Anan Khalaili's Emergence as One of the Premier League's Top Wing-Backs

 

Anan Khalaili has gone from a name most fans did not know to one of the more interesting wing-backs in the Premier League, and he has done it in under two months. After five appearances, he leads the Premier League with 21 tackles. Nobody else is even close. That stat gets your attention, sure. But it does not really explain why watching him settle in has been so fascinating.

 

Here is the thing: Khalaili was never trained as a defender. And his start at Crystal Palace stands out even more when you look at the team he has joined. This is not a side that dominates the ball or controls games. Palace have averaged just 43% possession in the Premier League so far. That means Khalaili spends most of his time defending, recovering and fighting for the ball rather than attacking from the opposition half.

 

That context matters if you want to understand what he is actually doing out there. A wing-back topping the tackle charts at a possession-heavy club would tell one story. A wing-back topping the tackle charts at a club that spends long stretches without the ball tells a completely different one.

 

Khalaili came through as an aggressive winger at Maccabi Haifa. His move to Royale Union Saint-Gilloise changed things. Bit by bit, he became a wing-back who could influence both ends of the pitch. Now at Crystal Palace, that development is being tested at a much higher level.

 

And here is the part I find most interesting. Khalaili has not had to throw away the attacking qualities that made him a prospect in the first place. He has just learned to use them from deeper positions.

 

Read More: Crystal Palace 2026/27 Premier League Season Preview

 

How Did Khalaili Transform From Winger to Wing-Back?

 

I do not think he changed who he is as a player. I think he just added to it. At Maccabi Haifa, he was a winger, and a pretty direct one. Pace, dribbling, 1v1s, aggressive runs into the box. The attacking side was always there. What was not there yet was the defensive positioning and the discipline off the ball.

 

Then Royale Union Saint-Gilloise happened, and that was the turning point. They used him mostly as a wing-back in back-three systems, which meant he had to defend bigger spaces, help out in transitions and stay switched on without the ball, all while still giving them width and pushing the attack forward.

 

What I find interesting is how his old skills basically got recycled. His pace turned into a recovery tool. His dribbling became a way to escape pressure and carry the ball from deeper. And his attacking instincts shifted into overlaps and late runs instead of just hanging high up the pitch.

 

You can see all of that at Crystal Palace now. He is not a winger being asked to defend anymore. He is a wing-back who still thinks like a winger. For me, that is the whole foundation of why this is working.

 

Why Was Union Saint-Gilloise So Important for Khalaili's Development?

 

To me, Union Saint-Gilloise is that middle step. At Maccabi Haifa, he was a pure winger. At Palace, he is a player who can do both jobs. That change happened at Union. He played 47 games that season, 3,205 minutes. Defending went from something he did here and there to a normal part of his game. That is the real point.

 

He put up some serious numbers in ground duels too. 13 duels won against Genk, 12 against Anderlecht, and 12 against Toulouse. And he was not shy in the air either, winning seven aerial duels against Antwerp and six against Genk.

 

But his defensive work went beyond just winning challenges. He had multiple games with five interceptions and regularly made nine or more recoveries, including 11 against Genk. Those numbers matter because they tell you his development was not just about learning where to stand as a wing-back. He was learning how to actually be part of defensive sequences.

 

His passing got more reliable as well. Accuracy usually sat in the high 70s to mid-80s, and he was regularly completing more than 30 passes a match, sometimes over 40. That meant he could help keep possession without losing his ability to push the ball forward.

 

The tactical setup mattered a lot here. Union used 3-5-2, 3-4-1-2 and 3-4-2-1 shapes, which forced Khalaili to constantly switch between attacking and defending. In a way, that move solved a real developmental problem. Instead of trying to teach an attacking player to be less attacking, Union gave him a role where his instincts could still be useful while he was forced to build the defensive side of his game. 

 

What Do Khalaili's First Five Premier League Games Tell Us?

 

If Union Saint-Gilloise was where Khalaili became a genuine two-way player, Palace has immediately tested the defensive side of that development. After five Premier League matchweeks, his numbers are remarkable:

 

 

The first number immediately stands out. 21 tackles is not simply a good total. It is the highest in the league, four more than the next group of players. That is the kind of lead that shows up quickly in tackle markets. But the more interesting story is the combination of volume and efficiency.

 

Khalaili has attempted 33 true tackles and won 12. That is a lot of engagement, and it fits how he plays. But I also cannot ignore the 10 times he has been dribbled past, which leads the league. So for me, the aggression is not the question. Whether it turns into a clean defensive outcome is.

 

The comparison with Neco Williams makes this clearer:

 

 

Williams has seven fewer tackles and nearly the same number won. So Khalaili's standout quality is not timing. It is willingness. He just keeps engaging. I would argue that suits Palace because they spend a lot of time without the ball and need someone who is not afraid to step in. But it also shows what comes next. He is already aggressive enough. What he needs is judgment. Fewer dribbles conceded, same defensive volume, and his profile gets significantly more complete. That is the line I would track with him.

 

Has Khalaili's Attacking Output Dropped at Palace?

 

On paper, yes. The chances are not coming at the same rate. But I would not read that as his attacking game falling off. There is a reason the numbers look the way they do. The most obvious statistical drop-off has come in the final third. At Union Saint-Gilloise last season, he averaged 1.8 chances created per 90 minutes and produced 14 big chances, the sixth most of any player. At Palace, he has created only three chances in five Premier League appearances, or 0.7 per 90, and none of them have been big chances.

 

One of the most interesting similarities between Khalaili's performances for Union and Palace is his relationship with target forwards. At Union, three of his big chances were created for Mateo Biondic and another three for Promise David, two physically imposing strikers.

 

That suggests a particular creative instinct: Khalaili is comfortable delivering toward a defined target inside the penalty area rather than simply crossing into hope. That has carried over to Palace. Two of his three chances created in the Premier League have been for Jørgen Strand Larsen. One of those produced Larsen's biggest chance against Everton by xG, a stoppage-time header valued at 0.25 xG.

 

 

But even with so little attacking involvement, he has already scored in the Premier League. A well-taken strike from outside the box, and it put Palace 1-0 up against Ipswich. If he keeps his defensive output where it is and gets closer to his Union form in the final third, Palace fans might not miss Daniel Munoz at all.

 

GoalBible Conclusion: Crystal Palace got them a good deal

 

The next step for Khalaili is not about defending more. It is about defending smarter. He has already proven he can hold his own on that side of the ball. What remains is the harder part: can he stay efficient while bringing back the attacking edge that made people take notice of him in the first place?

 

If he can, Palace has landed more than a promising wing-back. They have landed a real two-way player. He did not walk into the Premier League as a finished player but he does look like a winger learning a new position, in a side that rarely dominates possession, in the hardest league there is. Five games in, he already tops the tackle charts. That is the kind of start that makes people stop scrolling past his name and commentators will bring his name up every time Crystal Palace play.

 

How Anan Khalaili's Performance Could Impact Crystal Palace's Next Match

 

Anan Khalaili's development gives me two particularly interesting angles for Crystal Palace's next Premier League match against Nottingham Forest. His defensive workload makes his individual tackle market stand out, while Palace's current attacking numbers make me more cautious about backing them to score multiple goals. I also compared several bookmakers for this market, and BetOnGame is currently offering the most competitive Bet Builder odds.

 

Note: Odds are accurate as of 8 October 2026.

 

This is my favourite Khalaili market for this match. He has made 21 tackles in his first five Premier League appearances, averaging 4.2 per game, which currently puts him at the top of the league for tackles. What makes this market even more appealing is the potential match-up with Nottingham Forest. Forest are averaging around 14.5 shots and 1.45 xG per game, so I expect them to provide enough attacking pressure for Khalaili to be involved defensively. That could create a familiar pattern: Forest attack, Palace drop into their defensive shape, and Khalaili is repeatedly called upon to make defensive actions on the right side.

 

Rather than backing 4+ or 5+ tackles, I would lean towards 3+ tackles, given that we only have a five-match sample and his aggressive defending does not always translate into successful tackles. For me, 3+ offers the best balance between his current tackle volume, his role as a wing-back and the expected defensive workload against Forest.

 

Note: Odds are accurate as of 8 October 2026.

 

I also like Crystal Palace Under 1.5 team goals, mainly because I am not convinced their current attacking numbers justify expecting a two-goal performance. Based on my research on Footy Stats, Palace are averaging around 1.20 goals per game, while their home attacking numbers are even less convincing, with roughly 1.07 xG and 10 shots per game. Their low possession approach also matters to me. With Palace averaging only around 43% possession overall and 37% at home, Khalaili and the other wide players are likely to spend significant periods defending rather than constantly creating chances in the final third. 

 

Forest have also conceded only five goals in their opening five league matches, while their xGA sits around 1.26 per game. That makes me reluctant to back Palace for a high-scoring performance. I see this as a match where Palace could create enough to score once, but getting to two goals looks considerably harder. Under 1.5 Palace goals fits my expected game script better than backing Palace to win outright.