Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix revealed to talkSPORT his toughest opponent and it might surprise a few people.
The French defender has played 26 times for the Eagles this season and has faced some of the very best.
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The centre-back has gone toe-to-toe with the likes of Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak, and even the on-fire Chris Wood during the campaign to date.
However, the 24-year-old named Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus as the toughest opponent he has come up against.
Perhaps some explanation for that is how Jesus tore apart Palace with five goals in two games over the space of just three days in December.
The Brazilian scored a hat-trick in their Carabao Cup quarter-final, his first being a chip over Dean Henderson as Lacroix scrambled back in an attempt to clear it off the line.
Jesus continued to torture the defender that match and the next, often drifting behind him and being found in unmarked space.
“The most difficult player I’ve played against is Gabriel Jesus, he scored a lot against us,” Lacroix told talkSPORT. “It was difficult because he has good movement.
“I like to play against Haaland because he’s strong, we know it’s going to be a fight. I don’t like when players run a lot.”
This season Jesus was often used as a substitute by Mikel Arteta, but those performances against Palace placed him back in the starting 11 for three straight league matches.
Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, he suffered a season ending ACL injury against Manchester United in January.
It was perhaps an unconventional answer from the Frenchman as Premier League defenders often dread facing Haaland or Isak, two of the three highest scoring centre-forwards this season.
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The Norwegian has 19 goals this season, one of those being a leaping header against Palace.
Jesus’ teammate, William Saliba, claimed the Manchester City No9 is the ‘toughest opponent’ he has ever faced.
And Isak is on target for a consecutive 20 plus goal season, on 17 currently after an amazing stretch which saw him score in eight consecutive matches.
Two strikers that also spent time in the Bundesliga, similar to Lacroix.
The centre-back left Wolfsburg in the summer window of 2024 to sign for Oliver Glasner’s Palace.
Speaking about the differences between the Bundesliga and Premier League, Lacroix said: “In the Premier League every team has good players that can change the game. In the Bundesliga it is not the same intensity.”
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The Eagles ended the previous season in spectacular fashion going seven games undefeated, but the form did not carry over into the 2024/25 season
The 24-year-old has made 22 league appearances this season as they went eight matches without a win to start the campaign.
However, in recent times Palace have climbed up to 13th with three wins and clean sheets in their last five games.
