Laura Kaminski's Crystal Palace: Formation, tactics and style of play
A new series showcasing the tactical profiles of every Women's Super League team in partnership with The Underrated Scout
This piece is part of a special Team Profiles series with The Underrated Scout. Across the next few months we’ll be publishing pieces on the tactics, style of play and trends of every WSL team.
Share on social media and let us know what you think of the series.
Crystal Palace have faced a challenging start to life in the Women’s Super League. Currently bottom of the table and level on points with Leicester City, the newcomers have suffered some heavy defeats. However, they have also shown an ability to adapt well to the intensity of the league, often competing closely against stronger opponents.
Under manager Laura Kaminski’s leadership, they are striving to find the balance needed to thrive at this level. This analysis will explore Kaminski’s strategies, the adjustments made since promotion, and the challenges the team faces in their battle for survival in the WSL.
Attacking structure
Base formation
Crystal Palace have shown notable fluidity in their tactical shape, both between matches and within games. While retaining elements of the 4-3-3 system used last season, adjustments have been made to enhance defensive security and make the team harder to break down against opponents with superior technical and athletic attributes. This season, the team has primarily alternated between a 4-1-4-1—where the wingers consistently drop back alongside the central midfielders—and a 3-5-2, replacing the right-back with a player capable of operating as a centre-back and deploying a winger in the wing-back role. In this setup, the attacking midfielder shifts into a secondary striker.
Kaminski’s 3-5-2 is relatively straightforward. Up front, Katie Stengel operates as the central striker, excelling at dropping deep, playing with her back to goal, and linking play. Annabel Blanchard, the secondary striker, supports her, primarily by stretching the opposition by making runs in behind. She is also given the freedom to roam around the main striker and occupy available spaces. This freer role, combined with her technical abilities and strong finishing instincts, seems to work quite well for Palace, as she is currently the team’s top scorer.
The midfield comprises a holding midfielder, Lexi Potter, who combines robust ball-winning abilities with short-range playmaking. She is flanked by two central midfielders with complementary roles: My Cato, the more offensive option, focusing on late runs into the box and creative contributions, and Mille Geji, a more defensively inclined box-to-box midfielder. Both are tasked with covering significant ground, especially off the ball and during defensive transitions.
The wing-backs play a pivotal role in maintaining width and contributing in both phases. Indiah-Paige Riley, who typically occupies the right wing-back position, has a naturally more offensive approach than her counterpart Lily Woodham on the left. This often necessitates lateral shifts from the right-sided centre-back to cover the space she vacates.
Build Up
Crystal Palace’s approach to their initial build up is simple yet effective and well-suited to the players at their disposal. The most frequent tactic involves a long ball, either from the goalkeeper or a defender, directed towards Stengel, the striker. This solution is utilised significantly more by Kaminski's team compared to the rest of the league, as the data also highlights.
Stengel is highly skilled at holding up play with her back to goal and laying the ball off to her teammates. These layoffs are usually collected either by a central midfielder making a forward run to utilise their ball-carrying ability or by the secondary striker. This often sparks quick combinations between the two forwards, which has become one of the team’s strongest features in attacking play.
When opting to build from the back with the ball on the ground, Palace typically rely on one-two exchanges between the central midfielders and the wing-backs, allowing the latter to carry the ball forward. Alternatively, they attempt through balls from Potter, who looks to break the opponent’s second pressing line. The young midfielder, on loan from Chelsea, seems to be the only player in the squad capable of providing this kind of playmaking effectively.
Interestingly, even in matches where the team sets up with a back four—for example, in their game against Everton—the build up still operates in a 3+1 structure, shaping into something more reminiscent of a 3-4-3. In this setup, the right-back tucks into a centre-back role, the left-back pushes higher up the field, and the holding midfielder drops behind the first line of pressure to receive the ball and facilitate play.
Once the ball is brought forward, the team primarily looks for crosses from the wings, including early crosses and those from the byline. Alternatively, they aim for combinations around the edge of the area, with Cato excelling at making late runs into the box to find space and strike at goal unmarked.
Defensive structure
General characteristics
Out of possession, Crystal Palace drop the two wing-backs in-line with the defenders, forming a 5-3-2 shape, typically employing either a mid or low block depending on the opponent. This structure can also resemble a 5-3-1-1 when Stengel drops back to assist in defensive coverage, allowing Blanchard to stay higher, positioned on the shoulder of the opposition’s centre-backs to quickly attack the space in behind during transitions.
The team’s defensive approach focuses on controlling the centre of the pitch and funnelling the opposition wide, where they are less threatening. However, leaving opposing full-backs unchallenged is not an option. To counter this, the central midfielders are tasked with significant lateral movement, sliding across to help the wing-backs defend out wide. In these situations, the remaining central midfielder and the holding midfielder prioritise cutting off potential passing lanes back into the centre, maintaining the philosophy of forcing the opposition into wide areas. This approach either concedes the current flank or offers a difficult cross-field switch, which is harder to execute effectively.
When a back four is used, the 4-1-4-1 shape is maintained out of possession as well. In these cases, either Blanchard drops into the midfield line or she is replaced by a more dedicated wingback like Ashleigh Weerden, who is deployed as a left-sided midfielder.
Pressing
Crystal Palace employ a medium-intensity pressing strategy, adjusting their aggression based on the opponent and context. Against direct promotion rivals, especially at home, they commit four to five players to press higher up the pitch, whereas against stronger teams or in away matches, their press is more conservative and measured.
Blanchard serves as the primary trigger for the press, tasked with aggressively closing down the opposing centre-back or goalkeeper in possession. Stengel complements this by closing down the other centre-back once the ball is played across, cutting off the passing option down the middle. The overarching objective remains to force the opposition wide. To reinforce this, Cato is often assigned to press the opposition’s primary playmaker, applying aggressive pressure to deny them the opportunity to receive the ball.
When Palace adopt a more aggressive stance, the holding midfielder closely tracks the opposing attacking midfielder, while the wing-back steps up to challenge the full-back. In a more cautious setup, the holding midfielder stays anchored in front of the defence, and the central midfielder and forward adjust to cover the full-back and block central passing options.
When pressing with four to five players, it’s essential to either regain possession or disrupt the attack, even if it means conceding a throw-in or foul, particularly when the holding midfielder is involved. If the midfielder is pulled too far out of position it can leave the central area exposed, creating a 1v1 situation for each defender. This becomes especially risky against fast, mobile midfielders who can exploit the open space effectively.
Transitional play
In offensive transitions, the team adheres to its core principles, typically opting for two main approaches: a direct ball behind the opposition’s defensive line or targeting the central striker. As observed, the striker is not only a target during goal kicks but plays a central role throughout the game. The team frequently looks to her as a focal point, using her to facilitate progression, bring the midfielders into play, and enable quick passing sequences. In general, much like in their pressing phase, counterattacks also see around four to five players advancing—typically the two forwards, at least one central midfielder, and a wide player. However, it is not uncommon to see a more substantial commitment to supporting the attack.
In defensive transitions, the team rarely employs immediate, coordinated counter-pressing. Instead, the closest player to the ball carrier is typically responsible for either pressing quickly to regain possession or delaying play to allow teammates to regroup. Two critical areas of concern emerge in these situations. The first is the space between the wide centre-back and the wing-back—a common vulnerability in three-at-the-back systems. This issue becomes particularly pronounced if the wing-back’s defensive rotation is either untimely, as can happen throughout a match, or incomplete, failing to track their opponent all the way.
The second key area is the space between the defensive and midfield lines. Movements into this zone are especially dangerous when the holding midfielder is caught out of position due to the press, granting opponents extra time on the ball. To make it worse, unmarked runs between the lines often force the wide centre-back to step out to challenge the ball carrier, further exposing the critical space on the flank and creating goal-scoring threats. Unsurprisingly, these areas are frequently targeted by opposing teams.
Conclusions
Crystal Palace’s debut season in the WSL has been both challenging and revealing, reflecting the typical struggles of a newly promoted team. Under Kaminski’s leadership, the squad has shown tactical adaptability and moments of promise, combining a solid defensive structure with occasional offensive creativity. However, minimising individual errors and refining details in critical areas such as defensive transitions and pressing coordination will be vital for their survival. As the season progresses, Palace’s ability to convert competitive performances into consistent results will be crucial—not only for avoiding relegation but also for building a more stable and lasting presence in the WSL.