Formation change looks a strong option for Oliver Glasner to produce Crystal Palace form upturn

Suddenly, Saturday’s Liverpool game has become slightly more important for Oliver Glasner and Crystal Palace.

While every match in the Premier League is an opportunity to pick up three points, Palace’s ponderous start to the competition has left them heading into the second international break of the season winless in six and a far cry from the team who scored 20 goals in their final six games of last season.

The Eagles started this campaign on the back foot.

Their squad was incomplete and games against Brentford, West Ham and Chelsea were almost written off due to big-money signings Maxence Lacroix and Eddie Nketiah only arriving on deadline day.

While not entirely convincing, coming back from 2-0 down to pick up a point against Leicester City and beating Championship side QPR 2-1 to reach the round of 16 in the EFL Cup showed green shoots of recovery after a hectic summer.

But after a goalless draw with Manchester United, in which Palace produced a horrendous first-half performance, Saturday’s trip to an Everton side who had endured their worst start to a season in 66 years presented the chance for Glasner to show he had found a way of making his small squad click.

Despite a strong first half, which should have seen Palace two or three goals up instead of a slender 1-0 advantage, a calamitous second-half start threw away all the good work.

Two unforced turnovers of possession after a failure to clear long balls forward from Jordan Pickford gave Dwight McNeil two opportunities within the first nine minutes of the second half – his first a stunning left-footed curling effort from distance after Eberechi Eze lost possession.

Austrian boss Glasner threw every option he had at Sean Dyche’s team but Palace mustered one shot on target after Everton took the lead in the 54th minute – Daniel Munoz’s tame effort late on the only time they went close to troubling England stopper Pickford.

Glasner introduced Ismaila Sarr, Will Hughes and Jeffrey Schlupp as the Eagles chased the equaliser, but it became clearer as the game went on that the Palace manager is still to land on a successful formula.

He is yet to name the same back three in a Premier League game this season – Jefferson Lerma came into the centre-back unit at Everton after Chris Richards picked up a hamstring injury following Glasner stepping up the intensity in training.

Daichi Kamada and Adam Wharton is a midfield pivot clearly struggling to gel in the top flight.

England midfielder Wharton is carrying a groin injury and Kamada, while a very neat and tidy footballer, has not shown he has the physical presence to battle against the likes of Everton’s Orel Mangala and Abdoulaye Doucoure – two robust players in the centre of the pitch.

Eddie Nketiah and Eberechi Eze are still trying to strike a chord in their attempt to create chances for Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Palace’s small squad and limited attacking options leave little room for personnel to be changed but as the winless run continues, a change in formation becomes a clearer solution to finding a winning remedy for Glasner.

A troubling trend is also developing for the South Londoners. While the season is still in its infancy, West Ham and Everton’s only wins of the season have come against Palace.

And Brentford – who beat the Eagles 2-1 in the opening weekend of the campaign – have seen their only other win has come against Southampton, a side many are tipping to head straight back to the Championship.

The 1-0 win at Liverpool was the turning point last season in changing Palace’s fortunes and kickstarting a run of six wins from their next seven games.

Glasner, who saw his side drop into the relegation zone on Sunday, will be hoping lightning can strike twice and the visit of Arne Slot’s Reds – who sit atop of the Premier League – to Selhurst Park can conjure a win to ease the concerns snowballing about Palace’s early-season problems.

PICTURES: ROB AVIS