‘A step ahead’ – why Wharton holds key for Palace

The Eagles won the FA Cup earlier this year, and the midfielder, age 21, won it with Liverpool.

The EFL Cup’s second round’s winner must first defeat Premier League leaders Arsenal in the quarter-finals before Oliver Glasner’s side can move on.

Keep Wharton at the helm of the looming transfer window for January could be crucial if Palace are to continue to improve their recent success and establish a consistent presence in European competition.

According to Match of the Day pundit Thomas Hitzlsperger, “He is still a young player, but the way he moves around the pitch looks so calm and he hasn’t even played 50 Premier League games yet.”

Being so central and inexperienced while still having such an impact on this team is really impressive. A contemporary number six who both wins and passes the ball.

His focus is always on the pitch, he says. He is aware of where his teammates are and where he is. He occasionally jogs around and doesn’t really get sweaty, but he is aware of where his needs are in his current situation. “No one can get the ball off of him.”

After falling to Leeds on Saturday, Palace moved up to eighth place in the Premier League, only three points clear of fourth-placed Chelsea.

They will need Wharton’s best performance in the Conference League’s two-legged play-off if they want to advance and maintain their European dream.

According to BBC Sport’s head football correspondent Phil McNulty, the “classy, fiercely competitive midfielder” has been “running games with his” loping, languid style.”

It should come as no surprise that he has connections to numerous Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, Liverpool, and both Manchester teams.

No player in the game made more tackles than his four, which should surprise Opta, who averages 2.2 tackles per game.

He plays defensively strong, and he averages 2.1% of his passes per game, which highlights game intelligence and judgment.

Wharton has made 15 appearances in the Premier League this season and has played 1, 213 minutes so far.

He averages 4.9 progressive passes per match and 0.7 open-play chances.

He leads his team-mates in terms of attempted passes in the final third (170), second in terms of through balls (82), and one behind Yeremy Pino, who has the most chances created (211).

Wharton expands the conversation so that only Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson can average a 50% dribble completion while expanding the conversation to include other Premier League midfielders.

Rice leads with 11.3, followed by Anderson (9.8) and Bruno Guimaraes (6.5), who also holds the lead in progressive carries. Caicedo averages 6.1% while Wharton is 4.8%.

Wharton may be the worst pass- and pass-ahead midfielder out of those five, but he has the third-most forward passes under high-intensity pressure completed in 90 minutes, with a 6.53, which suggests he is more likely to try line-breaking passes.

He is being viewed as a future star and demonstrates his ability to engage with the best players in the Premier League right now.

Wharton himself knows that there is still work to be done, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

The midfielder said, “I try to take bits from everyone,” after his team beat Wolves 2-0 last month. People come up in various positions, whether it’s the opposition or through training.

He continued, “I chat to them off the pitch as well as learn new things, even if it’s not necessarily about football but the mental side of things.”

“It’s tiny things,” I make an effort to take as much as possible, hoping it will improve.

He strikes me as a player who doesn’t need to be an overly coach, Given said. He is aware of the position.

He occasionally slows down and allows the play to whizz by. Before the pass even arrives, he is aware of it. His surroundings are also ahead of his own brains.

He is one of the Premier League’s most gifted midfielders, according to me. Does he play for the World Cup team?