No Star, No Problem: The surprising rise of Palace, Brentford, and Bournemouth | OneFootball

It’s a familiar story in football: a team built around a single star watches him depart for a new chapter, leaving behind a void in the heart of the club. The fans brace for impact and are left questioning how their team will survive without the player who once carried the weight of their success. You can almost hear the panic in the stands.

But unexpectedly, instead of chaos, the team finds strength. Players rise to the occasion, and what seemed like an ending opens the door to a remarkable evolution. The space left by the departing star isn’t just filled, it’s transformed. New heroes emerge, a new identity takes shape, and the team not only survives, but flourishes in ways no one could have predicted.

Let’s look at three Premier League clubs that are fighting for a spot in Europe despite losing their biggest stars and are doing it in the most competitive league in the world.

Wilfried Zaha: Crystal Palace’s Transition

For fans of Crystal Palace and longtime Premier League watchers, Wilfried Zaha was more than just a star, he was Crystal Palace. A product of the club’s youth academy, Zaha had been with Palace since childhood, eventually becoming their talisman through thick and thin. His dribbling, power, finishing, and passion made Selhurst Park electric.

So when Zaha announced his departure for Galatasaray, fans and pundits alike were stunned. How could Palace recover from losing a player so deeply tied to the club’s identity?

Fast forward to 2025. A year later, the picture couldn’t be more different. Michael Olise developed into a superstar and earned a high-profile move to Bayern Munich. Eberechi Eze stepped up and is now a full England international. Jean-Philippe Mateta emerged as a reliable goal scorer, and Malcom Ebiowei and others are showing real promise.