Eze Brace Makes It Three In A Row For Palace

Three games, two on the road, nine goals and nine points which you could argue justifies the decision to bring back Roy Hodgson to the club but whatever you may think, there is no doubting that this Palace side had this in them.

TIME/ DATE/ VENUE

• 3pm
• 15^th April 2023
• St Mary’s Stadium, Britannia Road, Southampton SO14 5FP

RESULT

Southampton 0-2 Crystal Palace

PLAYER RATINGS

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES – 18 James McARTHUR, 26 Chris RICHARDS, 44 Jairo RIEDEWALD, 63 Owen  GOODMAN

OPPOSITION LINE-UP

UNSED SUBSTITUTES – 1 Alex MCCARTHY, 6 Duje CALETA-CAR, 15 Romain PERRAUD, 18 Sekou MARA, 24 Mohamed ELYOUNOUSSI

TEB VERDICT

This was an away performance that did enough to secure a victory against a side really scrapping for their lives at the bottom of the table. The quality told in the end with a brace from Eberechi Eze who has had a new lease of life in Roy Hodgson’s return to the club.

It was certainly not on par with the result at Leeds last weekend but it is just as important and brings up the third win in a row and a perfect record for Hodgson on his second spell for the club. The players just appear to be enjoying their football again, and with a smile on their faces which is great to see.

In this form, with the fixtures to come, and with Chelsea just three points above the Eagles, we can start to look up rather than down.

BOB’S POINT OF VIEW

Bob White was a coach at Palace under the tenure of Steve Coppell and Alan Smith and will be sharing his point of view each week in our review article.

“After a patchy first half where although rarely troubled defensively, we struggled to pose any attacking questions of Southampton. However, as at Leeds the previous week, the second half was a different story. We quickly gained control of the game creating a number of goal scoring opportunities.

Our first goal by Eze from close range after 54 minutes was deserved reward for this early control and threat. This was then capped by a fine long strike finish by Eze again. Saints huffed and puffed for the majority of the game but rarely threatened. They look a team destined for the Championship. However that shouldn’t detract from a rejuvenated Palace team under the guidance of Hodgson.

We are a team which now has a definite tactical structure and where each player understands their respective role within this structure. Hodgson has instilled confidence into a team that were struggling to create and has allowed players like Eze and Olise the freedom and licence to perform to their undoubted strengths.

Three consecutive wins with 9 goals scored and only 2 conceded has brought us to the cusp of securing Premier League status for another year. One more win required to reach that important total of ten. From a team four weeks ago where ten wins and a potential 40 point total seemed a million miles away, we are now looking at a 40+ point finish.

All credit to Hodgson and his backroom staff plus of course to the players who all look to be enjoying their football again. It’s amazing what a few good wins can do for the morale of both players and supporters!

Finally from the game today my man of the match unarguably goes to Eze. He is an exceptional talent and one we should all enjoy see playing in the red and blue colours.”

POST GAME QUOTES

ROY HODGSON

“We were put under a lot of pressure in the first half and had problems establishing the control we wanted but that is all credit to Southampton. Their passing was good, their intensity was good and they have got a lot of fast players which stretched our back four and made them work hard to keep Southampton at bay.

“In the second half things changed quite drastically, we got our foot on the ball a lot more and Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Jordan Ayew got into the game. Once again, the back four did a sterling job.

“The more we work together and the more the players try to use the training sessions and the idea that we are trying to give them and become comfortable with that, once we get the shape and the structure right, we do have enough individual talent to stay in the league.

“We still haven’t done it yet but I’m a lot more comfortable on 36 points after 31 games than I would be had we not won these last three. It won’t be a question for us of taking life easy now, we’re going to be pushing on and making sure that we get to that magical 40 points as quickly as we possibly can and then that might be the time that I’m able to watch some of the games and enjoy our football rather than worry that we are going to make a mistake which is going to cost us the game.”

RUBEN SELLES

“It’s hurting already. We came here with the best of intentions to put in a good performance, I think we showed our personality in parts of the game, the way that we want to play and we didn’t get what we want so it is hard. Seven games to go and it is starting to be more difficult for us.

We didn’t change much at half-time but the game got slower for us and we were caught on the difference in the tempo and when we concede the goal, we were not able to come back into the game.

We are in a difficult situation, we have been in a difficult situation, we try our best, we try to compete. We compete in a lot of parts in the game and not getting any points today puts us in a difficult situation, nothing too different from before but just less games to play.”

MATCH STATISTICS

POSITION IN THE TABLE (at the final whistle)

UPCOMING FIXTURES

22/04/23 Everton (h) – Premier League (3pm)

25/04/23 Wolverhampton Wanderers (a) – Premier League (7.30pm)

29/04/23 West Ham United (h) – Premier League (12.30pm)