In Focus: Electric Eze the key to Palace progress

With three goals and three assists in 16 league appearances, Eberechi Eze is once again proving to be a crucial cog in Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace side.

The 24-year-old joined the club in 2020 and has now established himself as a regular starter at Selhurst Park after some initial struggles.

Although the Eagles have only scored 17 goals in the 2022-23 campaign, Eze has been at the heart of Palace's most promising passages and will need to be on top form once again tonight when they host London rivals Tottenham.

Ahead of that clash, we turn the spotlight on the attacking midfielder. 

Excitement assured

Palace boast flair and pace in their attack and the trio of Eze, Wilfried Zaha and Michael Olise will always offer entertainment — even if it does not always lead to three points.

England Under-21s international Eze broke through at QPR, scoring 20 times and tallying 11 assists in 112 appearances for the Hoops.

Since switching to South London, the midfield maestro has 18 goal contributions in 70 appearances but was hindered by injury in his first campaign, missing 162 days with an Achilles issue.

Now back to his best, the No10 scored a magnificent goal in the 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Saturday as Palace earned their sixth win of the season.

A clever corner was worked to the edge of the box and Eze did not hesitate in rifling home a first-time shot past Mark Travers to seal all three points.

Capable of scoring from distance or running at players, the Greenwich-born playmaker is sure to be a handful for Antonio Conte's side this evening.

Better in the middle

Vieira has utilised Eze in a number of different positions but his performance on New Year's Eve suggested that he would thrive in a more central berth.

Of his 16 Premier League appearances this season, the midfielder has started as a left-winger five times, centrally six times and in a more attacking role five times.

This might suggest that the head coach may not know where Eze's best position is but it is actually more a testament to his versatility and flexibility. 

Regardless, he often drifts across the pitch and is given free rein by the former Arsenal invincible to get on the ball and make things happen.

Eze's freedom is a key contributor to his success in the final third — he has created five big chances in the Premier League this season, ranking him inside the division's top 15.

Furthermore, his set-piece expertise means he can also whip in a dangerous corner or a lethal shot from a free-kick.

Fearless in attack

Eze's direct nature and fearless playing style leaves many defenders on their heels when he picks up the ball and it will be no different when Spurs visit Selhurst Park.

Only Gabriel Martinelli and Marcus Tavernier have completed more than the Palace star's 28 take-ons this term, while Eze boasts a success rate of 63%.

Furthermore, the former Arsenal youth product sits in the top 15 for chances (28) and big chances created (five), suggesting that his skillset extends beyond brilliant dribbling.

Averaging 2.18 shots and 1.97 chances created per 90 minutes, the former Wycombe wizard is proving he is worth every penny of the £16million fee paid by the Eagles.

Often combining with Zaha, Eze will provide a significant threat for the likes of Matt Doherty, Cristian Romero and Clement Lenglet of Spurs, who are not known for their pace. 

Should the hosts take an early lead, the creative outlet will find more time and space in the opposition half and is more likely to thrive on the counter-attack.

Focus on improving 

Eze was understandably left out of the England squad that failed to bring football home this winter.

He is yet to make his senior debut for the Three Lions but was included in the preliminary squad for the tournament in Qatar.

Speaking during the break, Eze said: "I just want to play my football and focus on being the best player that I can be, contribute to my team and that's where I'm at right now.

"It's something I'm working towards. I want to perform and play at the big tournaments."

On Palace's season so far, he added: "It's been a positive start. We've played well in the majority of the games though sometimes we haven't got the results we deserved.

"We want to improve on our performances and pick up results in those games where we have outplayed the opposition."

Eze will be looking to add to his six direct goal contributions against Spurs, who have conceded first in each of their last 10 Premier League games.