22/23 Season Review: Mid-season to March
Palace’s 22/23 mid-season was no doubt a testing period – but one not without its positives. We pick up the season review following November’s pause in Premier League action…
Mid-season break
Palace fans had good cause to be optimistic heading into the mid-season break for the winter World Cup, with four wins from their previous seven Premier League fixtures, including three on the bounce at Selhurst Park.
The Eagles had two international representatives out in Qatar, albeit sadly for two teams who exited early: Jordan Ayew and Joachim Andersen both played in all three of their nations’ group-stage games, but Ghana and Denmark finished fourth in their respective groups.
Back on domestic shores, the Eagles’ Academy and Women’s teams took centre stage, with Premier League Cup, FA Youth Cup and Women’s Championship fixtures all seeing strong attendances.
Plenty of work was still being done at Copers Cope, building up to a first-ever match against a top-tier Brazilian side – Botafogo – and a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park in early December, an historic and nevertheless entertaining affair.
Hours later, Palace departed for Turkey, where they took on Turkish giants Trabzonspor and eventual Serie A winners Napoli.
A final preparatory test awaited at Selhurst, and it was duly passed with a 2-1 win over Real Valladolid.
December
Sadly, yuletide cheer did not extend beyond Boxing Day for Palace fans, their first game back a heavy 3-0 home defeat to Fulham in which two players received red cards.
But we did see off a memorable 2022 calendar year with a fantastic performance to ease past Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, 2-0.
Jordan Ayew’s header, plus Ebere Eze’s clever set-piece goal – later voted December Goal of the Month – sent the Eagles bouncing into 2023 off the back of a fifth win in eight Premier League games.
January
The new year heralded the beginning of one of the most challenging runs of Premier League fixtures of any side in recent memory; indeed, the game against Bournemouth was to be Palace’s last against a side below them in the table – they sat 11th at the turn of the year – for three whole calendar months.
As can often prove the case against strong opposition, a lack of efficiency in front of goal tended to prove costly, with defeats to Tottenham, Southampton (in the FA Cup third round) and Chelsea getting the year off to a challenging start.
There were a number of bright sparks at the end of January, however, not least Michael Olise’s utterly sublime injury-time free-kick in a 1-1 midweek draw with Manchester United.
The strike – later voted Palace’s Goal of the Season by supporters, and nominated for Premier League Goal of the Season as well, having won January’s prize – could neither have been better-placed, nor better-timed, arriving in the opening seconds of injury-time.
Then, just three days later, Palace held another Champions League-chasing team in Newcastle, a 0-0 draw which the Eagles – with better finishing – could have taken more from.
History was, still, made: at the tender age of just 17 years, eight months and 15 days – born on May 6th 2005 – David Ozoh’s late substitute appearance marked him out as Palace’s youngest-ever Premier League player.
The teenager surpassed the record of forward George Ndah, who was 17 years, 11 months and five days old when he played against Liverpool in November 1992.
And a busy month concluded on January's transfer deadline day with the arrival of midfielders Naouirou Ahamada and Albert Sambi Lokonga on transfer deadline day.
February
A challenging period for Palace continued, but again not without its positives, the Eagles unlucky to come away from Old Trafford empty-handed after a late comeback wasn’t enough to prevent Manchester United winning out 2-1.
Regardless, they would go on to secure points against several Europe-chasing sides in February.
The first was against Brighton – a 1-1 draw in which James Tomkins netted a rare goal – and the second a draw by the same scoreline at a Brentford side on a long unbeaten run.
It could have been so much more at the Gtech Community Stadium, only for a Brentford goal in the sixth minute of injury-time to cancel out Eze’s second-half header.
Nevertheless, a 0-0 draw at home to Liverpool was once again battling, if ultimately fruitless in terms of securing a much-needed win.
March
Palace began March with three straight defeats: 1-0 away at Aston Villa, 1-0 at home to eventual champions Manchester City, and 1-0 away at Brighton, the latter a game in which Joe Whitworth became Palace’s youngest-ever Premier League ‘keeper.
With no wins in their last 12 games in all competitions, it was announced on 17th March that Patrick Vieira had left his post as first-team manager – the Eagles 12th in the table, but at this stage just five points ahead of bottom side Southampton.
Paddy McCarthy oversaw a 4-1 defeat at leaders Arsenal days later.
Then, on 21st March, there was quite the return.
Roy Hodgson was appointed manager until the end of the season, with McCarthy taking the role as his assistant manager, and Ray Lewington returning as first-team coach. Dean Kiely remained as goalkeeping coach.
An international break gave Hodgson two weeks to work with the side ahead of April and the visit of Leicester City – first of 10 final games which would ultimately define Crystal Palace’s 22/23 season...