Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze did it all for Crystal Palace, giving Roy Hodgson a 3-2 victory (and a bit of comfort) over Sheffield United at Selhurst Park on Tuesday.
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The victory sends Crystal Palace (24 points) up to 14th in the Premier League table after arresting their recent slide which resulted in calls from fans for Hodgson to be fired and replaced. Sheffield United (10 points), meanwhile, remain bottom of the table, nine points adrift of safety with 16 games left to play.
Barely 20 seconds had ticked away before Sheffield United landed the first blow of a frantic, goal-filled first half in south London. The Blades took the opening kickoff, quickly played the ball out to the right win and sprung midfield creator Gustavo Hamer into space. Hamer found Ben Brereton Diaz on the left side, and the January loanee went to work. Brereton Diaz cut in from the left wing and tucked a one-bouncer inside the far post from the edge of the penalty to give him two goals in two games since joining the club.
Crystal Palace were level after 17 minutes, thanks to an increasingly familiar formula: Olise to Eze (and vice versa, occasionally). Olise clipped a brilliant cross with the outside of his foot, timed perfectly with Eze’s run into the six-yard box, but there was still oh so much to do to get the ball over the line. Eze leapt and somehow raised a foot high enough to send the ball back across goal and out of the goalkeeper’s reach.
Three minutes later, Sheffield United were back on top after James McAtee cut inside from the right wing and hit a deflected shot off a defender to beat Dean Henderson and put the Premier League’ lowest-scoring side (17 goals in 21 games) back on top.
The lead lasted all of seven minutes this time, before Olise found Eze again. It was a simple pass outside the box and Eze did most of the work with an unstoppably left-footed strike from 22 yards out. That’s five goals on the season for Eze, who was later forced off due to an apparent injury in the 78th minute.
2-2 was starting to look like it might hold until the final whistle, but Olise had one more trick up his sleeve before leaving with an apparent re-aggravation of the hamstring injury that kept him out the first four months of the season. Olise uncorked a left-footed screamer of his own from nearly the same spot as Eze, and placed in nearly the same spot past Ivo Grbic as well. Olise has now scored six goals and assisted three more in 10 appearances since making his 2023-24 debut in November.
Michael Olise stars for Crystal Palace. Subbed off injured. Rinse. Repeat.
Perhaps it was just cautionary (it certainly seemed less serious than the first time he re-aggravated the hamstring injury this season), but the pattern of Olise turning in a series of superstar performances before inevitably walking off the field with a hitch in his step, is becoming all too familiar for Crystal Palace fans. Heck, neutral fans who simply enjoy brilliant football are growing annoyed by it, too.
Now, Palace need to keep turning those performances into victories (Tuesday was just their second with Olise playing a part this season), as they have picked up 2W-2D-1L in his last five PL appearances (5 goals, 3 assists). Doing so will almost certainly be the difference between grinding their way to 16th or 17th, and comfortably finishing finishing 12th or 13th this season.
What’s next?
Palace will be back in Premier League action on Saturday (10 am ET, when they visit Brighton in the A23 derby. Sheffield United will continue their relegation fight against top-four contenders Aston Villa later on Saturday (12:30 pm ET).
Player ratings - Crystal Palace vs Sheffield United
Crystal Palace vs Sheffield United, final score: 3-2
Goalscorers: Ben Brereton Diaz (1'), Eberechi Eze (17', 27'), James McAtee (20'), Michael Olise (67')
1st minute - GOAL - Ben Brereton Diaz opens the scoring after 21 seconds
17th minute - GOAL - Michael Olise finds Eberechi Eze, who finishes brilliantly, with a brilliant ball
20th minute - James McAtee puts Sheffield United back ahead almost immediately
27th minute - GOAL - Eberechi Eze scores another stunner for 2-2
67th minute - GOAL - Michael Olise caps his brilliant performance with a brilliant winner
How to watch Crystal Palace vs Sheffield United, stream link, start time, odds
Kickoff: 3pm ET Tuesday
Odds: Palace (-160) vs Blades (+475) | Draw (+275)
TV Channel/Stream: Premier League on Peacock
Crystal Palace starting lineup
Henderson — Richards, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell — Lerma, Hughes, Eze — Olise, Mateta, Ayew
Sheffield United starting lineup
Grbic — Bogle, Admedhodzic, Robinson, Trusty — Souza, Slimane, Hamer — McAtee, Diaz, McBurnie
Focus on Crystal Palace
The absence of Cheick Doucoure’s a big one, and Palace have struggled to adapt without him. The Eagles have one win, three draws, and four losses since he exited the lineup.
Focus on Sheffield United
The loan of Ben Brereton Diaz from Villarreal provided a goal on his Premier League debut, and the longtime Championship high-flyer can be a big boost for the Blades’ attack.