Crystal Palace have successfully evaded from the vicinity of the dropout zone by creating a breathing space, thanks to their stupendous 3-0 win over Arsenal at the Selhurst Park on Tuesday.
With such a crucial victory, the Eagles are now sitting comfortably in the 16th spot on the league table with 34 points and have excelled to a significant extent of late.
In their last 6 games in the Premier League, they have piled 5 wins which also included a win over Chelsea.
In a season which has really been a rollercoaster ride, some of the Crystal Palace players have been superb. But then, there would be calls and meetings from sides across the continent to tempt them. Here are three players whom Palace cannot afford to lose at the end of the season.
Wilfried Zaha
In Arsenal’s humiliation at the hands of the Eagles, Wilfried Zaha once again showed that he is no more an overrated wilted attacker as he put on yet another charismatic show on display.
The 24-year-old bagged 2 assists to his name and thus, took his season’s tally to 9 assists, apart from 6 goals in 28 appearances for the club and has been pivotal in pulling Crystal Palace out of the relegation dogfight.
Already linked with a move to sides like Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, Zaha should be persuaded to stay at any cost by Allardyce to have a shy at the top half of the league table next season.
Jason Puncheon
Jason Puncheon might not have the luxury to boast about some jaw-dropping goals and assists tally, but his relentless toil and perseverance in the middle of the park is paying substantial dividends to his employers.
The 30-year-old has been used in a variety of positions by the Eagles and he has stepped up time and again to bail them out of troublesome scenarios.
Puncheon has been the irreplaceable lynchpin between the offensive and the defensive endeavours of the side and with the experience he has under his belt, it would really be an uphill task for Crystal Palace to replace him.
Christian Benteke
Slowly but surely, Christian Benteke has put his miseries of Liverpool days behind him and is once again looking like the player we were accustomed to seeing during his tenure at Aston Villa.
Apart from moments of sheer magic, the big Belgian has been a reliable player up front and has already banged 11 goals and registered 2 assists in 29 appearances for the London-based club.
European powerhouses might sniff around him in the summer but it would be an important task for Big Sam to make him stay at any cost owing to the fact that he could really be the difference maker in the coming seasons.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored.com
