Ebere urged to make it far from Eze for rival defenders
CRYSTAL PALACE 2 SHEFF UTD 0
EBERE EZE has been hailed as a “nightmare” for defenders facing Crystal Palace.
The £ 19.5million summer buy from QPR netted his first Premier League goal with a stunning free- kick against Leeds in November. And his Goal of the Season contender against Sheffield United, the super- sub gliding from deep in his own half before slotting home, saw the 22- year- old compared to Thierry Henry.
“Ebere is a lad with so much ability,” said Palace defender James Tomkins.
“I said to him after he scored, ‘ That is what you have to do to defenders – run at them at pace’. He asks me, ‘ What things don’t you like?’.
When someone runs at that pace with that skill, he is a nightmare to handle.”
Eagles team- mate Wilfried Zaha, who deleted two posts on social media on Saturday night slamming “haters”, is playing with the drive and passion that was missing last season as he seeks a transfer.
Roy Hodgson insisted Eze’s signing was not to replace the Ivory Coast winger although Zaha would have been proud of the youngster’s strike after Jeffrey Schlupp had opened the scoring.
“They’re both so very good on the ball,” said the Palace boss. “Their ability to change pace and eliminate an opponent – they share that.
“Both have the strength and power that when they’ve eliminated their opponent, they can keep on the ball, they can keep going.” Tomkins also said that every team is now striving to avoid suffering the first defeat at Sheffield United’s hands this season
“We knew it was going to be a bit of a battle – they are fighting for their lives,” said the Palace defender.
“They wanted their first win on the board and we didn’t want it to be against us.”