The Rise of Michael Olise: A Tactical Analysis of Crystal Palace's Young Star's Impact on the Pitch

Michael Olise has been making waves at Crystal Palace, earning himself a new four-year contract in the summer of 2023 amidst significant interest from Chelsea.

The France Under-21 international has become one of the Premier League's most electrifying young talents.

He opted to continue his journey at Selhurst Park despite the lure of a return to Stamford Bridge, where he once trained.

According to the BBC, Olise's football journey began in Chelsea's youth academy, where he spent seven years before leaving at the age of 14 in 2016. A brief stint with Manchester City's youth setup followed, but it was his move to Reading’s academy in 2017 that truly set the stage for his professional career.

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Football

Olise's debut season

By 2019, the Anglo-French-Nigerian-Algerian player had broken into the Royals' first team in the Championship and had earned a call-up to France's Under-18 team, thanks to his mother's French-Algerian heritage. His impressive performances earned him the EFL Young Player of the Year award in 2021, which led to Palace activating his £8.37 million release clause.

In his debut season for the Eagles, Olise made 26 EPL appearances and scored his first goal at 19 years old. His second season saw him play 37 games, and he became the youngest player in the league's history to provide three assists from open play in a single match during a 5-1 victory over Leeds.

Despite injuries limiting his appearances in the 2023/24 season, Olise has netted 10 goals in 19 games, per Transfermarkt, marking his highest goal tally to date.

Technical Brilliance

Being a left-footed attacker, he predominantly plays as a right winger but is adept at filling the number 10 role. His confidence and creativity shine through his ability to carry the ball forward, weave through defenders, and deliver precise, intricate passes and crosses.

From the right wing, he often cuts inside to deliver curling crosses aimed at teammates positioned centrally or at the far post. His knack for lifting the ball over defenders with topspin makes his passes particularly challenging to intercept. The subtlety of his ball-handling, combined with deceptive shoulder drops, allows him to create space for inswinging crosses with minimal backlift, making them difficult for opponents to block. His agility lets him shift his body and the ball fluidly, creating numerous crossing and dribbling opportunities.

Olise's rare skill set

Creativity and Goal-Scoring

Olise’s ability to maintain width and discipline in possession stretches opposing defences.

He skillfully receives and combines passes, often releasing delicate through balls to central runners. However, his goal-scoring has room for improvement, particularly by creating more shooting opportunities when cutting inside as a left-footed winger.

When Palace builds an attack, he frequently drifts inwards to receive the ball in the inside channels, allowing him to drive centrally and shoot or slide passes behind the defence.

Olise has been deployed as a right winger at Crystal Palace for most of his career under managers Patrick Vieira and Roy Hodgson. He often engages in one-on-one situations in both the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations, leveraging his dribbling prowess.

This season, had the second-highest dribbles per 90 minutes in the Premier League, following an impressive previous season with the second-most overall dribbles.

His partnerships with right-backs Joel Ward and Nathaniel Clyne have been instrumental. Their overlapping runs disrupt opposing defences, allowing him to exploit one-on-one situations and deliver his signature inswinging crosses. His crossing ability was evident in the 2022/23 season, where he ranked among the top crossers in the league.

Versatility as a Number 10

Last season, Olise played as a central number 10 in a 4-2-3-1 formation. This role allowed him to receive the ball between the lines, connect with central forwards like Ayew, Edouard, and Zaha, and create key passes. His fluid positioning enabled him to provide overlapping runs and support inverted wingers, maintaining his crossing and dribbling threats.

Chelsea and Man United fight for Olise

Sports Brief reported that Chelsea and Manchester United, two of the Premier League's heavyweights, were leading the race to secure Olise's signature in the upcoming transfer window.

According to renowned transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Blues, who already boast many attacking options, may need to offload at least one of their wingers to accommodate the potential acquisition.

On the other hand, United sees the youngster as an upgrade on their current options, despite missing out on Champions League football.