The Eagles Shall Rise ~ Crystal Palace (FIFA 18 Dynasty)

[Number999]

Benteke's strike sends Eagles to Europa League R32!

(Match #10 of PL) @ Watford: The two lower tier sides of the Premier League that have burst out of the gate. Palace are in 4th with 19 points and +8 differential, while Watford are in 6th with 17 points and +3 differential. Palace are still trotting out a very strong squad even ahead of their huge Europa League match, let's see what they can do! Despite the fact that Watford had the likes of Fedor Smolov and Richarlison up top, they were unable to penetrate much of anything against Palace's defense which now consisted of Juan Foyth and Pedro Pereira as main starters. Dawidowicz would be brought on in the 52nd minute as a replacement, and coincidentally it would be Yves Bissouma with a goal in the 56th minute to put the Eagles in front! Roberto Pereyra would then be subbed on, but he would get injured just a few moments later via a tackle by Milivojevic. As the clock winded down, LeClair brought his troops back and they held their own and eventually Palace won 1-0! It's a huge defensive away victory similar to what we were forced to do against United. This time it was Bissouma with the scrappy goal from range, and as a result we get a monumental victory against a club that's been within our sphere to start the new season.

(Group Stage of EL, Match #4) vs Aalborg BK: Lowkey, this is a huge season-defining match for Crystal Palace. If they win, they get back on track with 7 points regardless of what happens in the match between FC Basel and FC Krasnodar. A draw means they have 5 points, which could be a little problematic depending on the other result, and a loss would of course be disastrous, especially against a Danish side like Aalborg BK. We're trotting out the very best that we have to offer, with the exception of Sakho who's injured... let's find out what happens. It's just the 4th minute of the match, nothing unusual, OH JANNIK POHL DIVES IN HARD ON WERNER, IT"S A RED CARD! RED CARD FOR AALBORG'S STRIKER IN THE FIRST 5 MINUTES! That idiotic moment crippled the Danish side, and Crystal Palace had a feast because of it. Christian Benteke? He snaps his goal-scoring drought with a goal in the 11th minute. Isamaïla Sarr had been complaining that he had gotten not enough playing time as of late, LeClair starts him today, and he nets 2 GOALS in the 39th and 51st minutes respectively. Then, because he's our MVP Yves Bissouma added a 4th in the 70th minute. Crystal Palace win 4-0. Do you want to talk about a club seizing the moment and smashing their opponent. Palace knew how huge this match was, and they came through in smashing fashion while collecting a clean sheet. In terms of the other match, FC Krasnodar got a humongous victory by defeating FC Basel 2-1, which means they have 9 points, Palace has 7, and Basel has 6. That means with a win in their next match, Palace can clinch an advancement to the knockout stage and the Round of 32! What a delight that would be to accomplish in our first year of European comps!

(Match #11 of PL) vs Wolverhampton: Palace continue to see themselves thrive in the Premier League yet to suffer a loss, while Wolves honeymoon with the top class of English football is over, and they now find themselves in 17th place with just 9 points to their name. It's been a tough go for them, but the worst thing we can do is under-estimate them after a huge result. One last thing to also note is that they have gone goal-less in their last 3 matches vs Everton, Watford, and Liverpool. So come on Axel Werner! Gah... who am I kidding. Of course Ángel Zaldívar would get a goal for them in the 29th minute. Zaha would respond with one of his own in the 39th, but Rúben Neves would snag the match winner in the 66th as the Wanderers snapped their drought of goals. Wolves win 2-1. Extremely disappointing loss on Crystal Palace's end after such a huge victory, and also combined with the fact that this was a match before a brief international break. It also marks our first loss of the Premier League season. Our next match is against Liverpool, let's hope we can fair better against them later on.

(Match #12 of PL) vs Liverpool(PLAYED 1 of 2): A huge early season matchup, Liverpool are back with a vengeance after their pathetic campaign a season ago that saw them finish in the bottom half of the table. They now sit in 3rd place with 23 points, while we are a spot below with 22 points. We both loss and defeated them a season ago, though now they don't have any European contests to worry about so they're pouring everything they've got into the Premier League, with the one biggest change being the fact they've added Naby Keita to their squad in the midfield. This match would be defined by two very key moments early. The first being a goal in the 10th minute by Alexander Sørloth, which he scored off of a rebound shot by Sarr. Sarr shot at Loris Karius, he dived and fell, Sørloth on the volley hit it and before Karius could react it slowly rolled into the net! But sadly for Palace in the 19th minute, Juan Foyth would slide in behind Sadio Mane on the bottom edge of the box and receive a red card for his efforts! It was a stunning call so early on, but now Palace would shift to a 5-at-the-back in an attempt to salvage a result. Liverpool did have their chances, like a Firmino longshot in the 33rd. But it would actually end up being another huge Karius mistake which cost Liverpool a 2nd goal. Pereira out-muscled Georgio Wijnaldum, got into the box, got Benteke to take an off balance weak shot, Karius reflected it instead of scooping it up and Zaha was there for the rebound goal! The sides would go into the break with Liverpool trailing 0-2. They would net one with a goal by Mohamed Salah in the 72nd, but it woldn't be enough as Crystal Palace won 2-1! A victory like that with 10-men is something to always get excited about, but the fact we did it at home against Liverpool made it even sweeter. Great bounce back result as well in the Premier League considering our loss to Wolverhampton. Especially since we have the gauntlet of matches in December coming soon.

(Group Stage of EL, Match #5) @ FC Basel(PLAYED 2 of 2): The stakes are very simple for Crystal Palace. If they win, they qualify for the Round of 32 and Knockout Stage of the Europa League. If they lose, they have the very real potential of having no control whether or not they make it. A draw only keeps things in suspense for Match #6 against FC Krasnodar. Because of this, Lucien LeClair does not want to run the risk of things collapsing with so many matches in December, and is trotting out his best possible starting 11, acknowledging that this means he's basically punting the next match vs Chelsea, but, what the hell, it's Chelsea and it's at Stamford Bridge. Let's get this damn result vs the Swiss! Early on a big miss by Kevin Bua aiming for the far post that went well wide cost FC Basel in the 5th minute. Crystal Palace would be searching for a goal, and then would be comfortable enough to sit back should they attain it. 24th minute, Benteke backing off Éder Álvarez Balanta, he does a quick 1-2 pass to Sørloth after Balanta misses the tackle, Benteke gets through, he fires far post.... GOOOOLASO! PALACE LEAD 1-0! From there, FC Basel would press constantly but could not break through. van Wolfswinkel missed in the 28th with a header, Werner made a huge save in the 59th, and even in the 88th minute Marek Suchy had a header just barely go over the crossbar. Still, this match would be defined in the 90th minute. After a ball was punted up, Pedro Pereira mis-played it and Taulant Xhaka was through CLEAN on goal, but he didn't wanna shoot, he sent it across to Ricky van Wolfswinkel on one-touch, he shoots, OFF THE POST, REBOUND TO XHAKA, HE GOES AND HE SKIES IT! FINAL WHISTLE! MATCH OVER! FC BASEL SUPPORTERS ARE STUNNED! How could two of their players miss sitters? Palace win 1-0. They are now through to the knockout phase of the Europa League and we shall await to see who they face in the Round of 32. Still, they could surpass FC Krasnodar if they get a victory in their 6th and final match against them.

[Number999]

Palace see 5 victories in gauntlet month of December

(Match #13 of PL) @ Chelsea: This was a match that right out of the gate, Lucien LeClair basically stated with his lineup vs FC Basel that he was comfortable punting on. It's a brutal away match against Chelsea who are 5th in the league with 22 points thus far. We're 3rd with 25, but we know that's not likely to last given all the other competitions we have to worry about. To get an idea on some of the names that were playing, there was Braga, Dawidowicz, Cabaye, Kaikai, Thioub, Jach, etc... and thusly we got obliterated but it was NOT without an exciting start! Off of an early corner, Fernando Braga, out 6'6" phenom left back prospect SCORED in the 8th minute off of a corner! How about that, of course just two minutes later Pedro scored for them, then Telles in the 41st, Pedro again in the 56th, and finally Bakayoko in the 88th which meant Chelsea won 4-1 but what the hell, we started well, Braga scored his first ever career goal against a mammoth club like Chelsea, and nobody, not even us, expected to win this match. Not so bad all things considered.

(Quarter-Finals for Carabao Cup) @ Chelsea(PLAYED 1 of 2): So right after getting our asses handed to us, we go right back a few days later and have to play Chelsea again? Yeah... but now we're trotting out the big boys! Zaha, Benteke, and Bissouma! Let's see how we do. In the first 15 minutes, Chelsea were dominant out of the gate. Pedro had a missed longshot in the 6th, and N'Golo Kante too skied one into the bleachers. Crystal Palace had generated little to nothing offensively, until the 25th minute. Samuel Grandsir had to deal with Victor Moses on the edge of the box, but after a nifty fake shot spun around and launched a cross into the box where he found the EXTENDED foot of Alexander Sørloth over N'Golo Kante as he KICKED it into Thibaut Courtois chest, it bobbles, AND IT GOES IN! UNBELIEVABLE! A rare gaff by Courtois, all of a sudden, Palace are in the lead! Then just before the half ends, Benteke got fed the ball and with Cesar Azpilicueta pressing, he found an open Sørloth who put the ball home with a finesse shot to make it 2-0! Stunning! The 2nd half would see Chelsea develop more pressure, but missed shots by Eden Hazard and saves by Axel Werner in the 83rd and 90th minutes held. The Eagles had won 2-0! Chelsea generated more shots with 13 to 9, but their finishing was piss poor with just 2 on target. Their best player was Alex Telles with a 7.9 since he eliminated Zaha from being a factor but we still won, got revenge for that PL loss, and now see ourselves through to a Semi-Finals of a domestic cup!

(Match #14 of PL) vs Huddersfield: Huddersfield have not had the greatest start to the 2018/2019 campaign, as they currently find themselves in the relegation zone with just 11 points to their name through 13 matches, which also having to have the worst goal differential at -13. This is a match that a full-strength Crystal Palace side should really take down at home. It did not take very long for the Eagles to establish themselves as the front-runners with an early strike by Alexander Sørloth connecting in the 11th minute, as the Norwegian has been on fire as of late with his goals vs Chelsea in the previous match. Still, Huddersfield are a side that finished mid-table a season ago, they weren't going to go down without a fight. In the 52nd minute, Steve Mounie scored for them to equalize and had many Palace supporters worried this would be the start of a collapsing month in the Premier League. Instead, LeClair subbed on a gassed Wilfried Zaha for Andros Townsend, and that change would prove huge as Townsend scored the match winner in the 71st, to lead Palace to a 2-1 victory! This is a monstrous win considering we need every point we can get in the EPL, but especially so that we got the job done against a weaker and inferior side. Thankfully, no Tom Ince made this all possible as well.

(Group Stage of EL, Match #6) vs FC Krasnodar: The stakes were very plainly laid out for Crystal Palace. If they lost or drew against FC Krasnodar, they would finish 2nd in the group comfortably and would move on to the Round of 32 Knockout Phase regardless. But, that likely means they would have to deal with stiffer competition. Should they win this match though, they would be victors of the group and likely get an easier opponent. So what the heck... leave everything you have out there, we have nothing to lose! It was clear that FC Krasnodar playing in front of their Russian supporters were going to be rather defensive, they had no need to attack. Yet, two times in this match Crystal Palace took the lead! First with Sørloth continuing his rampage with a goal in the 27th, only for Andrei Ivan to score for them in the 39th. Then again in the 64th as Ryan Sessegnon, who's been back healthy for the last few matches now scored, only for Palace's defense to allow a goal to Moses Simon in the 67th. Palace would be unable to penetrate again as the match finished a 2-2 draw. It's honestly not the worst result, we were offensive, we attacked, and just didn't have enough to pull through away but still put in a solid effort.

(Match #15 of PL) @ Tottenham(PLAYED 2 of 2): Crystal Palace find themselves 2nd place in the Premier League with 28 points. Stunning, to be honest. In 1st place? Spurs, with 31. They are the first and only club to 10 victories thus far, and they have the best goal differential at +18. Heung min Son has been phenomenal with 10 goals to his name already, while Dele Alli is 2nd in the league with 8 goals! That's not even with Harry Kane getting cooking yet! Essentially, this is gonna be a brutal away match... it's a battle of the two highest scoring clubs in the Prem, let's go! The first 25 minutes of the match were mostly both sides feeling each other out, with no real decisive swing in either direction. That die though change in the 26th minute, when Spurs left back Jonny decided to switch over and cover an Alexander Sørloth run leaving acres of space for Zaha to cleanly run through, with Christian Eriksen not being a stout defensive midfielder, he did not realize his error and Sørloth took advantage by easily feeding a ball at his feet which he buried to make it 1-0! But that lead would not last forever. In the 2nd half, 49th minute, Harry Kane would shield off former Spurs member Juan Foyth, and at a ridiculous angle lobbed a finesse shot to the far post... it floated... Werner did not react, and it nestled PERFECTLY into the far left hand corner to knot the match up at 1-1. Unbelievable. Palace had a chance to re-take the lead in the 65th minute when Sørloth got through on a counter-attack but he hit the crossbar. Then it happened, the most controversial moment of the entire match. Off of a corner, Timothy Fosu-Mensah(YEAH HE'S WITH SPURS NOW) got injured and was writhing in pain, Sørloth realized this and found Yohan Cabaye on-side for an open goal, he passed it off to Brereton who was with him and Palace scored to make it 2-1! Spurs were understandably PISSED at the lack of sportsmanship, as Fosu-Mensah was clearly not well. But nevertheless, the goal counted. From then on, Spurs would attack and pressure Palace at an unbelievable rate, forcing interceptions, getting a near miss by Lucas, and have Dele Alli hit the post in the 84th minute on a shot he CLEARLY should have scored from. Instead, Crystal Palace stole a win 2-1. It was a super even match with both sides getting 10 shots, but that error and unluckiness of an injury in the box killed Spurs, and Palace took advantage. Won't win them any supporters for sure, but now we're top of the table unbelievably through 15 matches!

(Match #16 of PL) vs Manchester City: After such a huge victory against Spurs, Crystal Palace have to go right back out and play against a huge side, but one that just like Liverpool are struggling MIGHITLY. Man City are currently in 14th place with 17 points, and a pathetic -2 goal differential. They have lost more matches than they've won, and their stumble is only rivaled by Arsenal who are in RELEGATION zone at this point in the season. While City have struggled, we know that we took 4 out of 6 points against them last year including a shocking win at the Etihad. It's very likely they're coming for revenge... be prepared. It did not take very long for Crystal Palace to come out of the gate swinging, Christian Benteke scored a HUGE goal in the 10th minute to put City on their heels early. Then, in the 36th minute, from range Yves Bissouma had a BANGING longshot that went! 2-0 in the 1st half was a STUNNING development at Selhurst Park. In an attempt to re-gain momentum, Pep brought on de Bruyne in the 46th minute, and he scored in the 49th minute. It would have been fair for Palace fans to get uneasy... but this wasn't a bottom feeder getting lucky vs a giant. We were level with them, and today, far superior. WILFRIED ZAHA WITH A GOAL IN THE 57TH! Then to tap it all off, with a foul in the box, Samuel Grandsir stepped up and crushed a penalty in the 75th. Crystal Palace OBLITERATED Man City, 4-1! It is one of the most shocking results of the season, and it did not matter that Man City tried to salvage it by subbing on de Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus. If you want to talk about shocking victories, this one may just take the cake for this season. The one and only downside of this match was Sørloth was injured in the 15th minute and had to be subbed off, we'll see more developments on that soon.

(Match #17 of PL) @ Southampton: So we have some good news and some bad news. The good news is we're tied for points at the very top of the Premier League with Spurs, the bad news is the injury Alexander Sørloth suffered vs Man City was not minor. It's a broken metatarsal, and he'll be out 5 weeks because of it. Thankfully, we have Ben Brereton who has been developing a ton this season and should hopefully slot in nicely, still it sucks that we lost him considering how good he's been this year. Southampton as competition have seen a revival, after barely surviving relegation a season ago they sit in 8th place with 22 points, they're having a solid season. This match can be defined in one word.... CARRIED. In the 21st minute, Southampton struck 1st with a goal by Sofiane Boufal, it would have been easy to suggest we'd have a letdown match after huge wins vs Spurs and Man City... but Yves Bissouma said NO. He scored in the 22nd, just a minute after conceding, and after the match was waning on, he scored the WINNER in the 73rd courtesy of magic in the box with his skills. Palace stun Southampton, 2-1! It is a tremendous away victory against a mid-table side and right now we look like the hottest thing in the Premier League. Yves Bissouma put this club on his back and carried us to victory... love him!

(Match #18 of PL) vs West Brom: It appears we may have pissed off the injury gods since we have yet another one bite us, now in the form of Pedro Pereira who got injured towards the end of the match vs the Saints. He tore a hamstring and will be out 6 weeks. Thankfully we just have this last match to play before the January Transfer Window opens and Lucien LeClair can try and pursue reinforcements to the squad. Hell knows we have plenty to spend. Still, we cannot take this match lightly. West Brom are in 19th place with 17 points through 17 matches, they have not performed very well and look like one of the prime candidates to get relegated. Let's take advantage of this opportunity lads. Gah... forget it. The 1st half was an absolute snooze fest, while the 2nd half was notable for two moments. Salomon Rondon scored in the 53rd minute off of a header against Jaïro Riedewald in defense, and then after receieving a penalty after a Matt Phillips foul, Andros Townsend MISSED the penalty in the 55th minute as West Brom would win 1-0. It's a piss poor loss, especially given the fact it was at home, but we can excuse ourselves slightly by saying this was just 1 day after our match vs Southampton and the majority of our players were gassed. At the very least, it's finally January!

[Number999]

2018/2019 Premier League Table, 18 matches through

So last season I decided to do this post when we were 21 matches through, this season I'm doing it a tiny bit earlier since it fits in perfectly with the January Transfer Window opening up. Anyways, what in the world have we gotten ourselves into? Last season through 21 matches Crystal Palace were in 5th place with 33 total points. This season we are 18 matches through and are in 2nd with 37 points already to our name. It's actually simply incredible how we've played to start the season. Victories over the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Spurs, and Manchester City have all been massive in propelling us to the place we currently are. This is with a deep run in the Carabao Cup as well as having to worry about the Europa League... so what gives? Lucien LeClair's depth has given this club new life. In thos matches against Southampton and Huddersfield, the likes of Isamaïla Sarr and Ben Brereton were able to give us new life, and it's led to us being where we are right now. Still.... I will say that I do not expect us to finish in the Top 4. This is because we have some heavy matchups coming such as Semi-Finals vs Liverpool in the League Cup, the FA Cup to be concerned about, AND of course the Europa League to worry about. If we do, it will be an absolute stunner.

But Crystal Palace aren't the only club who exist in the Premier League, how about the team at the top of the table? Tottenham have been nothing short of phenomenal. Their 36 goals scored thus far is unmatched by all, and the fact that they've done all that with Harry Kane only having scored 5 goals is even more incredible. Heung Min Son and Dele Alli are sensational, and Christian Eriksen on top of that makes them even better. They are on top by 3 points while including a match to us where they truthfully didn't deserve to lose all points on. They're coming with a vengeance and after having won the Champions League, it's no wonder that their lust for the Premier League title may finally be satiated. Speaking of the club that won the EPL a year ago, how about Manchester United? They are down in 5th place at the moment but certainly within striking distance of jumping up to 3rd and making a run should Spurs stumble. Though, that would require Jose Mourinho to not burn down everything he's constructed like it did at Chelsea so we'll see. Then again, maybe it's different since United are more stable.

I can't believe I had to wait until the 3rd paragraph to mention them... but lads.... WATFORD IS LEGIT! Okay, so maybe not Champions League-level legit but they are looking fantastic. It's not just one or two players that have carried them either. They have their fair share of attackers in Fedor Smolov and Richarlison, but Tom Cleverly has been fantastic, Christian Kabasele has seen huge growth at center back, and their defense in general has been admirable. Of course, there will be those with the fair criticsm of the fact they have a mere +5 goal differential despite their 33 points, and that's bound to regress since a club like Everton has +8 and they're in 9th place. But the fact they've been able to maintain position over Chelsea, United, and hell even Liverpool who were hot out of the gate and have cooled off slightly is huge. Speaking of which, while it may not be exactly where they want to be, I'm willing to bet Liverpool supporters are thrilled to be in 6th place as opposed to 15th which is where they found themselves when I made this post about them a season ago. Huge credit to Sadio Mane, Salah, and Firmino for bringing their offense back up to snuff.

Now we get into a cluster of clubs that are familiar with this zone. Burnley are in 7th which isn't very shabby but nobody expects them to break-through. Stoke City and Everton are both alright clubs but nothing too spectacular. It is interesting to see Leicester City in 10th though, considering last year at this point they were in 17th place and even till the bitter end barely survived being relegated back to the Championship. Same deal with Southampton, they've seen a revival. The Wolverhampton Wanderers are the club that just got promoted that have seen the most success, and they deserve it with how fantastic their club badge looks. West Ham have been under-whelming, but that is a profound under-statement for Manchester City who have invested so much and go so little out of their return this year. Perhaps selling Aguero was a mistake? Fernandinho has been pathetic, de Bruyne nothing special, John Stones has struggled, same with Benjamin Mendy. Seems like there's trouble in paradise with Pep Guardiola. Nothing that a little bit of oil money can't solve though.

Finally you have clubs like Aston Villa, West Brom, and Swansea City who will all struggle for the rest of the year. But... let's get to the club everyone first wanted to talk about when they saw this all. ARSENAL ARE IN THE RELEGATION ZONE?!?! Yes, yes they are. A measly 18 points through 18 matches, good for 18th place in the league. Stunning doesn't quite encapsulate it all. 10 losses is unbelievable, and a -6 goal differential? Even worse. Kingsley Coman has been a flop, Mesut Ozil has been rubbish with 1 goal and 0 assists through 14 matches, Bellerin/Kolasnic pathetic, Marco Reus has been the best player and his 6.70 rating isn't all that either. Aubameyang has been poor, Lacazette hasn't seen enough playing time, and as a result the Gunners now find themselves in a desperate spot with half the season remaining. Losses recently to Watford(0-1), Burnley(0-1), and Cardiff City(1-2) haven't helped their cause either. If Arsene Wenger does not turn things around and salvage a Top 12 place I don't know what's going to happen. Liverpool weren't in nearly as poor a position as Arsenal find themselves this season, and that's simply unbelievable that it's true.

2018/2019 Premier League Table:

Spoiler

#1. Spurs: 40 points | +20
#2. Crystal Palace: 37 points | +11
#3. Watford: 33 points | +5
#4. Chelsea: 32 points | +13
#5. Manchester United: 32 points | +10
#6. Liverpool: 28 points | +5
#7. Burnley: 28 points | +1
#8. Stoke City: 28 points | 0
#9. Everton: 27 points | +8
#10. Leicester City: 23 points | +3
#11. Southampton: 22 points | -5
#12. Wolves: 21 points | -7
#13. West Ham: 20 points | -4
#14. Manchester City: 20 points | -5
#15. Aston Villa: 20 points | -10
#16. West Brom: 20 points | -11
#17. Swansea City: 19 points | -3
#18. Arsenal: 18 points | -6
#19. Cardiff City: 18 points | -12
#20. Huddersfield: 17 points | -13

[Number999]

LeClair makes big signing before brutal January matches

Crystal Palace were just wrapping up one of their best months ever as a club with Lucien LeClair at the helm. While they may have started the month with a harsh defeat against Chelsea, they got revenge by bouncing them out of the Carabao Cup, getting a huge win against Huddersfield, not doing enough but putting up a fight against FC Krasnodar, taking down top of the table Spurs at White Hart Lane, stunning Manchester City 4-1, stealing a victory against Southampton, and then of course losing to West Brom at the end of the month due to how gassed we were. This has been done regardless of the fact that we have had injury after injury, first with Mamadou Sakho being out for so long, then Ryan Sessegnon(who's now back) but now we've been bit even harder with the absence of Alexander Sørloth, Pedro Pereira, and now Jaïro Riedewald who will miss the next 2 months of action with a training injury that saw him suffer a broken rib. This is not a devastating injury for the simple fact that Riedewald is a greta player for us and we'd love to have him healthy, but also the fact that it comes at a position in defense where we simply cannot afford injuries.

Why is that? Well look at what we have to deal with in January. First we have away matches at both Stoke City and West Ham to start the month which will not be simple. Then on the 12th we have to play against Arsenal(who've been awful but they're still Arsenal) in Round #3 of the FA Cup so early on, then we must deal with the 1st leg of the semi-finals in the Carabao Cup against Liverpool, followed by a match away at West Brom, then a match at home against the Saints, and then finally wrapping up before the deadline the 2nd leg of those semi-finals against Liverpool. It is setting up to be a brutal month, and it doesn't get any easier in February. Assuming there are no major schedule changes(which there could be), we have to deal with playing Chelsea, Manchester City, and Spurs in the Premier League and THEN having to deal with our Round of 32 Europa League matchup against Marseille! Yeah! Both legs are in February!

So looking at his roster, Lucien LeClair knew he needed an immediate infusion of talent. Not a prospect, or somebody who will take time to develop, but an instant jolt to the club. He decided to look at his defense for an area of improvement, and he decided to make some calls to one of his former French clubs, Toulouse FC. Most keenly, he was focusing in on Issa Diop, a 6'4" phenom center back prospect who's only 21-years old. Diop possess a towering frame at center back that we don't actively have, and yet his massive frame does not limit him greatly athletically. We needed him badly, and thus LeClair wasted no time accepting the $18,000,000 transfer fee it would take to get to contract negotiations. From there, Diop was incredibly reasonable about the sort of role he expected to play. At $34k in wages a week and a healthy $510k signing bonus along with a potential future one for performance fees, the sides had agreed on a deal and Diop would be eligible to play right away! It's a massive signing since it gives us someone to play right now right away with Diego Reyes, and when Mamadou Sakho is back we'll have to make even more difficult decisions then. Obviously it's understandable if a player like Juan Foyth is upset by this move, but with the number of matches we have to play you can still bet he'll get plenty of game-time. Hell, even if not there are numerous teams who would love to have him on loan.

But that wasn't the only move LeClair felt like he needed to make. Yohan Cabaye who has only appeared in 12 matches this season and has 0 goals with 3 assists, yet has a 7.00 rating in matches decided to come to LeClair and be completely honest, he was likely going to retire at the end of the season. The news came as a bit of a shock since Cabate is only 32-years old, but with his contract expiring and him not being insanely vital to the club anymore, Cabaye wanted to go out with his head held high rather than hanging on for too long. It's a completely fair decision, and we respect him for it. But with Riedewald out, and Milivojevic, Bissouma, and Rakip being the only guys who could really play right away... LeClair made a signing for the future. He saw a bargain of a deal available in Belgium with the club KAS Eupen. A player by the name of Jean Thierry Lazare Amani had a release clause of $3,400,000 nearly half that of his value that many viewed him as at the moment. At only 20-years old, it was a no-brainer decision by LeClair to pay that and instantly start contract talks. Lazare Amani didn't demand anything unreasonable, with sporadic playing time and $14,000 a week along with a decent signing bonus, he became apart of our club over night! Right now it's fair to say he's very raw, but as a potential offensive minded midfielder who already posses a lot of nifty traits managers would like. Under LeClair's development, hopefully the Ivory Coast international will see big growth over the coming seasons.

So those are the two biggest signings from LeClair out of the gate. But that doesn't mean that he's necessarily done. Palace still have a rumored 30M+ to spend if they so choose, and knowing how much depth they still need it's certainly plausible they make a few more signings. A winger isn't needed given Zaha, Sarr, Grandsir, and Townsend, and with Sørloth/Benteke/Brereton a striker isn't either... but in midfield a potential even more offensive option to replace Rakip could be there. At the fullbacks if LeClair sees fit he could upgrade. At center back we've already made a signing, but perhaps we want a 4th so we have a consistent rotation while Foyth develops? All of these are possibilities. Plus the signing of depth and future prospects in the meantime. One name I will drop since his name will come up in the future is that of Samuel Bada. He and Fernando Braga are the cream of the crop in Palace's academy, and Bada like Braga is an athletic freak possessing a 6'7" frame at center back. The Nigerian is only 17-years old and incredibly raw, but can you imagine if he puts it all together? Oh man.

But now it's time to get on with our matches in January, let's see what happens!

[Number999]

Beneteke's hat-trick sends us to the League Cup Final!

(Match #19 of PL) @ Stoke City: Stoke City have put together a fairly solid season for themselves. With 28 points through 18 matches, that is good for 8th place in the league and they have a dead even goal differential of zero. Still, I think this is gonna be a tough match for us given we've been on top for a while we're due for a tiny slump. Xherdan Shaqiri opened up the scoring in the match with a humongous goal for Stoke City in the 37th minute, and it would prove to be a bit misleading of how the match would go given how dull of an affair this turned out to be. Each side made one subsittiion a little bit after halftime, but it was Isamaïla Sarr netting the equalizer in the 50th minute after a huge run that would end up defining the match as it ended a 1-1 draw. Honestly felt like Stoke City were satisfied to split with us which is a bit stunning considering not so long ago we were right in Stoke City's realm. Perhaps us being 2nd in the league intimidated them into accepting a draw? Not a bad result at all for us since we'll take all the points we can get on away matchups.

(Match #20 of PL) @ West Ham: West Ham United have a season from hell of sorts. As of right now, they have fallen to 17th in the league and have the same number of points as the team in 18th place with 20. Their season has been full of misery, yet with a win they could propel themselves back up to 12th assuming enough teams lose which suggests to you just how ridiculously bunched together all the clubs at the bottom are. Sadly for Crystal Palace, this match started as poorly as possible with Jonathan Schlupp allowing a penalty in the 2nd minute, allowing West Ham to take a lead following a Manuel Lanzini converted penalty. The rest of the 1st half would see the Eagles chase after the Hammers who were just looking to get these massive 3 points. Eventually that play style caught up to them with a 52nd goal by Yves Bissouma who has been once again one of our best players this season. But for Palace, there would be no late winner as the match just like vs Stoke City ended in a 1-1 draw. Draws aren't the worst thing in the world but they also aren't the most ideal when you're in Palace's current position. Still, clubs are now starting to park the bus against the Eagles and they should start getting used to how opposing teams will play against them.

(Round #3 of FA Cup) @ Arsenal: Last year in Round #3 we only had to face Birmingham City. This year in Round #3 of the FA Cup, we have to play away at Arsenal... just a slightly more difficult opponent. We do though manage to have some good news! Mamadou Sakho for the first time in months will be able to play, and LeClair has decided to get him right back out there for this match. Arsenal have won their last 2 matches in the Premier League which suggests they may just be returning to form, so this one may prove to be extremely difficult to win. Despite all their struggles in the league, Arsene Wenger trotted out a fully decked out Arsenal lineup featuring Aubameyang, Reus, Mkhitaryan, Xhaka, Koscielny, Cech, etc... and as a result they scored in the 37th minute courtesy of a wonder goal by Marco Reus to put them in front 1-0 shortly before the half. In the 2nd half, Marvin Plattenhardt missed a penalty in the 60th minute which opened the door for Palace, but they could never penetrate deeply enough into Arsenal's defense. Plattenhardt avenged himself with a goal in the 82nd, and while Benteke had a consolation goal with one in the 84th it would not be enough as Arsenal won 2-1. So we've been bounced out of the FA Cup in the earliest possible run, but this may just end up being for the better. We have the semi-finals against Liverpool to worry about as well as the Premier League and Europa League. Last year we proved we made it to the Quarter-Finals vs Manchester United, so at the end of the day going out so early isn't the worst thing in the world for us. Nonetheless, some members of the board at Palace will think otherwise.

(Semi-Finals, Leg 1 for Carabao Cup) @ Liverpool: It's the opening leg and Crystal Palace will be needing to go away to Anfield in order to get a strong enough result that they believe they can bring it back home at Selhurst Park at the end of the month. It's not going to be the easiest of tasks but let's do our best. Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp did not go with their strongest lineup but one featuring Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Naby Keita, etc... is nothing to take lightly. It would not be any of those stars who'd strike first for the Reds but instead Divock Origi with a huge goal in the 10th minute! Things went from bad to worse for Crystal Palace when in the 41st minute, Samuel Grandsir received a red card for a challenge he made, meaning that the Eagles would have to play the rest of the match with 10-men. Despite that, Ryan Sessegnon would be one of our biggest saviors with a huge goal in the 72nd minute to equalize at 1-1, yet now going all out for a goal, Liverpool snagged a 2nd courtesy of Roberto Firmino being subbed on and scoring in the 79th. Still, Liverpool winning 2-1 isn't the worst outcome for Crystal Palace. A 1-goal deficit is far from impossible to overcome, especially at home. We can most certainly bounce-back, especially with the added help of Sørloth coming back at the end of the month.

(Match #21 of PL) @ West Brom(PLAYED 1 of 2): West Brom managed to steal 3 points from us at the end of December when they came into our house and stole a 1-0 victory. Now, they still remain towards the bottom of the table in 16th place with a mere 22 points. It's time to get revenge against them... and we'll be attempting to do it with many younsgters playing. Even after our recent string of draws, we remain in 2nd with 39 points but both Chelsea and United are right behind us with 36. In other words, we need to keep pace in order to match their effort in chasing us down... let's go! If you want to see an absolute battering personified, this match would be a perfect example. Last season in the final match of the season, Palace smashed West Brom 5-0. This season, Eagles smashed West Brom 4-0. It was no contest. In the 4th minute Benteke nearly scored off of a corner header goal but it was saved by Sebastian Sosa. In the 25th minute, Ben Brereton hit the post on a curling finesse shot from way far out, you can sniff blood in the water. Finaly it came in the 34th minute courtesy of a run by newly signed Jean Thierry Lazare Amani! He got through on goal cleanly and buried a shot to make it 1-0. It would take awhile for us to find the second, but in the 65th minute Zaha was fed a perfect ball from Benteke at the middle of the box and Ben Foster did a terrible job trying to save it. Late on, Palace got another 2 with a goal by Zaha from range far post in the 89th, and then a goal on a header by Ben Brereton in the 90th with two minutes of extra time. 16 shots to 6, 58% possession, 92% pass accuracy, this was all done with two rookies Fernando Braga and Samuel Bada starting in defense. Also a great performance by Lazare Amani, and Zaha wins MOTM with 2 goals and 1 assist. Brilliant smashing performance lads!

(Match #22 of PL) vs Southampton: The Saints are probably still pretty pissed about the fact they lost at home to us a month ago, but they've maintained steady position in the league in 11th place with 28 points, certainly within striking distance of flying even higher. Crystal Palace were rolling with mis-match of guys who've been in good and bad form recently, yet it seemed like just like against Stoke City we could not generate much on offense. Southampton would actually be the first ones to score with a goal in the 54th minute courtesy of Samu Castillejo. Then despite numerous substitutions on both sides neither side could get much more done scoring wise... untilt he 84th minute. Isamaïla Sarr saw an opening against Jordan Ikoko who had been signed by Southampton recently. He bursted past him, got into the box, and finished past Fraser Forster to salvage a 1-1 draw. Truthfully not the greatest month when it comes to Premier League matches for the Eagles who saw just 1 win and 3 draws. I get having to deal with other domestic competitions but still, you would have liked to have faired just a little bit better with an extra win against one of these 3 sides. Anyways, time to move on to the biggest match of our season to date! Quite possibly the biggest under LeClair's reign as well.

(Semi-Finals, Leg 2 for Carabao Cup) vs Liverpool(PLAYED 2 of 2): The situation and gameplan has all been laid out very plainly for Crystal Palace. They must at least win this match at home by one goal. If they can't accomplish that in the first 90 minutes, then this run in the League Cup will come to an end. One fascinating thing to note is that in the other semi-final, you have Watford against Stoke City and Watford emerged as victors after drawing the first match 1-1 away and then coming back home and winning 2-0. We would most certainly like to face them in a final... but first let's take care of Liverpool. The entire 1st half, Crystal Palace pestered and dominated Liverpool. Shot after shot they fired against Loris Karius, yet none of them were able to breakthrough. He had a huge save in the 14th, then another off of a corner in the 15th on a Benteke header directed straight at him. Then in the 16th off of a Alexander Sørloth volley. All of this pressure and yet none of them were breaking through... until the 45th minute. Lazare Amani caught sight of a WIDE OPEN Wilfried Zaha in the box who had been abandoned by Andrew Robertson. Zaha stepped up fired, it was SAVED by Karius but Benteke was there for the rebound and WITH A SCISSOR KICK SENT IT HOME JUST BEFORE THE HALF ENDED! 1-0 PALACE! That was the goal Palace dearly needed.

In the 2nd half now with the goal to knot the sides equal on aggregate, Palace wouldn't need to pressure nearly as much. They could be more careful about Liverpool's devastating attackers. After a shot was deflected out, the Eagles got a corner in the 53rd minute. Zaha whipped in the ball, Benteke got in psotion ahead of Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip and HEADED THE BALL INTO THE NET FOR HIS 2ND GOAL TO PUT PALACE UP 2-0! The ball nestled perfectly right next to the post as neither Robertson or Karius could get to the ball! If things held, Palace would be through to the League Cup Final! From there on, Lucien LeClair switched things to a 5-at-the-back subbing on Diego Reyes. Things were going well as Palace held possession, but as can happen with Liverpool's pacey wingers, they found an opportunity. 83rd minute, Firmino is entering Palace territory... nothing too dangerous... OH HE SENDS IN A PERFECT BALL TO SADIO MANE THAT SCHLUPP AND DIOP WEREN'T READY FOR! Diop was out of position on this one, yet with Werner baring down on him he shot one touch, bang, GOLASO! A RIDICULOUS SHOT! LIVERPOOL MADE IT A 1-2 MATCH, TIED 3-3 ON AGGREGATE! Just devastating considering how close we were... was this going to end up going to extra time and then maybe penalties? NO! WHY? Because in the 90th minute, Wilfried Zaha did work up the top of the wing, out-manuerving past a slow Virgil van Dijk, he raced into the box, Georgio Wijnaldum came over to try and block near-post, it left Christian Benteke open, and BANG ZAHA WHIPS IT IN, BENTEKE ONE TOUCH, SHOOTS, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! PALACE 3-1! THEY'RE GONNA BE HEADED THROUGH TO THE LEAGUE CUP FINAL! Christian Benteke with a straight up ridiculous hat-trick against his former club, he earns a perfect 10.00 match rating for it. An insane game for him, we had 21 shots today and forced Karius to make 13 saves, but his brilliance wasn't enough tonight. We will be through and take on Watford in the final! Two clubs that have had improbably great seasons to date... can't wait!

[Number999]

LeClair make small moves, Townsend pissed, wants out!

Crystal Palace were not looking to make any more mammoth signings for the remainder of the January Transfer Window. They had made their landmark signing in the form of Issa Diop and also locked themselves into a very solid young midfielder by the name of Jean Thierry Lazare Amani. Now they were on the lookout for making some smaller moves that would help them out. Many of these came in the form of loaning younger players out so they could find playing time. Sada Thioub will be heading to Rotherham United for 1-year as he has fallen comfortably to a 5th winger slot in the club. Jason Lokilo was given the same deal and a 1-year loan to Grimsby Town where he'll hopefully get plenty of development. Finally you had Levi Lumeka who will be heading to Doncaster for a season as he looks to try and break-through into that side. All of these are smaller moves that won't make much headway. The one move that Lucien LeClair made where he was shipping out a player for money was Sullay Kaikai. With his contract expiring soon, LeClair felt it would be best to let him sign elsewhere and the sides agreed on a deal where he would be sent to Cardiff City for $2,900,000 a very fair price for the Englishman.

As the transfer window waned down, LeClair honed in one one position specifically. With the loss of many outside wingers in search of playing time, he decided to look for a 5th outside midfielder that could play in case of injury to Wilfried Zaha, Isamaïla Sarr, Samuel Grandsir, or Andros Townsend. The two players that LeClair was most intrigued by were Benson Manuel and Gabrielzinho. Manuel played for the Belgian club known as KRC Genk, he hasn't developed into the star they ideally would have loved but at 21 years of age he still has time to grow and blossom. Gabrielzinho on the other hand was a rapid winger for Rio Ave, a Portuguese club that finished in the Top 3 a year ago. The 22-year old Brazilian doesn't have the largest ceiling but he'd be an adequate fill-in for what LeClair was looking for. Before you knew it, talks got under-way and after being unable to hammer things out directly, Crystal Palace agreed to pay his $3,450,000 release clause and got straight into contract negotiations. Gabrielzinho was reasonable expecting merely sporadic playing time, and with just a slight contract boost over his previous salary the sides agreed on a 5-year contract! Welcome!

Of course, signings like those aren't always met with renowned applause, particularly in the clubhouse. Andros Townsend, who is now 27-years old stated that he wanted OUT of Crystal Palace. You see, Swansea City just before the deadline had ended made an offer in the 16-19M range for Townsend as they believed he would bolster their starting 11 and help avoid relegation. LeClair denied the offer believing it didn't make sense to sell him right now. Palace didn't need the funds, and losing him would only hamper their depth for the remainder of the season. Townsend has played in just 17 matches this season and has scored 2 goals along with collecting 1 assist. By comparison to his peers, Sarr has played in 21 matches good for 7 goals and 4 assists, Samuel Grandsir has played in 28 matches which is good for 12 goals and 3 assists, and finally Wilfried Zaha has played in 31 matches good for 13 goals and 5 assists. As can be seen quite plainly, Townsend is comfortably the 4th best outside midfielder in this club, yet he believes he's on par with Zaha's ability. Thus, this uncomfortable case has been formed where Townsend believes he's better than he actually is and deserves more playing time. It'll be fascinating to see whether LeClair decides to give in to his demands or not come the next summer transfer window since Townsend still has well over 2-years remaining on his contract.

Anyways, now let's take a look at the biggest January Transfers that happened in 2019!

Biggest January Transfers of 2019:
88 OVR LW Lorenzo Insigne | Napoli ----------------> Chelsea for $90,300,000
86 OVR ST Edinson Cavani | PSG --------------------> Juventus for $67,600,000
84 OVR CM Morgan Sanson | Marseille --------------> Liverpool for $67,100,000
85 OVR CB David Luiz | Chelsea ---------------------> Real Madrid for $51,600,000
88 OVR CB Sergio Ramos | Real Madrid -------------> Borrusia Dortmund for $44,300,000
82 OVR RB Alvaro Odriozola | Real Sociedad --------> AC Milan for $42,400,000
?? OVR ST Florin Andone | RC Deportivo ------------> PSG for $41,300,000
83 OVR ST Kevin Volland | Bayer Leverkusen ------> Manchester City for $37,400,000
?? OVR RM Pablo Sarabia | Sevilla FC ---------------> Atletico Madrid for $37,400,000
?? OVR LM Ramadan Sobhi | Stoke City -------------> Inter Milan for $36,000,000

Analysis: Alright so at the very top it's no surprise that it's a team from the Premier League deciding to go out and make the biggest splash. Chelsea have been struggling a bit to start the year but are now in 3rd place and looking to make a run to catch Spurs for the title. It makes all the sense in the world that they would try and bolster themselves up before trying to make both that and a Champions League run. Edinson Cavani making the switch from France to Italy is surprising, especially considering he left Napoli for PSG in the first place. Morgan Sanson leaving Marseille for Liverpool is huge for us, because it hurts in the sense that Liverpool have bolstered their midfield yet again but also helps us because we play Marseille in February which means they'll be without their star player since they sold him! A shocking set of events took place involving Real Madrid's centerbacks, they decided to let go of Sergio Ramos who was closing in on 15 years for the club, sold him to Dortmund, and then got David Luiz... funky. Finally you have a lot of youngsters with potential being transferred for high fees. Fun fact, Odriozola was one of the first players that LeClair looked at seriously for purchasing but ultimately he decided against it since the fee was too high to pay for a fullback. Anyways, now that we're done with this, let's get on with our season and enter the month of February! Europa League - Round of 32 coming up!

[Number999]

Eagles knocked out of Europa League in R32 by Marseille

(Match #23 of PL) @ Huddersfield: Even though this is an away match, this is a very important result for Crystal Palace. The remainder of the month in the Premier League, they must face Chelsea, Manchester City, and Spurs. All clubs that are mammoths in England. By comparison, Huddersfield are in dead last 20th place, only 17 points, and have the leagues worst goal differential at -22. Truthfully, this is a match we must really snag. But we know that won't be easy since if you can re-call, last year we lost away at Southampton somewhere around this point in the season and at that time they were 20th in the league. Please, someone carry us home. It did not take very long for action to kick-off here as in the 26th minute, it would be Yves Bissouma, who has blossomed into a dynamic midfielder both in defense and attacking-wise with a huge goal marking his 13th of the season, it's still insane to me that we only got him for 6.4M from LOSC Lille. But, there would be bad news for Palace are Christian Benteke got injured in the 40th minute and had to be subbed off in the 46th, hopefully it isn't deadly serious. To make matters worse, Alex Pritchard scored in the 50th minute for Huddersifeld to equalize things. Was this going to be another pathetic draw like vs Stoke City, West Ham, Southampton, etc....? NO! WHY?! BECAUSE ALEXANDER SØRLOTH SAID SO! A WINNER IN THE 88TH MINUTE OFF A HEADER FROM A CORNER! UNBELIEVABLE! 2-1 PALACE WIN! Typically that's Christian Benteke's move but the Norwegian was able to perform it with him out! So the last two matches for Palace have been them saving it late for last-second winners... those are a HUGE 3 points for what's sure to be a difficult month. Get in lads!

BAD NEWS: Christian Benteke will be out 6 weeks with a torn hip flexor.

(Match #24 of PL) vs Chelsea(PLAYED 1 of 2): Losing Christian Benteke for over 1 1/2 months undoubtedly hurts us. He was the hero in the match vs Liverpool that got us through to play Watford in the Final, and now he won't be fit to play in that match to win us silverware. But we've groomed Ben Brereton for a reason, to come in for moments like these. Chelsea have 42 points compared to our 46 points, but they also have a match in hand. This is a HUGE matchup that will go a long way in deciding positioning... let's go! Now something to keep in my going into this match, it was the highest scoring club(Palace with 42 goals) vs the best defensive club(Chelsea, only 18 goals conceded) which meant we were in for one hell of a match. Early in the 1st half, neither side were generating much, with the only legit chance being an Alvaro Morata header in the 36th minute that nearly floated into the back of the net. But that all changed in the 45th minute when Alvaro Morata was matched up outside the top of the box with Luka Milivojevic. After getting around him, he saw a run being made by Malcom, and fed a ball so perfectly well-timed you thought it had to be offside, but it wasn't. With Axel Werner being so close, Malcom had no choice but to try and shoot between his legs... he did, and the result was a goal just before the half ended. Chelsea 1-0! This had the potential to be a mammoth win for them should they hold on. Antonio Conte switched formations to a 5-at-the-back which featured Alex Telles, Cesar Azpilicueta, Kurt Zouma, Antoino Rudiger, and Marcos Alonso. Hell they even subbed on Davide Zappacosta for more defense.

The one decent chance Crystal Palace had came in the 51st minute when Ben Brereton took an off balance shot on the edge of the box from a finesse position but it banged off the post as Thibaut Courtois had it covered if it didn't. As time kept wearing on it became the 60th, 70th, and 80th minute. LeClair made a few subs in the 62nd minute, but nothing was breaking through this stout Chelsea defense... except... a set piece. 88th minute Samuel Grandisr whips in a ball from a corner, it's 1 v 3 with Ben Brereton near-post followed by Kante, Hazard, and Zouma. He doesn't get the best lift but he's best positioned! He heads it AND IT GOES IN! A BEAUTY OF A HEADER! PALACE HAVE EQUALIZED IN THE 88TH MINUTE, BUT WHY STOP THERE?! After no offense was generated, LeClair subbed off Alexander Sørloth in the 84th minute favor of Ismaïla Sarr for a jolt in pace. After getting back possession, Palace had the ball in the 90th. Sarr was matched up top of the box with Cesc Fabregas, Conte brought ALL of his defenders back, while it sucked they had blown their lead they could still get 1 point out of this away match. Sarr hit Fabregas with a fake shot, spun back, and took a finesse shot with his right foot, it floated, but Alex Telles was there for the deflection AND OH MY DAYS IT GOES PAST A DIVING COURTOIS, IT'S IN! IT'S IN! A DEFLECTED GOAL FOR ISMAÏLA SARR! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! You could see Courtois' face fall and Alex Telles realize his error. That ball was unlikely to go in... and Telles deflection made it so. With 2 goals in the 88th and 90th minute, Crystal Palace SHOCKED Chelsea, 2-1! Late winners have been our thing as of late. Brereton earns MOTM honors with a 9.1 rating, and Telles earns a Chelsea-worst 5.7 for his mistake. It was a damn even match all throughout, but it sure feels like Palace stole this one capitalizing on Chelsea's errors late.

(Match #25 of PL) @ Manchester City: Since Lucien LeClair has become the manager of Crystal Palace, we have taken 7 out of 9 possible points against Man City. Earlier this season we smashed them 4-1 at home. As of right now, they are in 14th place in the league with 29 points, though far away from relegation zone they are going to burn down the bloody Etihad if this continues much longer given how much they've spent, and you know they're coming for blood against us. Let's just say that the best action of this entire match came in the first 10 minutes. You had a missed penalty by Kevin de Bruyne which was downright ridiclous thanks to huge save by Axel Werner. Then Gabriel Jesus scored in the 3rd minute after a gaff by Pedro Pereira, but thankfully Ismaïla Sarr knotted things up a few minutes later in the 6th minute as he continues a dominant tear he is on. For the next 70 minutes or so, not much action would occur with just subs and a few yellow cards. That is until the 76th minute when Gabriel Jesus willed Manchester City to victory with a second goal after dazzling supporters and slipping past Palace's defense. Man City were victorious, 2-1. No shame in losing a match like this, it sucks that the goal came so late on but Manchester City are a desperate club right now and we were bound to lose some points this month. Our match vs Spurs was moved to March, so now all we have to worry about is the 2 legs in the Round of 32 in the Europa League against Marseille!

(Round 32 of Europa League, Leg 1) vs Marseille(PLAYED 2 of 2): So allow me to paint the picture of how both of these clubs got here. Crystal Palace finished 2nd in Group A with 11 points, falling short of FC Krasnodar who had 13 points. In Group B, Marseille finished with 16 points ahead of everybody and their group, while SK Rapid Wien finished in second with 8 points. As of right now though, Marseille have struggled in the league as they are in 6th place with 46 points, whereas a season ago they finished in 5th this year they are behind Saint-Etienne and OGC Nice. Anyways, they also sold arguably their best player in Morgan Sanson to Liverpool, but they still have the likes of Florian Thauvin so we can't afford to take them lightly. Let's see how we end up fairing with a fully powered side outside of Benteke who's injured. Out of the gate, it seemed clear that Marseille were coming into this with one goal. Maintain a 0-0 draw. That's all they were focused on. They figured that they could certainly come back to Marseille with that in hand and not have to worry about Crystal Palace being too potent. Crystal Palace were far too passive to start the match, and only started pressing more from the 60th minute on. In the 80th, Adil Rami committed a foul on Zaha by spiking him in the back of the heel when attempting to clear the ball, costing Marseille a PENALTY! Wilfried Zaha stepped up, booted it to the left, and it was SAVED by Steve Mandanda. That would prove to be deadly costly since Crystal Palace could not clinch a better chance the remainder of the match as it ended a 0-0 draw. It's a devastating result, because at least with 1 goal or 2 we could have gone into Marseille with chances to lose yet still advance. Instead here, we've really hurt ourselves by not taking advantage of playing on our own pitch. To be brutally honest, I don't see a way we advance to the Round of 16 now... dammit man.

(Round 32 of Europa League, Leg 2) vs Marseille: The scores is 0-0 on aggregate but we are now headed to France to play this 2nd leg against Marseille. Jaïro Riedewald is making his return so maybe we can hope for victory, but my expectations are very low. A draw(other than 0-0) means we would advance, but Marseille's crowd can be brutal, my faith is low, I have fear Thauvin and Payet... but let's give it our best shot to try and salvage this tournament run. Crystal Palace started this match with an attempt to get into it with the Marseille defenders, and it worked early on drawing a yellow card on André Almeida in the first few minutes of the match, but playing instigators is not Palace's strong suit. In the 49th minute, Marseille were given a penalty and unlike Wilfried Zaha, Dimitri Payet did not miss as he converted. From then on, Marseille went full park the bus and the Eagles were unable to break them down, the match finished Marseille 1-0 as Crystal Palace were bounced out of the Europa League in the Round of 32 in shocking fashion. They could not score a goal against Marseille's defense, and maybe this is just yet another example of English football being overrated as Marseille's defense completely crippled their attack. OR maybe we just under-estimated how much we would miss Christian Benteke. Either way, we're now out of Europe and the FA Cup... so we only have the League Cup Final and Premier League to care about, let's make the most of it. If we don't... could Lucien LeClair possibly get sacked? Unthinkable.

[Number999]

LeClair accepts Ivory Coast job, discontent w/ R32 Exit

In a rather surprising development today, Lucien LeClair of Crystal Palace announced that he would be accepting a full-time managerial job with the Ivory Coast. He will manage the national team throughout international friendlies, and though the 2022 FIFA World Cup is many years away he believes that this will give him an adequate amount of time to get the side in order. One of the largest reasons that LeClair decided to commit with managing the Ivory Coast is because it allows him to have an even closer relationship with his star player, Wilfried Zaha. In addition, it's sure to give LeClair insight one one of the biggest footballing African nations in the world. Perhaps establishing these roots will allow LeClair to pluck off some talent in the coming years that he sees is developing nicely. After all, some of the veteran names like Seydou Doumbia, Yaya Toure, etc... will be retiring in the coming seasons and paving the path for the next era is vitally important for an international manager.

It should be noted though that LeClair deciding to accept this job did not come without some shock. For one, many anticipated that he would choose a European Nation in favor of getting prepared for the 2020 Euros. Portugal are currently the defending Champions, and it would have made plenty of sense to see him try and get on with a major nation like France that he has so many connections with. Hell, it was reported that nations from all around the world were fascinated by LeClair's philosophy, from the United States, Ireland, Ecuador, Russia, etc... and yet ultimately he decided to go with the Ivory Coast. It adds some fuel to the fire about how much LeClair wants his bond to grow with Zaha, though skeptics may believe this is just his way of preventing anyone from getting in his ear about wanting to leave and go for someplace bigger, he did have a 62M release clause triggered by Atletico Madrid after all. But then again, why would he leave now of all times?

But those rumors will only pale in comparison to the shame Crystal Palace are currently dealing with following their massively disappointing Round of 32 Exit in the Europa League against Marseille. This season, the Eagles have played like one of the best clubs in all of England, and yet, they come out and can't even get to the proper tournament stage in the 2nd biggest European league? Shameful. Lucien LeClair spoke after the match that he and the board were commited to making it all the way to the Semi-Finals. Hell, if they had lost in the Round of 32 to a club from the Champions League who fell down like a PSG from a season ago, then fair enough, we'd have just gotten unlucky as hell. But instead we just lost to a French side that had a fantastic strategy and executed it beautifully. LeClair admits he made a very fatal flow in that 1st leg waiting far too long to start pressuring with intensity. Wilfried Zaha's missed penalty that was saved by Steve Mandanda was also depressing considering it ended up being the difference maker as Dimitri Payet made his in the 2nd leg.

Crystal Palace are out of the Europa League and FA Cup. They exited at some ridiculously rounds in both of those tournaments. So now where do they turn? As of right now, they are in the Top 3 in the Premier League and attempting to chase down Spurs for the league title whom they have a major match against coming up. Something tells me that LeClair would be forgiven if he somehow managed to win the league after all this turmoil. But that's not all, we also have the League Cup Final in our next match against Watford! Two unlikely sides making it this far is quite splendid to see. It's fair to say that Crystal Palace have had the far more brutal road getting here by needing to defeat Chelsea and Liverpool, but that doesn't mean they'll be gifted the trophy. In the one match we played Watford against earlier this season, we only managed to scrape by with a 1-0 victory. There is legitimate silverware on the line here no matter how small some larger clubs may want to dismiss it. Other than the Preseason Trophy, this is LeClair's first real quick at a real meaningful trophy... let's make it his first!