Crystal Palace vs Sheffield United. Premier League.
Selhurst Park.
Report and highlights as first-half goals - from Jeff Schlupp and an excellent run and finish from Ebere Eze - help Crystal Palace get back to winning ways; Sheffield United stay in Premier League bottom spot after 15th defeat.
Saturday 2 January 2021 19:19, UK
Ebere Eze's sensational solo goal helped Crystal Palace ease past Sheffield United 2-0 as Chris Wilder's side made it a record-breaking 17 Premier League games without a win from the start of the season.
The visitors made the worst possible start when falling behind to Jeff Schlupp's deflected strike after just four minutes at Selhurst Park.
The hosts then doubled their lead thanks to Eze's individual effort in first-half stoppage time as the substitute beat three players after starting his run midway inside his own half, before finding the bottom corner.
As a result, Roy Hodgson's side moved up to 12th having ended their six-match winless run, while the visitors remained rooted to the foot of the table after extending their winless run to 20 matches in total.
Chris Wilder's team arrived in the capital seeking to avoid an unwanted Premier League record, but shorn of nine players, the visitors were never really in the contest.
It did not help matters that they fell behind so quickly and to a goal that had a large slice of fortune about it as Andros Townsend's raking pass released Wilfried Zaha down the left flank.
However, after the forward found Christian Benteke on the edge of the area, the Belgian's layoff was kindly deflected into Schlupp's path, before the winger's own shot also took a crucial nick on its way past Aaron Ramsdale.
But if that goal was slightly fortuitous in nature, there was nothing lucky about Palace's second in first-half injury time.
Eze, who had replaced the injured Schlupp five minutes before half-time, picked up possession midway inside his own half, before embarking on a mesmerising solo run that took him past three opponents, before coolly finding the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
That goal, just before the break, knocked the stuffing out of the visitors, who did not muster a strike on target in the second half until 16-year-old substitute Antwoine Hackford's late effort was blocked.
The Blades have become only the third side in top-flight history to go winless in their opening 17 matches of the season.
Roy Hodgson: "I have seen some very good goals recently but they have been against us so that has been the problem.
"It was nice to see one for us for a change because a lot of the goals we have conceded, in particular against West Ham and Liverpool, were incredible finishes."
Chris Wilder: "I am listening to the fourth official counting down when the ball was on the far side, counting down from 20 to 10 and that's it.
"He said 'that's it' about five times. When it went back to the centre-half, it was 'that's it' and as it worked its way into the middle of the park it was 'that's it, that's it'.
"For me he [Stuart Attwell] was never going to blow the whistle when the boy picked it up. They never do and I am clutching a little bit as you can imagine.
"Even at the end when we had a corner, it was up but he wanted the corner to be taken.
"I don't understand it but it was our naivety and our poor play in terms of not stopping that goal and a mountain to climb after that."
What an impact the 22-year-old made after coming on to replace the hamstrung Jeff Schlupp five minutes before the interval, scoring one of the goals of the season so far with one of his first involvements after entering the fray.
Yes, there will be questions asked about Sheffield United's defending, but the substitute still had huge amounts to do before scoring his second Premier League goal since joining Palace from QPR for £17m last summer.
And what is more, both those goals came from outside the box, with only Southampton's James Ward-Prowse having scored more from outside the box in the league this season.
Palace travel to Wolves in the FA Cup third round on Friday night (7.45pm), while Sheffield United visit Bristol Rovers in the cup next Saturday afternoon (3pm).
