Anan Khalaily Leads Premier League in Tackles During Crystal Palace Debut
On August 28, 2026, Israeli footballer Anan Khalaily made his first start for Crystal Palace in a Premier League match against Manchester City. Despite the team trailing 0-1 at halftime due to an Erling Haaland goal, Khalaily impressed with his defensive performance, particularly in his matchup against Antoine Semenyo.
According to the statistics website Squawka, Khalaily completed seven successful tackles in the first half alone, the highest number recorded by any player in the entire Premier League opening round, including those who played the full 90 minutes. This made him the player with the most tackles in a single match so far this season.
English media and fan pages covering Crystal Palace praised Khalaily's performance. The podcast "Let's Talk Palace" described him as "brilliant in the first half, especially in defense against Semenyo," while the fan page "The Palace Way" called him "simply a really good player." Khalaily also contributed offensively with several forward runs down the right flank during the game.
His strong debut has garnered positive attention in England, highlighting his potential impact in the Premier League.
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