Eberechi Eze's Goal Lifts Palace Past Southampton

Eberechi Eze’s decisive goal helped Crystal Palace come from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Southampton, moving them six points clear of the relegation zone. Tyler Dibling gave Southampton an early lead in the 14th minute, tapping in Kyle Walker-Peters’ cross after Adam Armstrong’s flick. Palace equalized 16 minutes later when Trevoh Chalobah headed in Will Hughes’ corner, despite Southampton protests over an alleged foul on goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale which VAR dismissed.

Crystal Palace dominated the second half, and Eze scored the winner shortly after the break, drilling Munoz’s deflected cross into the bottom corner. Earlier, Munoz had missed a golden chance, hitting Walker-Peters with his shot from close range. Ismaila Sarr and Jefferson Lerma also came close for Palace in the first half but were denied by Ramsdale. The win moves Palace to 15th place and extends their strong form having lost just once in their past eight league matches.

Manager Oliver Glasner has found stability after early-season struggles attributed to late summer signings and key players returning late from international duty. With Eberechi Eze stepping up to fill the void left by Michael Olise’s departure, Palace hope his first league goal since September signals a return to form. They next face Chelsea and aim to continue their climb up the table.

For Southampton, the defeat adds to their woes under new boss Ivan Juric. Despite taking the lead and showing promise in their organized 3-4-2-1 formation, the Saints failed to capitalize and remain stuck in the relegation zone. With just one win all season, Southampton must quickly start collecting points to avoid further trouble. Juric’s side will need to build on their glimpses of intensity and creativity if they hope to turn their season around.