CRYSTAL PALACE star Eberechi Eze scored a sensational solo goal from deep inside his own half in a 2-0 win against Sheffield United on Saturday.
The £16million summer signing from QPR sliced the Blades apart as he dribbled past numerous opponents before cooly slotting the ball home from outside the box five minutes into first-half injury time.
Eberechi Eze scored a stunning goal for Crystal Palace against Sheffield UnitedCredit: AFP
The £16m signing from QPR ran almost the entire pitch before firing home from outside the boxCredit: AFP
Eze had only been on the pitch for ten minutes as a sub for the injured Jefrrey Schlupp but picked up the pace of the game straight away.
Collecting the ball in his own half, he spun away from the challenge of Ollie Norwood and simply kept going all the way until stroking his shot into the far corner.
It was a peach of a goal from a player who is proving to be one of the bargain buys of the season.
Eze, 22, now has two goals in 14 Premier League games under Roy Hodgson.
And combined with Schlupp’s fourth minute opener, his strike today saw Palace rise to 12th in the table.
But Sheffield United are plumbing new depths as they continue to hurtle towards the Championship at breakneck speed.
The abominable Blades became the first team in Premier League history to go 17 games from the start of the season without a win.
And the way things are going for Chris Wilder’s team it is not beyond the realms of possibility that they could be relegated without registering a single victory.
Jeffrey Schlupp opened the scoring after just four minutes at Selhurst ParkCredit: AP:Associated Press
Schlupp was then forced off injured in the 40th minuteCredit: Jamie McPhilimey – The Sun
There is absolutely no doubt that they are going down. It is now simply a matter of how much pride they can salvage before waving goodbye to the top flight.
And as hard as United’s players are trying for their manager, it is clear that heads are now starting to drop after months of unremitting misery.
The visitors travelled south with nine players missing due to a combination of suspension, injuries and positive Covid tests.
It meant Wilder was only able to name six subs, including 16-year-old striker Antwoine Hackford.
Eze was only on the pitch for ten minutes before his wonder strikeCredit: AP:Associated Press
Eze is beginning to look like the bargain signing of the summerCredit: Free to use by all titles in perpetuity under NMC agreement
No wonder he is so vehemently opposed to allowing the Premier League’s big boys the luxury of using five replacement players per game.
Without a win of any description since July 11 and 11 points adrift of 17th place, Wilder knew his team were already in need of the greatest comeback since Lazarus.
At least he could draw a slight crumb of comfort from the knowledge that his team’s last win on the road had come against Palace, even if it was all the way back on February 1st.
But that was long before coronavirus even became an issue for football and pretty much nothing has gone right for the Blades since then.
It was a bad night for Chris Wilder and his men, who are still without a winCredit: AP:Associated Press
The Blades are edging ever closer to relegation after picking up just two pointsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
And even with so many of his players unavailable, Wilder was still unable to find a place in his starting line-up for £23.5million record signing Rhian Brewster.
The former Liverpool striker has yet to score for his new club so his absence from the team was hardly surprising given that they have lost so many games by a single goal this season.
And it was that lack of attacking presence which once again dragged them down as they were unable to apply pressure to a Palace team who weren’t exactly in the best of form themselves coming into this game.
If only Wilder had someone of Eze’s quality to lift his spirits.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
