Analysis: Wharton excelling as one of league's best midfielders

Football writer Adrian Clarke identifies the key players, team tactics and where matches could be won and lost in Matchweek 8.

Player analysis: Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)

One of Wharton’s greatest assets is his ability to influence matches in a multitude of ways, something he will aim to continue when sixth-placed Palace host fourth-placed AFC Bournemouth on Saturday.

The 21-year-old is a natural ball winner and a very smooth dribbler, and he has creativity in abundance.

There are not many central midfielders who excel as much in all three of these areas, so Wharton is showing signs he can be the complete package.

When you set parameters for at least 10 chances created, a minimum of 25 ball recoveries, plus five or more completed dribbles, Wharton is one of only four Premier League players who match that criteria across the first seven weeks of this season.

So, as we stand ahead of Matchweek 8, the Palace midfielder's skill set is most comparable with Arsenal's Declan Rice, West Ham United's Lucas Paqueta and Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali.

PL midfielders compared 25/26

Minimum 10 chances created, 25 possession wins, five dribbles completed

Wharton does not make as many passes per game as the three players mentioned above, or offer as much of a goal threat, but that is primarily down to the slightly deeper role Palace manager Oliver Glasner asks him to perform.

He does make more progressive line-breaking passes though, so far registering four that have found a team-mate in the opposition penalty area.

Left-footed brilliance

The Palace midfielder is one of the best left-footed players in the division.

He may not have a goal or assist to his name so far in 2025/26, but it feels only a matter of time before Wharton enjoys multiple direct goal involvements.

Watch Wharton's 2025/26 highlights so far

He is certainly creating enough clear-cut opportunities.

No one else in the Premier League can currently match the five big chances laid on by Wharton across the opening seven matches, but frustratingly none of those opportunities were converted into goals by his team-mates.

Wharton has created one more big chance than his closest challengers in that metric, in David Brooks of Bournemouth, Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah and Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka.

Most big chances created 25/26

Three of the big chances created by Wharton fell to Jean-Philippe Mateta, who ran on to excellent passes against both Chelsea and Liverpool (below).

Salah and Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes (both seven), along with Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers (six) are the only individuals who have delivered a higher number of through-balls than Wharton.

Set-piece specialist

Wharton is also terrific at taking set-pieces.

Maxence Lacroix crashed a close-range header against the bar at West Ham from a Wharton corner, while Marc Guehi might have done better when he was spotted unmarked at the far post from a free-kick at home to Nottingham Forest.

Wharton picked out his England team-mate for a big chance to score, with a precise cross (below).

Wharton now stands over most of Palace's set-plays, having created six chances from corners and wide free-kicks.

West Ham's James Ward-Prowse (nine), Leeds United midfielder Sean Longstaff (eight) and Arsenal's Rice (seven) are the only Premier League players to have carved out more chances from dead-ball situations.

When you analyse the quality of chances Wharton lays on, it is clear he has been unlucky not to assist at least a couple of goals.

Only five players have a higher Expected Assists tally (xA) than Wharton’s 1.34 and of the names on that list, Arsenal star Bukayo Saka is the only other individual without an official assist.

There are no other central midfielders at the top of that list, with Fernandes (1.31) and Rice (1.15) being the closest to Wharton.

How midfielders compare for Expected Assists and assists 25/26

The graphic below illustrates the 11 chances Wharton has created.

All but two of those opportunities stemmed from passes that reached a team-mate inside the penalty area, so it will be frustrating that only three efforts (blue circles) hit the target.

If this type of supply line continues, plenty of assists will follow.

Map of chances created by Wharton – Premier League 25/26

Considered choices

Young players often have a tendency to rush their decision-making, but Wharton bucks that trend.

He is usually calm in tight spaces, and his short-range passing is tidy.

Knowing when to run with the ball, or when to pass it, is something he also excels at.

He glides past opponents with his terrific balance and footwork, but Wharton carefully selects the moments to try that.

PL players with highest dribble success rate 25/26

*Minimum six completed dribbles

Completing six out of six dribbles, Wharton is one of just three players to boast a success rate of 100 per cent for take-ons from that many attempts or more.

It is a skill he could utilise more frequently, but Wharton prefers to pick and choose the right times to carry the ball forward.

Winning five of his six tackles too, he is a midfielder who wants to be efficient in his actions.

Reckless, he is not.

Destined for the top

It is easy to forget that Wharton, who won’t be 22 until February, has only made 42 Premier League appearances.

Since joining from Blackburn Rovers in the early part of 2024, his progress has accelerated quickly.

The likes of former Palace players Michael Olise (signed from Reading, now at Bayern Munich) and Eberechi Eze (signed from QPR, now at Arsenal) have proved the Eagles have a wonderful eye for EFL talent.

And it feels like Wharton is on a similar trajectory to those two outstanding examples.

For now though, Wharton is a key man for Palace.

Under the expert guidance of Glasner, this 2025/26 campaign represents a great chance for Palace to better their record 10th-place Premier League finishes from 2014/15 and 2023/24.

If they achieve that feat, you can rest assured the classy Wharton will have played a pivotal role.

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