[Getty Images]Pat Nevin - Former footballer and presenterWed, November 26, 2025 at 11:08 AM UTC·1 min readAt various points this season we have delighted in one of the 'little' teams squeezing into the top four race. Bournemouth came and went while Brighton are back up knocking at the door again. Sunderland was arguably the most heartening story but it is Crystal Palace who are currently tucked in nicely on the rails a point behind fourth.
It is hard not to be smitten with the physicality and the quality of Ismaila Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta but the defence and the system employed by Oliver Glasner can't be ignored. The 3-4-3 much beloved by Ruben Amorim clearly can work in the modern Premier League as long as you have players who are perfectly suited to it.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe most impressive thing might actually be the defence. While Arsenal have been the undoubted kings in this area, Palace are second having shipped only nine goals in 12 games. They haven't conceded domestically in more than seven-and-a-half hours. Those are the kind of dogged displays that could easily get them into Europe again.
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