Eddie Nketiah made his highly anticipated Crystal Palace debut on Saturday in a 2-2 draw against Leicester City.
The Premier League returned with two new faces in the Eagles lineup, as both Nketiah and Maxence Lacroix featured from the start.
Despite Jean-Philippe Mateta’s brace, Palace fans felt the team could have secured a win, with their 2.58 expected goals outperforming Leicester’s 1.24.
Nketiah, who joined Palace for £25 million in the summer, delivered a solid performance, sparking positive reactions from fans. One fan on X posted, “Nketiah is the best player on the pitch,” while another echoed the sentiment, stating, “Nketiah was our best player by an awfully long distance today.”
However, there were concerns about Nketiah’s role as a No.10. Many fans felt his talents were wasted in that position, with one tweet reading, “Nketiah very bad as a 10, sharper as a 9.” Another fan suggested, “Nketiah needs to be in Mateta’s position. He’s dropping off too deep. It’s not working.”
Some fans proposed tactical adjustments for Crystal Palace’s attack. One fan tweeted, “I’m curious to see what Eze, Nketiah, and Sarr looks like for 25 minutes.” Another added, “Nketiah is a baller btw I would rather him up front than Mateta.”
As Crystal Palace looks to refine their lineup, head coach Oliver Glasner faces decisions regarding the best use of his squad. Many supporters are calling for Nketiah to be deployed as a striker, with Mateta potentially taking on a super-sub role.
Pairing Nketiah with Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr could provide the team with the creativity and firepower needed to fully unlock their attacking potential.
