Crystal Palace's first win of the season at the expense of Sunderland on Saturday evening came as a welcome relief to fans of the Eagles. Many outsiders have tipped the south London side to drop straight back into the Championship, despite a flurry of new arrivals at Selhurst Park.
Yet it’s club captain Mile Jedinak that has had the biggest impact upon their return to England's top tier. The Australia international, a regular in the first team since signing from Gençlerbirligi 2011, has impressively adapted to the rigours of Premier League football with minimal ease and was again pivotal during the 3-1 victory at home to the Black Cats at the weekend.
Accruing an average rating of 8.1 this season, with only Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud (8.22) awarded higher thus far, is a clear indication of his importance to the club as they look to avoid falling into the second tier at the first hurdle. Charged with breaking up play in front of the Palace back four, the 29-year-old has won plaudits with a string of noteworthy performances in his 3 starts this season.
He provides protection in front of the defence, a crucial role in a team that have been tipped to be relegated come May. While much was made of the talent of Wilfried Zaha and the goals of Glenn Murray last term and how the pairing would be a loss to the club, this ability to break up play has arguably proven to be Palace’s most important weapon in their arsenal at the time of writing.
The Australian has won possession in the defensive third 17 times this season - only Hull City’s Ahmed Elmohamady (18) has done so more - while winning possession in the midfield third just the 7 times highlights how deep he has been sitting in the Palace midfield. With his task evidently to win the ball back for his side, what he's done in possession has also aided the club significantly thus far.
In 3 games, Jedinak has played 85 of his 174 attempted passes forward, with only Elmohamady (93) and Gary Cahill (92) shifting the ball forward more times than the midfielder this campaign. While his pass success sits at just 77.6%, 48.9% of his overall passes have been played to the more innovative performers in the Palace side. This is a more than clear indication that his role is allowing the more creative players at the club to attack the opposition.
Interestingly, however, no player has had as many shots on the counter attack (2) as Jedinak in the Premier League this term, suggesting that not only is he capable of quickly instigating attacks to benefit his team, but his athleticism to push forward is evidently an asset, especially when Palace aim to break.
Yet, while this is an advantage for any player to boast, his primary task is to provide a defensive shield to his teammates, with the midfielder averaging 4.3 tackles per game - only Joel Ward (5.3) has averaged more for Palace. Meanwhile, no teammate can match his average of 2.3 interceptions per match. Factor in his average of 6 aerial duels won per game and his ability in the air will undeniably prove an asset both defensively and offensively with the player capable of posing a threat from set pieces. It's another crucial attribute to that that is aiming to maintain their Premier League status.
However, it's his defensive ability that stands him in exceptional stead and while Palace have picked up only 3 points from a possible 9, this aspect of Jedinak’s game is what has won over a number of admirers as the first international break of the season rolls around.
An average of 5 accurate long balls and 7.7 clearances denotes his no nonsense approach to defending, while reinforcing the notion that his passing range aids in the ability to attack the opposition. With a player of Chamakh’s physicality leading the line for Palace, utilising his ability to bring others into play is essential and while the Moroccan has endured a tumultuous time in the Premier League; Jedinak, it can be argued, can help ensure that his capabilities aren’t wasted this season.
If Palace are going to avoid dropping back to the Championship at the first time of asking, the midfielder will be expected to continue his fine form between now and the end of the campaign, while Palace will be hopeful that their captain can avoid injury and suspension for much of the season.
