Maxence Lacroix was shoulder to shoulder with Mohammed Kudus as they chased Lucas Paqueta’s through-ball. Crystal Palace’s midfield had been bypassed by a quick West Ham attack. Their defence was exposed. But the footrace only had one winner.
After sprinting ahead of Kudus, Lacroix timed his challenge perfectly, halting West Ham’s charge with an outstretched boot and hooking the ball into the path of fellow centre-back Marc Guehi, eliminating the danger and turning defence into attack in one motion.
The intervention was cheered by the visiting fans at the London Stadium and highlighted the qualities the summer signing has brought to Palace. In addition to being one of the quickest centre-backs in the division, Lacroix has excelled in one-on-ones.
Kudus was just the latest opponent to find that out. Data from GeniusIQ shows Lacroix has forced a turnover from nearly 70 per cent of the one-on-ones he has faced this season, a success rate 12 per cent higher than that of any other Premier League player.
The 24-year-old was a low-key arrival but is proving one of the signings of the season, vindicating the sale of Joachim Andersen to Fulham, a decision which raised eyebrows, and playing a significant role in Palace’s steady ascent of the Premier League table.
Saturday’s 2-0 victory over West Ham made it three wins from four Premier League games. Go back further and they have only lost two in 14, with Lacroix playing every minute. It is a far cry from the start of the campaign, when they went eight games without winning.
A deal which made financial sense to Palace – Lacroix is four years younger than Andersen and, at £21m, cost roughly £9m less than his predecessor’s sale price – is making sense in footballing terms too.
It helped, of course, that Lacroix arrived well-versed in Oliver Glasner’s methods having played for him at his previous club Wolfsburg, where they achieved Champions League qualification together. “We had a good connection,” Lacroix said of Glasner following their reunion.
But Glasner used a back four, rather than a three, at Wolfsburg and Lacroix was also joining a side in a state of flux, with Andersen’s exit following that of Michael Olise to Bayern Munich.
He had to adapt and there has been more upheaval since. Trevoh Chalobah has been recalled from his loan by Chelsea and Guehi continues to attract interest from the same club.
In testing circumstances, Lacroix has offered stability, establishing himself at the heart of Glasner’s three-man defence having initially been used in the wide positions.
His covering pace has been invaluable.
Tracking data shows Lacroix has clocked one of the highest top speeds in the Premier League this season at 35.81 km/h, putting him 10th among 518 players overall and behind only Micky van de Ven and Emmanuel Agbadou among centre-backs.
Lacroix’s explosiveness has added security for those moments like the one against Kudus, when Palace are threatened in behind. But he has also excelled at defending their box.
His total of 36 interceptions puts him second only to Fulham’s Antonee Robinson this season, underlining his ability to anticipate danger. He ranks highly for clearances too.
His defensive qualities have made a difference.
In fact, since Lacroix moved into the centre of their defence in late October, with Guehi shifting to the left, Palace have one of the best defensive records in the division, conceding only 17 goals in 14 games and keeping five clean sheets. Arsenal and Liverpool are the only sides to have allowed fewer shots on target.
Andersen made a huge contribution to Palace, of course, racking up 112 appearances across three years at the club. But Lacroix has proved an upgrade physically and athletically, his speed and stature allowing him to dominate opponents.
He is technically sound too, helping Palace build from the back, combining with their midfielders, and even replicating Andersen’s eye for a long pass. His success rate of 50 per cent is actually higher than Andersen’s for Fulham this season.
Lacroix is an asset in the opposition box as well as his own. He set up a goal for Guehi with a knock-down following a corner against Everton in September and scored himself with a towering heading in the 2-2 draw with Manchester City in December.
He has had 15 shots overall, only one fewer than Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and three fewer than Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes. He has amassed 1.58 expected goals from set-pieces, putting him 11th among all Premier League players this season. His dead-ball threat was also evident at Wolfsburg, where he scored four times last term.
Glasner will hope for more of the same from Lacroix when Palace host Brentford, live on Sky Sports on Sunday. But he has already shown his worth. Recent evidence suggests Brentford’s forwards, like West Ham’s, might find it difficult to plot a way around him.
Watch Crystal Palace vs Brentford live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 1pm on Sunday; kick-off 2pm
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