ROY HODGSON watched his star men ease the pressure on his Crystal Palace job before having them both snatched away.
Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise put on a masterclass at Selhurst Park to grab a first win of 2024 but both limped off before full-time.
Eze scored twice with assists from Olise before he got his own spectacular winner but good news never seems to last too long at Crystal Palace this season.
But the result is all that truly matters in games like this, especially when it had looked like it could have been curtains for Hodgson after Ben Brereton Diaz fired rock-bottom Sheffield United into the lead after just 20 seconds and James McAtee put them ahead once again after Eze’s first.
Earlier in the day a senior figure at Selhurst Park had conceded this was a “big night for Roy Hodgson” with the former England manager having been under increasing pressure of late.
The expectation was that defeat here would lead to the end of the 76-year-old’s managerial career.
But even before kick-off there was some solace for Hodgson.
Olise was back from injury, Jordan Ayew returned from international duty with Ghana and – crucially – there were new signings.
Daniel Munoz was paraded in front of the fans after signing a deal until 2027, while Adam Wharton was last night completing his move from Blackburn.
While all that will have filled the hosts with hope, Hodgson knows only too well how cruel football can be.
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Before many had taken their seats for this crucial contest, Palace were behind – cut apart from kick-off.
Without touching the ball the hosts were one down to a team which had not managed to score a goal inside the opening 30 minutes of a Premier League game this season.
And while Brereton Diaz supplied a fine finish, it all looked too easy.
The ball was clipped forward to Ollie McBurnie, who flicked it into Gustavo Hamer. The former Coventry man was allowed the time to craft a well-angled ball out to Brereton Diaz who collected, cut inside Chris Richards and picked out the far corner.
It was the last thing Hodgson needed.
While the veteran boss has not helped himself this season he has also been dealt a rough hand.
Palace have been without the talent of Olise and Eze for so much of this campaign. Any manager would struggle without those two in their side.
The hosts had put some pressure on after the early shock and, having found space on the edge of the box, Olise crafted the opening to equalise.
The Frenchman clipped a ball over the Blades’ back line where Eze leapt and prodded home with an outstretched leg.
Including last night the influential duo have only started four games together this season.
Because of that Palace have had to be tight at the back, but they were far from it in the first half.
Eze lost the ball cheaply in midfield while McBurnie shrugged off Will Hughes and Joachim Andersen with little trouble before finding McAtee, whose strike deflected off Marc Guehi and in.
While the back door was wide open at times, Eze and Olise were still fighting up top.
Olise rolled the ball into Eze’s feet, where he turned Vini Souza before bending a spectacular effort into the far corner with his supposedly weaker foot.
Things got a bit more difficult for the visitors when, shortly after the restart, January signing Ivo Grbic was very reluctantly forced off after a clash with Jean-Philippe Mateta, with Wes Foderingham replacing him in goal.
But the man recently relegated to second-choice keeper was sharp to stop Olise, keeping his effort out at the near post after a superb ball through from Jefferson Lerma.
Foderingham could do nothing about Olise’s next attempt. Having been set down the right by Eze’s quick feet, the No7 found Mateta.
The striker’s cross was blocked but the ball fell loose on the edge of the area where Olise arrived to caress a first-time finish into the bottom left.
But while the Palace fans were still celebrating, Olise was down calling for help and had to walk off after 68 minutes, with Eze joining him on the bench minutes later having needed treatment himself.
Things almost got worse when Anel Ahmedhodzic glanced a late header onto the bar. But Palace, and Hodgson, survived.
Here’s how the action unfolded at Selhurst Park…
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
