Maxence Lacroix was side by side with Mohammed Kudus as they chased down Lucas Paqueta's cross. Crystal Palace's midfield was bypassed by West Ham's fast attack. Their defense is exposed. But the race had only one winner.
After sprinting in front of Qudus, Lacroix timed his challenge perfectly, stopping West Ham's attack with an outstretched boot and hooking the ball into the path of fellow center Marco Guehi, eliminating the danger and turning defense into attack in one move.
The intervention was welcomed by the visiting fans at the London Stadium and highlighted the qualities that the summer signing brought to Palace. In addition to being one of the fastest center backs in the division, Lacroix excelled in one-on-one play.
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Kudus was just the latest opponent to discover this. Data from GeniusIQ shows that Lacroix has forced a turnover in almost 70 per cent of the one-on-ones he has faced this season, a success rate 12 per cent higher than any other Premier League player.
Lacroix forced a turnover on 69.4 percent of his one-on-ones
The 24-year-old has been modest but is proving one of the signings of the season, justifying the sale of Joachim Andersen to Fulham, a move that raised eyebrows, and playing a significant role in Palace's steady climb up the Premier League table.
Saturday's 2-0 win over West Ham made it three wins from four Premier League games. Go back further and they were down just two in 14 with Lacroix playing every minute. It's a far cry from the start of the campaign, when they went eight games without a win.
A deal that made financial sense for Palace – Lacroix is four years Andersen's junior and, at £21m, cost around £9m less than his predecessor's selling price – makes footballing sense too.
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Watch highlights from Crystal Palace's 2-0 win against West Ham
It helped, of course, that Lacroix arrived well versed in Oliver Glasner's methods having played for him at his previous club Wolfsburg, where they qualified for the Champions League together. “We had a good relationship,” Lacroix said of Glasner after their reunion.
But Glasner used a back four, rather than a back three, at Wolfsburg, with Lacroix also joining a squad in flux, Andersen's departure following that of Michael Olise to Bayern Munich.
He had to adapt and since then there have been more twists and turns. Trevoh Chalobah was recalled on loan by Chelsea, while Guehi continues to attract interest from the same club.
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Check out Lacroix's best moments for previous club Wolfsburg
In testing circumstances, Lacroix offered stability, establishing himself at the heart of Glasner's back three which was initially deployed in wide positions.
His cover pace was invaluable.
Tracking data shows that Lacroix has achieved one of the highest top speeds in the Premier League this season at 35.81km/h, which puts him 10th out of a total of 518 players and behind only Micky van de Ven and Emmanuel Agbadou among centre-backs.
Lacroix's explosiveness added security for those moments like the one against Kudus, when Palace threatened from behind. But he was also excellent in defending their box.
Lacroix made his second Premier League interception
His total of 36 tackles puts him second only to Fulham's Antonee Robinson this season, highlighting his ability to anticipate danger. It is also highly rated by approvals.
His defensive qualities made the difference.
In fact, since Lacroix moved into the center of their defense at the end of October and Guehi moved to the left, Palace have one of the best defensive records in the division, conceding just 17 goals in 14 games and keeping five clean sheets. Arsenal and Liverpool are the only teams that have allowed fewer shots on goal.
Palace's strong defensive positions since Lacroix moved into the middle of their back three
Andersen made a huge contribution to Palace, of course, making 112 appearances in three years at the club. But Lacroix proved to be a physical and athletic breakthrough, his speed and stature allowing him to dominate opponents.
He is also technically sound, helping Palace build from the back, combining with their midfielders and even replicating Andersen's eye for the long pass. His 50 per cent completion rate is actually higher than Andersen's for Fulham this season.
Lacroix is an asset in the opposing box, as well as his own. He scored for Guehi in a knockdown from a corner against Everton in September and scored himself with a header in a 2-2 draw against Manchester City in December.
He had a total of 15 shots, just one less than Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk and three less than Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhaes. He scored 1.58 expected goals from set pieces, which is 11th among all Premier League players this season. His dead-ball threat was also evident at Wolfsburg, where he scored four goals last term.
Glasner will be hoping for more of the same from Lacroix when Palace host Brentford, live Sky Sports on Sunday. But he has already shown his worth. Recent evidence suggests that Brentford's attackers, like West Ham, may find it difficult to find a way around him.
Watch Crystal Palace v Brentford live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 1pm on Sunday; beginning at 2 p.m