12th Jan 2024 • Written by Henry Swain

Ademola Ola-Adebomi: Crystal Palace's 1%

Crystal Palace have seen many promising centre-forwards progress through the age groups in the academy setup; however, none have quite made it to the heights of the first team.

The likes of Rob Street, David Omilabu, and James Daly have all shone at academy level, but their careers to date have been limited to the lower leagues and below in the English football pyramid.

20-year-old Ademola Ola-Adebomi could be the player who breaks that trend and is part of Crystal Palace’s 1%.

Mola’s career so far

Playing at the club since the age of eight, the affectionately named ‘Mola’ has risen through the age groups season upon season. He came on as a substitute when the U15s won the club’s first National Super Floodlit Cup in 2019 and saw a breakthrough into the U18s at the back end of the 2020–21 season when he scored twice in seven appearances.

The 2021/22 season saw him become a core member of the U18s squad, signing his first professional contract in April 2022. “It’s what I’ve dreamed of since I joined the academy," he told Palace TV. “To get a professional contract here means the world to me.”

He finished that season with nineteen goals (in all competitions), earning himself a seat on the plane to Australia and Singapore for the club’s pre-season tour ahead of the 2022–23 campaign. He would remain with the U21s for that season, scoring ten goals, including a brace against rivals Brighton and Hove Albion.

This season, he has been in electric form. With twelve goals and two assists across nineteen games (in all competitions). Mola has earned a spot on the first-team bench on three separate occasions this season, twice in successive visits to Old Trafford in September as well as a trip to the Etihad.

He was also awarded the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award for November after his 26-minute hattrick in a thumping 7-1 victory over Leeds United.

Analysing Mola’s performances

Mola is an attacking fullback’s dream, as Danny Imray knows all too well. His aerial ability, paired with his physical presence, is something that has seen him quite literally stand out this season. At 6'4", Mola has developed into a clinical aerial threat, with six of his twelve goals this season scored with his head.

This success is not only down to his frame but, more specifically, his attacking movement and intelligence. On numerous occasions this season, he has shown the ability to read the flight of the ball or the intentions of his attacking teammates. This allows him to put himself in the most threatening areas of the box, giving himself the best chance of scoring. He drops off the backs of defenders in a style similar to Erling Haaland, giving himself space to get more purchase on his finishes.

He is developing into a perfect playmaking centre-forward. He excels at bringing the ball down and does so in a manner that means he can find fast passes out to the wingers either side of him. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this hold-up and interlinking play is the determination to get into the box and position himself for a scoring opportunity. He has a very quick turn of pace and uses this to make direct, driving runs into positive attacking positions.

His passing ability is another area of his game that he excels in, with the ability to spray long through balls with either foot and even the outside of his stronger left foot consistently. This style of centre-forward play has seen the likes of Harry Kane thrive in the Premier League, dropping into deeper spaces and dictating the attacking play.

This determination to be involved in attacking play has seen Mola demonstrate his aggressive edge, shrugging off challenges and attempting to keep the play moving even when he is fouled, a trait that demonstrates his positive, attacking mindset.

For a big player, it can sometimes be expected that a lack of finesse can come with the ball at his expense. Mola, however, has shown signs of having an incredibly delicate and poised presence on the ball. A player that could be likened to this is Alexander Isak of Newcastle. The Swedish forward uses his elite ball control to draw defenders in and skip past, creating chances for shots or passes, and Mola certainly shows signs of this in his play.

Finally, Mola thrives at set pieces, especially corner kicks, an attacking department that the first team has lacked threat in this season, failing to score from a staggering 98 corners this campaign. The young forward has been a threat from set pieces in the Academy this season, scoring twice from corners in his hattrick against Leeds. His height certainly gives him an advantage, but he also shows an instinct to find himself in goal-scoring positions when he doesn’t win the initial header. He has scored very simple tap-ins from set pieces this season, where he has positioned himself for the ball to meet him from either a deflection or a goalkeeper save. It is very hard to teach this level of attacking positioning and instinct, demonstrating Mola's elite mindset.

Can Mola make it at Palace?

The trajectory of Mola’s progression and his near-perfect transition to Under-21 football is certainly a positive sign, and if he can secure a good loan move this month, it will be one to keep an eye on. He has multiple traits that have seen forwards fare well in England’s top flight; his height, pace, technical ability, and finesse could well see him thrive at an EFL club, which will be vital for his experience and development.

It is important to take his age into account. At just 20 years old, he will be competing against senior players if he were to depart the club on loan. He has, however, shown that he is capable of this in the EFL Cup matches he has played this season. He scored against Stevenage in that competition, winning eight of his twelve aerial duels in that game, again suggesting that he is good enough to compete against a side that currently finds themselves seventh in League One.

Mola has got a lot of Palace fans excited, and that is more than justified considering the form he has been in this season. A loan move will allow him to continue his development, and if he can hit the ground running, the experience could see him make the next step towards the first team.

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