Yohan Cabaye's defensive qualities are benefiting Crystal Palace
Sunday 27 September 2015 07:22, UK
Yohan Cabaye made his name in the Premier League as an elegant, attacking playmaker at Newcastle, but he's showcasing different qualities at Crystal Palace, writes Nick Wright…
In a summer of surprises, Yohan Cabaye's move to Crystal Palace ranked close to the top. The former Newcastle midfielder was one of the Premier League's most coveted players just 18 months previously, but after a difficult spell with Paris Saint-Germain, Alan Pardew convinced him to swap the Parc des Princes for Selhurst Park in a club record £13m deal.
It was heralded as one of the signings of the transfer window - and Cabaye immediately set about meeting expectations. A goal on his debut against Norwich City gave him a perfect start, and the 29-year-old has become an instant hero in SE25. Crystal Palace clinched their highest ever Premier League finish last season, but the addition of Cabaye has got them dreaming of European football.
Cabaye's consistent excellence under Pardew at Newcastle means his early success has come as little surprise, but there are aspects of his new role at Crystal Palace that have been rather more unexpected.
Pardew primarily used Cabaye as an attacking midfielder at Newcastle, where his goals and assists were invaluable, but at Palace he has been deployed in a deep-lying role alongside James McArthur. He still breaks forward when the opportunity presents itself, but Opta tracking data shows he is regularly the deepest of the Eagles' midfielders.
The set-up has allowed the likes of Jason Puncheon and Bakary Sako to flourish further forward as the 40-cap French international behind them pulls the strings. Cabaye has been one of the Premier League's most consistent performers, even impressing in their narrow defeats to Manchester City and Tottenham.
Cabaye has lost none of his vision and his passing range is as impressive as ever, but he is also excelling in a defensive sense. The Frenchman's spatial awareness and tactical intelligence have shone through since joining Palace, and the statistics make intriguing reading.
Cabaye has shown a remarkable aptitude for anticipating opponents and snuffing out danger in front of the back four. In six appearances he has made 29 interceptions - more than any other player in the Premier League - and his total of 25 tackles is the fifth-highest in the division.
His combined total for tackles and interceptions is unmatched in the Premier League, and the stats illustrate how his role has changed from his Newcastle days. Cabaye has gone from averaging 2.4 tackles and 2.4 interceptions per game in 2013/14 to 4.2 and 4.8 this season.
His new defensive responsibilities mean his average number of shots per game has fallen from 3.3 in 2013/14 to 2.0 this season, and his key passes are down from 1.7 to 1.2. But while Cabaye's attacking influence is not quite what it was at Newcastle, his all-round ability has given Palace exactly what they needed.
And while he has rarely operated so deep at club level, he has played a similar role in the past for France. At the 2014 World Cup, Cabaye played behind Paul Pogba and Blaise Matuidi in central midfield. "I'm gradually adapting to a position that I've not played all that often at club level," he said at the time. "I like being at the origin of our attacks and running hard to win the ball back."
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Cabaye has embraced the role with the same relish at Palace. So did bigger clubs miss a trick in the summer? Technically accomplished defensive midfielders are a rare breed, after all, and Arsenal and Tottenham are both short in those departments.
Not that it will concern Pardew. North London's loss is South London's gain and victory over Watford on Sunday could lift the Eagles back into the Premier League's top six. Cabaye's transfer may have been a surprise, but right now it's looking like one of the most welcome ones of the summer.
