Roy Hodgson sings praises of Crystal Palace's Ebere Eze after star turn against Sheffield United

Eze set up Christian Benteke’s opener in just the second minute of the game, before rounding it off with a brilliant solo run and deflected finish late on.

Eze scored a similarly impressive solo goal against United in their defeat at Selhurst Park earlier in the season, although United’s defending on both occasions left a lot to be desired.

The former QPR man was a player Chris Wilder was interested in bringing to Bramall Lane before he eventually made the move across London to Palace, and Hodgson was delighted with his display.

“He was very, very good,” the former England manager said.

“He’s had a difficult period and it’s not always easy to get on the ball and show his silky skills, but that’s the quality he possesses and we constantly tell him we want to see it.

“Today, the team benefitted from that because he drove forward with the ball, he wasn’t looking to release it as soon as he got it and he got his reward with the assist and the goal.

“If you ask me are you happy with him, I’d say absolutely. He’s been brilliant. But it is his first season from the Championship and you expect people to need a bit of time in this league.”

Palace could easily have won by a greater margin, with Aaron Ramsdale again excelling between the posts for the relegated Blades, who are sleepwalking into the Championship with 11 defeats in their last 13 games.

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