The return of Premier League football this week hasn't been too kind to Crystal Palace, nor too enjoyable for their fans.
New boss Oliver Glasner has taken just a single point from two winnable games against Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth, but with eight points separating his team from 18th-place Luton Town, it's not time to panic.
The Austrian hasn't had enough time to establish his offensive style of play with the team, although the last two months will have given him an idea of the players who have a future at Selhurst Park, with Eberechi Eze high on that list.
Eberechi Eze's performances this season
It's been an interesting season for Eze this year.
He has had some tremendous performances, such as the game against Sheffield United in January, when he scored a brace. However, the Greenwich-born ace has only just returned from more than a month on the sidelines due to an injury, which has understandably disrupted his momentum somewhat.
That said, it's still been a largely successful season for the former Queens Park Rangers ace, as he has scored six goals and provided four assists in just 24 appearances, meaning he is averaging a goal involvement every 2.4 games, which is a significant improvement from his average of a goal involvement every 2.8 games last season.
Season
2022/23
2023/24
Appearances
40
24
Goals
10
6
Assists
4
4
Goal Involvements per Match
0.35
0.41
Moreover, even though he hasn't been at his best over the last two games, he still picked up an assist against Forest and against the Cherries, the 25-year-old put in a passable performance, playing two key passes, winning 50% of his duels and earning a 6/10 from Sky Sports' Laura Hunter for his efforts.
In all, while the last couple of games haven't shown the mercurial midfielder at his best, they have clearly demonstrated that even a subpar Eze is good enough to lead the Eagles forward under Glasner.
As such, the 5 foot 10 star should have a bright future under the former Eintracht Frankfurt boss, and so should his younger compatriot.
Why Adam Wharton has become undroppable
Yes, it's fellow Englishman Adam Wharton who has also quickly established himself as one of the most critical players in this Palace side, despite only arriving at the club in early February for around £22m.
The former Blackburn Rovers ace didn't have the best of introductions to the team either, making his debut for an injured Marc Guehi against Brighton & Hove Albion, only to lose 4-1 before then losing 3-1 to Chelsea in his first start the following game.
That said, in the six games he has started since, the South Londoners have lost just twice, won once, and picked up three draws. While that's not spectacular, it is a significant improvement on their form beforehand.
Minutes
80'
Touches
47
Key Passes
2
Expected Assists
0.31
Long Balls (Completed)
5 (5)
Big Chances Created
1
Duels (Won)
7 (4)
Tackles
2
Clearances
1
The "complete midfielder", as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, was imposing against Forest on the weekend, taking 47 touches, making two key passes, completing all five of his long balls, creating one big chance, winning four of his seven duels and making two tackles.
Last night, the 20-year-old put in another impressive performance, although it was his defensive contributions that caught the eye. In his 86 minutes of action, he made one clearance, two interceptions, and two tackles and earned a 7/10 from Sky Sports' Hunter.
Minutes
86'
Clearances
1
Interceptions
2
Tackles
2
Ground Duels (Won)
8 (4)
Ultimately, while there is sure to be plenty of change to Palace's squad over the coming years with Glasner at the helm, Wharton and Eze can play with the confidence that their places in the starting lineup are all but assured.
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