As one of the smaller sides in the Premier League, the fact that Crystal Palace regularly stay in the league is highly impressive. The club has long been seen as one of the overachievers, staying in the Premier League despite often having a squad that might not exactly shine among the elite. However, one problem that Palace fans have grown used to seeing is a lack of goals. Despite having some decent attacking talent in recent years, chief among them Wilfried Zaha, can Palace finally change that trend?

The popular Palace fansite, HomeOfPalace offers some great insight into the future of the club. The changing of managerial style this summer, bringing in the younger Patrick Vieira to replace Roy Hodgson, was seen as a masterstroke by some. However, the fact it came after chasing various coaches such as Lucien Favre has some fans worried – was Vieira the best available, or simply one of the very few available?

Some fans are also worried about a lack of firepower in the early games – Palace have, so far, looked pretty weak from an attacking perspective. This has led to some fans worrying that despite a change in the playing staff and on the bench that things might play out as they have for a few years now: a lack of goals, and a flirt with relegation.

While the likes of Eberechi Eze and Zaha tend to get a lot of coverage from betting tipsters like GodsOfOdds, the other attacking options in the squad are quite limited. This makes it hard for Palace to score on a regular basis, especially given that both Eze and Zaha themselves are hardly prolific. Up front, the reliable presence of Christian Benteke is something, but it is simply not enough for a team trying to become more potent upfront.

Other options have come and gone, and regulars like Andros Townsend have also departed. So far, arrivals have been mixed in terms of their general style. Palace fans, though, are most likely worried about what comes next – with so many players heading out, can the club really find its form and start scoring goals?

While previous players did not score in leaps and bounds, they at least offered a reliable streak. So far, the arrivals look like they might struggle to give the same reliable presence as the Eagles fans have grown used to with departed talent. Again, it does feel like regardless of arrivals that it will come down to a Zaha-Eze combination to get more goals this year.

Vieira, too, has a reputation for being a more pragmatic coach than one with a forward thinking philosophy. Neither his New York City or OGC Nice sides were particularly effervescent in how they attacked. Naturally, we should expect to see some teething pains as Palace try to find a balance between attack and defence. As has been covered elsewhere on platforms like Church of Edge, though, Palace is not exactly a red hot favourite to avoid relegation in the past.