Crystal Palace are the only remaining unbeaten side in the Premier League - and their 18-game run without losing is the joint longest in their history. Manager Oliver Glasner is deservedly taking many of the plaudits, but just how far can the Austrian take his side – and is this form sustainable? There is some statistical evidence to suggest there could be even more to come from the Eagles.
Crystal Palace are the only remaining unbeaten side in the Premier League - and their 18-game run without losing is the joint longest in their history.
Manager Oliver Glasner is deservedly taking many of the plaudits, but just how far can the Austrian take his side – and is this form sustainable?
There is some statistical evidence to suggest there could be even more to come from the Eagles.
Opta's prediction model, which simulates every single Premier League match 10,000 times, believes the south Londoners will finish fourth, rating their chances of Champions League qualification at 43%.
That figure may raise eyebrows, given it is significantly higher than the likes of Chelsea (22.6%), Newcastle (15.2%) and Tottenham (13.9%), but it underlines Palace's improvement under Glasner that they are even in the conversation.
The best league finish in Palace's history was third in 1990-91, under Steve Coppell, but they have never placed higher than 10th in a Premier League campaign.
However, their form in 2025 is certainly among the league's best.
Since 1 January, Palace's expected goals tally is 46.2, which ranks second. They have also been strong defensively, allowing their opponents an expected goals total of just 29.4. That gives them an overall expected goals difference of 18.6, a figure bettered only by Liverpool.
It may be worth bearing in mind, however, that the vast majority of their games in 2025 came with Eberechi Eze in the side.
The attacking midfielder joined Arsenal towards the end of the transfer window, and though replacement Yeremy Pino has made a good start to his Palace career, Eze's departure is still likely to have an impact.
As well as coping without Eze this season, Palace will also have to adapt to the challenges of European football.
The Eagles have already played two qualifying games in the Conference League and play the first of six matches in the league phase on Thursday, taking on Dynamo Kyiv in Poland.
The additional workload could take a toll on the Eagles' relatively shallow squad, though it is also a huge opportunity for the club.
Opta's prediction model rates the South Londoners as the outstanding side in the competition, giving them a 53.5% chance of lifting the trophy, well clear of second favourites and two-time runners-up Fiorentina.
Glasner has already won European silverware, lifting the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022. Winning back-to-back trophies with Palace – who had not won a major competition before his arrival – would be a truly remarkable achievement and would cement his place as one of Europe's most in-demand managers.
Category: General Sports
