How crucial will Wilfried Zaha be in Crystal Palace avoiding relegation from the Premier League this season?
Wilfried Zaha missed his eighth Premier League match of the season at the weekend through injury as Crystal Palace lost 1-0 at home to Tottenham Hotspur courtesy of a late Harry Kane goal.
It the same story in the seven others Zaha was absent for, with the Eagles having failed to pick up a single point this season when the Ivory Coast international is not playing.
In contrast, when the 25-year-old is on the pitch their record in the top tier of English football reads six wins, nine draws, and five losses.
Zaha scored the winner when Palace picked up their first points of the new campaign by beating Chelsea on October 14 and then an equaliser in the seventh minute of added time in a 2-2 draw with West Ham United two weeks later.
With the forward in the team Roy Hodgson’s men appear to have a chance against most others in the division, but without the Ivorian is relegation looking like a distinct possibility?
The South Londoners currently lie in 17th position and are only out of the bottom three on goal difference after that defeat to Spurs. With Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool coming up in their next four games things don’t get any easier, either.
Which is why it is good news that, as the Evening Standard reports, Zaha could be back for that match with United at Selhurst Park on Monday (March 5) because without the attacker Hodgson and his team look doomed.
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