Crystal Palace’s poor run of form continued on Monday evening.
Chelsea beat the Eagles 3-1 at Selhurst Park, with pressure increasing on manager Roy Hodgson – amid recent reports that the club are considering potential alternatives in the dugout.
The former England boss needs to change something, and he could start by bringing in a young gem who deserves a chance.
David Ozoh’s time at Palace
David Ozoh moved to Palace at just eight years old, and he has progressed through the academy to become a frequent member of Hodgson’s matchday squad.
The right-footed engine began his career as an attacker, but he has slowly developed into a midfielder who can either play as a number eight or a defensive midfielder.
The 18-year-old starred in the U18s and U21s, playing a combined 67 games for the two youth teams. Over these matches, he netted four goals and provided two assists.
Just over a year ago, Ozoh made his Premier League debut and Palace history, coming on with minutes to go to become the club's youngest-ever player in the competition.
Since then, the club's number 52 has played six matches this league campaign, coming on as a sub each time, with the boss saying that Ozoh has been “excellent.”
Ozoh could be Wharton’s dream partner
Adam Wharton only joined the Eagles in January from Blackburn Rovers for an undisclosed fee, but he has already become a fan favourite at the heart of the midfield.
The 20-year-old’s performance against Chelsea showed the Palace faithful what he’s about, making two key passes, winning eight of his 11 ground duels, and making a match-high seven tackles.
Nonetheless, according to Palace’s official website, Ozoh’s profile can be described as 'tall, strong, and skilful' while also recognising his 'eye for a pass' and how he is great at 'winning back possession in the middle of the park'.
The table below shows his statistics from this season, proving he would be a great partner for Wharton.
Average minutes
23
Pass accuracy %
93%
Possession lost
1.8
Tackles
1.5
Duels won
2.2
Although the sample size is extremely small, it is still easy to get an idea of how the duo could work alongside each other.
As can be seen above, Ozoh is secure defensively and will look to provide support to the backline constantly. His tackles per game being at 1.5 despite his average minutes per match being 23 is rather impressive, and his cameo against Sheffield United, where he made three tackles in 13 minutes, proved he’s tenacious off the ball.
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This added support next to Wharton would allow the new signing's creativity to flourish, which would improve Palace going forward. In the Championship, the former Rovers star ranked in the top 18% for expected assists (xA) and passes into the final third, while ranking in the top 13% for passes into the penalty area, as per FBref.
Ozoh is also composed on the ball – as shown by his pass accuracy rate and possession lost record – and alongside Wharton, the side would have much more control in possession.
Overall, the 2005-born ace has the potential to become the perfect partner for Wharton, with Hodgson potentially needing to take a gamble on this youthful duo.