The difference was stark. Night and day, if you will. Crystal Palace, during their thumping 3-1 victory over Premier League rivals Aston Villa at Selhurst Park, looked like a team with a plan. A team with an identity.
You certainly couldn’t say the same of Steven Gerrard’s listless visitors; Ollie Watkins’ early opener counting for nothing as Palace roared back in style, Wilfried Zaha’s double and Jean-Philippe Mateta’s wonderfully worked third securing three valuable points on the back of Monday’s hard-fought draw with Liverpool.
And if Ismaila Sarr was tuning in to Match of the Day on Saturday night, he’d have been forgiven for wondering if fate was on his side; A proposed £25 million move to Aston Villa falling through at the eleventh hour.
According to The Standard, Watford’s Senegal speed-freak could now end up at Palace instead.
Will Ismaila Sarr join Crystal Palace after Aston Villa deal falls through?
But it wasn’t just the nature of Villa’s collapse in South London – and the way Crystal Palace twisted the knife in another exhilarating performance full of endeavour and exuberance – that suggests Sarr is better off with The Eagles than under Gerrard’s stewardship in the Midlands.
Palace are, after all, a side renowned for getting the best out of talented wide forwards. Zaha, for instance, but also the lavishly talented Ebere Eze and Michael Olise. Yannick Bolasie shone in red and blue before joining Everton for nearly £30 million. Andros Townsend enjoyed the best years of his career at Palace. And say what you want about Jordan Ayew, there’s a reason why Patrick Vieira picks him week-in, week-out.
Ismaila Sarr, deliciously direct and boasting explosive pace, looks a natural fit for Vieira’s 4-3-3 formation. It’s far less obvious where Sarr fits in at Villa Park, however.
Steven Gerrard, throughout much of his tenure, has set Aston Villa up in a system lacking natural widemen. It’s often Emi Buendia or Philippe Coutinho on the flanks; More inverted number tens than touchline hugging speedsters. Leon Bailey has been in-and-out, while Bertrand Traore left for Turkey on Monday after growing frustrated with a lack of first-team opportunities.
Would Gerrard adapt his system to suit Ismaila Sarr? Or would the former Rennes star have to adapt to Villa, rather than the other way around?
Crystal Palace, on Saturday afternoon, not only proved that they are well ahead of Aston Villa in their development. They also proved that, as far as Sarr is concerned, that aborted move to Villa Park might actually work in his favour.
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