal due to injury. Presumably, the Romanian was originally preferred as he would have the energy to continually press the deep-lying midfielder - but Murray stepped up superbly. Below shows how the Albion would focus on staying tight to the Serbian, allowing Tomkins time on the ball but preventing a pass into that midfield space. Unable to get their most talented passer on the ball, Palace were devoid of ideas.
In a typical passage of play, the ball is shifted past the occupied Milivojevic, and across to the other side where another midfielder will drop deep to collect the ball. Schlupp is engaged by Bissouma, the ball is moved on to Dann, and a pass into Zaha opens up.
Or so it seemed. With Stephens screening the back four, he would drop in close to Zaha before he received the ball, with either an additional midfielder or the right-winger doing the same to surround the Ivorian, leaving him no time on the ball. This is a brave tactic from Hughton, as Zaha excels in tight spaces and if he is not pressed effectively, he can either evade challenges and leave the team exposed, or win free-kicks for his team. A disciplined display saw this deployed to perfection, with Zaha either dispossessed and Albion able to counter, or the winger would grow frustrated and drop deeper and deeper to receive the ball.
Whenever Zaha receives the ball, Albion frequently tried to ensure there were 2 or 3 bodies around him, making him play with his back to goal and limiting his effectiveness. Exceptional defensive teamwork.
Another key detail of the victory, and a play pattern symptomatic of Hughton’s managerial ethos: the Stephens diagonal switch. This is something Stephens provides regularly, he excels at keeping possession and passing forward accurately from deep:
In essence, Stephens does what Albion worked to stop Milivojevic from being able to do: receives the ball from deep, draws a press, and sprays the ball accurately to the winger, who stays wide in order to isolate the fullback.
As well as Stephens excellent distribution and vision, and Knockaert’s skill and finish, our goal of the season was also facilitated by Glenn Murray’s intelligent movement. As Knockaert receives the ball and darts inside, Murray makes a run across goal, dragging Tomkins across and forcing the Palace defence to make a decision. The veteran striker runs on the blind side of Dann, threatening to receive a through ball. Dann has to be cautious of this and cover the passing lane, and so is having to focus on multiple attacking threats simultaneously. This also opens up a shooting angle for Knockaert, who takes the invitation and curls the ball into the top corner. Exactly the kind of goal you love to see (Particularly away at Palace!), an intelligent attacking passage from Hughton’s men.
In the graphic below, it’s also worth noting how Stephens adjusts his position in order to receive the ball, actively looking for a passing lane to collect the ball.
Such was the elation of a historic victory, the celebrations took over at the final whistle, the performance somewhat forgotten. From the NSC Match Report: “Lewis Dunk enjoying himself in front of the fast disappearing Palace fans, pumping his fists in delight. Magnificent scenes. Knockaert is beckoning the players over to the away end, dancing, singing. The matchwinner clearly on cloud nine, performing a series of jumps, waving his arms in delight. Our little maestro. Bissouma grinning ear to ear, dancing and conducting the euphoric Albion fans. Heroes, every single one of them. They get it. They really get it. So proud.”
Indeed I have extremely fond memories of that day, and my admiration for the aforementioned players is unwavering. They were wonderful that day, they fought for the result. But before we enter a new era of Potterball, the man in charge that day deserves equal praise. Tactically we were spot on, defensively organised, pressing as a unit. Constantly dangerous in attack, looking to progress out wide, owing to strong performances from Jahanbaksh and Knockaert. A tip of the hat to Chris - a magnificent manager, who brought the Albion to the highest level I have ever seen them play, and masterminded an unforgettable double against that lot up the road.
Advertising
