ZAHA HAZ THAT SPECIAL TOUCH
Roy: Wilf can be as good as Eden
WILFRIED ZAHA can be as good as Eden Hazard or Alexis Sanchez if he wants.
That’s the view of boss Roy Hodgson after the Crystal Palace winger’s stunning two-goal performance at Selhurst Park.
The Eagles’ dramatic 3-2 victory leaves them six points clear of the drop zone after third-frombottom Southampton lost at home.
Now Hodgson (top right) reckoned Zaha, only recently back from a knee injury, has the same potential as Belgian master Hazard (bottom right).
“Wilf is very important to us,” he said. “I’m told it was the same last season when he really stepped up and helped the team survive. Now he’s doing the same and we can’t ask any more. For Wilf now the question is, with his best football years ahead of him, what is he going to do to get even better?
“His dribbling ability and ability on the ball has been very good for a long period of time now, so what steps can he take to get himself up there and be recognised like Alexis Sanchez was at Arsenal or Eden Hazard at Chelsea.
“I firmly believe with his qualities that he can take that step and become even better.”
Zaha’s performance against Brighton was so good that England boss Gareth Southgate must have been wondering why on earth he has slipped through the net. The winger did earn himself two England caps earlier in his career but opted to switch to the Ivory Coast when he was subsequently overlooked. Now former England boss Hodgson, who also praised Ruben LoftusCheek, admitted Zaha is the one that got away. He said: “I’d agree with that – and I’m partly responsible because I gave him his debut with England, and then he was at Man United and not playing and we didn’t follow up on it. “Wilf has been in superb form this season but of course he’s involved in a dogfight, so you only see the best of him when we’re playing for our lives every Saturday.”
Zaha’s contribution to Palace cannot be overestimated, however.
When he was fit earlier in the season the Eagles averaged 1.5 points a game – but they didn’t win a single match during his 10game spell on the sidelines.
Now he has returned and given his team a survival lifeline with four games to go, against Watford, Leicester, Stoke and West Brom.
Zaha said: “Just having the supporters behind us makes a massive difference. It was a crazy game that was end-to-end at times and I’m buzzing to just get the win.”