Eberechi Eze, the sublime playmaker of Crystal Palace, was trending. …so much so that he became the surprise inclusion in the starting line-up away to Chelsea on the opening weekend of the Premier League! The contest at Stamford Bridge finished a scoreless 0-0 tie. In spite of seeing a goal controversially disallowed after a VAR check for an odd law, Eze stole the show with a magical display. Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace’s manager, confirmed that Eze’s £68 million release clause has now expired, quelling speculation regarding his future.
Eze’s contributions were pivotal during Crystal Palace’s record-breaking season last year, marking the best performance in the club’s history. His high levels of training during the week set a demanding standard for his performance against Chelsea. Glasner lauded his prowess saying, “He was chosen because he’s a Crystal Palace player and he’s a very good Crystal Palace player. He trained the entire week so there was no reason not to select him.”
Tottenham Hotspur still have a very keen eye on Eze, placing him on their list of top summer targets. Glasner insisted that Eze’s benching had nothing to do with any transfer speculation. Perhaps most importantly, he said, “Don’t take everything at face value. Don’t kid yourself, particularly what you read on the internet.”
Glasner continued to explain what kind of rumors you might find with their players. “And here it’s the same, who tells you? Who knows that this is the truth, what is written? There are rumours and so many rumours, and everybody tells somebody something for their own advantage, maybe,” he remarked. This all further highlights the need to dig into what really matters — the performance of the players — instead of indulging in clickbait narratives.
Eze is due back at Crystal Palace’s training ground on Monday to begin recovery from the Chelsea match. Glasner made it clear that he does not want to lose Eze and is looking forward to using him in the SEC’s play-off against Norwegian club Fredrikstad. The opening leg of this all-important playoff match gets underway on Thursday evening. Eze will take off this upcoming Tuesday as a day of rest, then return to his teammates and practices on Wednesday.
“Eberechi’s availability for the match against Fredrikstad is confirmed,” Glasner noted, reinforcing confidence in Eze’s readiness to contribute to the team’s efforts in the tournament.
As Crystal Palace gets ready to welcome Fredrikstad, hope will be high that Eze’s contribution is just as bright. His dynamic play and strategic prowess are expected to be instrumental as the team aims to advance in the competition.
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