Evann Guessand did something for Crystal Palace he didn’t do once at Aston Villa
Evann Guessand made his Crystal Palace debut on Sunday after his loan move from Aston Villa was confirmed.
Guessand departed Villa for Palace in the winter window after a dreadful first half of the season in claret and blue.
There were initial high hopes when Guessand joined Villa from OGC Nice in Unai Emery’s only big-money signing of the summer.
There were no complaints when Guessand was allowed to join Palace, especially with Leon Bailey returning to Villa Park after his temporary stint at Roma.
Guessand’s time in B6 has now been made to look even worse after he made his debut for the Eagles against Brighton.
Evann Guessand shining away from Aston Villa
There has been almost nothing positive to say about Guessand at Villa due to his poor performance levels.
His early showings were full of energy, so his defensive work rate ahead of Matty Cash on the right was looked upon favourably by Emery.
That eventually fell away, his effort became less and less every week, and so did his minutes in claret and blue.
That saw the Villans ultimately accept a good offer from Crystal Palace to take him away from B6, and it appears he already fits in better with the Eagles.
Guessand came off the bench against Brighton on Sunday and grabbed an assist just five minutes after being introduced by Oliver Glasner.
The Ivory Coast international found Villa’s biggest enemy, Ismaila Sarr, who found the net to secure a 1-0 win at the Amex.
That has seen the forward match his goal involvement tally in the Midlands already, but it was his post-match actions that have caught the eye of the Villa faithful.
Guessand celebrates with Crystal Palace fans vs Brighton
Guessand was poor throughout his time at Villa Park, and that poor performance level wasn’t helped by his connection with supporters.
There have been plenty of poor players in B6 over the years, but they showcased effort and forged a hugely positive relationship with supporters.
The same can’t be said for the Ivorian, but he has already taken steps to do that with the travelling Palace faithful.
Guessand celebrated by punching the air three times, in a similar vein to Amadou Onana, showcasing more passion than he ever did in the Midlands.
It’s strange to see him do this so quickly after leaving Villa, and bigger questions have to be raised about why he never showcased that passion in front of the Holte.
Things could have been so different if he did…
How did Guessand perform for Crystal Palace vs Brighton?
The 24-year-old just appears to fit in better in Glasner’s system and was on good form as Palace secured victory at Brighton.
He featured across just 34 minutes and grabbed an assist with his one created chance while maintaining an 86 per cent pass accuracy.
Guessand also chipped in with three defensive actions and won five duels as he helped see out the game for the Eagles.
One thing he didn’t do at Villa Park was get past a man, but for Palace, he completed two dribbles and looked like a player reborn.
Typical.