Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner oversees the clash with Chelsea.placeholder image
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner oversees the clash with Chelsea. | AFP via Getty Images
Jaydee Canvot had an afternoon to forget as Crystal Palace were beaten by Chelsea at Selhurst Park.
Crystal Palace can waste no time in finding a replacement for club captain Marc Guehi this month as the London outfit continues to suffer from a horrific mid-season slump.
Oliver Glasner’s side started the campaign in fine form following the FA Cup and Community Shield triumph of 2025 but, as is somewhat predictable when a team’s best players are sold each window, momentum has run out.
After a 3-1 defeat to a comfortable Chelsea side at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon, the Eagles are now without a league victory in their last eight outings. It’s a frustrating state of affairs in South London.
Crystal Palace have Marc Guehi shaped hole to fill at centre-back
Glasner faces the tricky task of filling the big hole left by Guehi. Jefferson Lerma has been used in that position, but is more traditionally a midfielder, and against Chelsea it was Jaydee Canvot who was deployed alongside Chris Richards and Maxence Lacroix.
Canvot was signed from Toulouse at the start of September on a four-year deal and is still just 19 years old. The centre-back has a big future ahead of him but lacks experience with just 289 minutes in the top flight to his name prior to today.
That was plain to see against the Blues in a stinker of a performance. It was a misplaced Canvot pass that allowed Willian Estevao to sprint through for the opener. The defender looked dismayed after that mistake, consolation from Daniel Munoz and Maxence Lacroix doing little to raise his mood.
Canvot could then be criticised for his positioning when Joao Pedro broke through the back four onside to make it 2-0 and it was his - albeit harshly given - handball that gifted the visitors a penalty to make it 3-0.
Glasner took the defender off after that third calamitous error and Canvot looked gutted. For his future development and for current results, Crystal Palace need a player more suited to step up to the plate and replace Guehi.
Chelsea star should be courted by Eagles before leaving Selhurst Park tonight
Over the weekend, Sky Sports have reported that Chelsea man Josh Acheampong is a name that has been thrown about in ‘internal discussions’ at Crystal Palace. That is absolutely a move the club should pursue.
Acheampong is also just 19 years old but, in the minutes we have seen from him in the Chelsea first team, has a maturity well ahead of his years. He is a cool customer and one who feels much less likely to commit unforced errors.
Speaking about the defender recently, new Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior said: "I've been so impressed with Josh so far in the last two games and in training.
"He's a very level-headed kid with a lot of humility, which is a great sign. The beautiful thing with Josh is that he can play five different positions. He can play on the left, he can play centre-back, he can play right centre-back, he can play midfield, he can play on the wing. That's a great thing to have for a player of his age and temperament.
"And I'm going to keep pushing him and I'm going to keep demanding different things from him because he has a really, really bright future."
Acheampong is exactly the profile a stretched Crystal Palace squad need. The teenager was an unused substitute at Selhurst Park and, given the desperation of the Eagles’ recruitment situation, the club should be making personal introductions before the centre-back leaves the ground.
Parish and Glasner should follow Man Utd transfer trick
That transfer tactic is one made famous by none other than Sir Alex Ferguson. When Manchester United signed an 18-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo from Sporting Lisbon for in 2003, the Red Devils started dealings the day they played against the Portuguese side. Impressed, Sir Alex famously set the wheels into action to make a transfer happen straight after the final whistle.
Ronaldo told Sky Sports in 2016: “The first game that I played against Manchester United was an unbelievable game. It was the perfect night, the perfect night. After the game, some of my teammates said, ‘Listen, you’re going to go to Manchester, trust me!’
“Sir Alex Ferguson was there, and [they said] he wants to speak with you. I go to the dressing room, he introduced me to the players. For me, I was a little bit shy. And Sir Alex Ferguson said to me, 'Listen, I want you now'.”
Manchester United then confirmed the transfer five days after playing Sporting Lisbon. A move for Acheampong feels very viable for Crystal Palace and, if Steve Parish and Glasner are serious about it, they would be fools not to make his interest clear to the player tonight - à la Fergie.
In other news, Crystal Palace hold 'talks' over 'nuisance' Jean-Philippe Mateta replacement after exit demand.
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