Crystal Palace star man Wilfried Zaha has been praised by journalist Beren Cross for his ‘perfected’ technique at drawing fouls as the Ivorian shone in the south London club’s 0-0 draw with Leeds United on Monday night.
Palace have enjoyed a surprisingly successful season under Patrick Vieira, safe from relegation in 14th and only four points off a potential top-half finish for the first time since the 2014/15 season, as well as a trip to Wembley in their FA Cup semi-final appearance.
Their latest outing saw them dominate a relegation-battling Leeds side desperate for points, but Palace were unable to break the deadlock despite having the greater share of chances and possession throughout the game.
Both teams bought a physical presence and neither wanted to back down and let the other get the better of the game, as referee Darren England could have had a field day with bookings but let the game flow, though maybe too much as some called for cards to be drawn.
The standout performer on the night for Palace was winger and star man Zaha, who shone as the biggest threat for a goal in the entire game bar a couple of chances for Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher. Zaha was impressive with three key passes, four free-kicks won, five shots on target and 20 accurate passes, with an 80% pass accuracy throughout the 90 minutes.
During the game, journalist Cross shared his thoughts on Twitter on Zaha’s unusual ability to draw fouls, calling him a ‘master’ at it in the process. He stated: “Zaha is an absolute master at drawing fouls. Perfected the technique. Gets the whistle every time.”
Is Zaha the best at drawing fouls in the Premier League?Yes
No
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TIF Thoughts on Zaha…
Zaha has once again been the standout performer for Palace this season, leading them in goals scored for back-to-back seasons. He currently boasts 11 goals – equalling last season’s tally already – and two assists, as well as averaging 2.1 shots, 1.2 key passes, 2.4 dribbles and being fouled 2.9 times per game, alongside an 82.4% pass accuracy (WhoScored).
The Ivorian international has had numerous transfer rumours in recent seasons, most notably Arsenal, who were close to signing the player but opted to sign Nicolas Pepe instead. His current deal runs out in June 2023 and there is every possibility he either re-signs before then or finds a new home once the current deal expires.
Palace should do everything they can to keep Zaha and let him cement himself as the best player in the club’s history before he retires. He has mentioned how his relationship with new manager Vieira is very good and ‘wants the best’ for him. If there is any chance of Palace keeping Zaha, they need to make sure they use Vieira in the negotiation process.