EBERECHI Eze’s return to the Crystal Palace starting XI against Everton was certainly a memorable one, even if the final result didn’t do his display justice.
The England international caused the Toffees’ defence all sorts of problems, particularly in the first-half when he won and scored a penalty and was then cautioned for diving despite a second spot-kick award looking the more likely outcome.
It was the visitors who struck first in an entertaining encounter, Vitali Mykolenko heading home Jack Harrison’s delivery with just 55 seconds on the clock.
Eze’s trickery drew a foul from Jarrad Branthwaite and the Palace attacker, making his first start since late September, coolly slotted in the fifth minute penalty before Jordan Pickford could even move.
There was controversy when Eze and Branthwaite again tangled in the box, although this time referee Sam Barrott brandished a yellow card to Palace’s star man.
Everton took the lead once more four minutes after the interval with Abdoulaye Dacoure perfectly placed to convert after Mykolenko’s volley had cannoned back off the post.
Palace continued to press and were deservedly back on terms on 73 minutes when Odsonne Edouard took full advantage of confusion between Pickford and James Tarkowski to slot home.
But all the good work was undone four minutes from time as Idrissa Gueye struck the winning goal for the Toffees, with Eze admitting his frustration afterwards.
He said: “We did more than enough to win, so it’s disappointing.
“I want to win games, so I’m gutted we couldn’t do enough to get over the line.
“We conceded three goals but we could have scored many more.”
Eze was also convinced the second penalty claim should have been given by man in the middle Barrott and VAR, which checked the incident but decided the ref’s original call was the correct one.
He added: “I thought it was a pen. I think it is one of those games where, if the referee makes a decision a different way, you don’t know how it can go.
“But it is difficult to take. We will go again.
“It (the 2-3 defeat) is not something to beat ourselves up about. We will be focusing on the next game that is coming.”
Roy Hodgson also questioned the decision to not give that penalty and the caution which followed for his player.
The Eagles manager said: “I do know Eze and I know that when he gets in those situations, he has got a chance to either create a goal chance or score a goal chance, it doesn’t go through his head to throw himself down in the hope of getting a penalty.
“To get a yellow card I didn’t think was right because it suggests that he is a cheat, which he absolutely is not.”
Defeat going into the latest international break means Palace have now collected just five of their 15 points tally in SE25, something Hodgson is determined to put right going into a busy December which sees them play at Selhurst four times.
“Our home form is very poor,” the boss acknowledged.
“We’ve had one win in our first six matches at home and that’s not good enough.
“You can’t only rely on good away wins to get the points you need, so I’ve told the players what we have to do about it – and I’m sure we will.
“It’s a bad day, as I’ve seen the team lose.
“But I find that hard to accept. I don’t think we should have fallen to that defeat.”
