Football Dreams: The Academy follows a group of eight-to-18-year-olds at club’s Academy. The series shows a range of real and raw stories of a cast of boys and their families, from a variety of backgrounds, who all dream of making the Crystal Palace first-team.

Football Dreams: The Academy

## South London and Proud ##
> Born in Greenwich, south London, Eberechi Eze joined Palace in summer 2020 as a landmark signing and instantly proved his worth in the Premier League.

Eberechi Eze signed a five-year contract with Crystal Palace F.C. in August 2020, becoming the club’s second arrival of the summer transfer window.

South London born Eze rose through the ranks at Queens Park Rangers after joining them in 2016. An FA Cup debut followed in January 2017 and later that year, Eze made 22 appearances in a half-season loan to Wycombe Wanderers.

Then still a teenager, the attack-minded youngster played a key role in the Chairboys’ promotion to League One that season, scoring five goals - including a brace against Cambridge United.

On his return to QPR, Eze established himself as a regular first-team player, being awarded the No.10 shirt and a three-year contract in 2018. He left the Hoops with 20 goals from 112 senior games, collecting Supporters’ Player of the Season, Players’ Player of the Season and Junior Hoops Player of the Season for 19/20 as well as being shortlisted for PFA Player of the Year.

Internationally, Eze has represented England at both Under-20 and Under-21 level, and was named in the U21 squad the same week he signed for Palace.

He made his Palace debut as an 81st-minute substitute against Southampton and scored his first goal for the Eagles shortly after, netting a Goal of the Month free-kick v Leeds United.

Another sensational strike - this time against Sheffield United - earned Eze the club's Goal of the Season award for 2020/21. He finished the 20/21 campaign with six goals and four assists in 35 games.

The midfielder received a call from the England first-team, after his performances in 20/21, however he unfortunately suffered an Achillies injury two matches before the end of the season which kept him sidelined for over six months.

Injury meant that the majority of 2021/22 was spent in recovery for Eze, however he returned in the latter part of campaign and was back up to full strength for the run-in. His only goal of 21/22 came in a 2-1 win away at Southampton - a well taken finish.

Eze featured in all 38 Premier League games in 2022/23 and really came into his own after the World Cup break. He finished the season with 10 goals and four assists to his name.

He signed a new three-and-a-half year deal in November 2023, extending his stay in SE25 until 2027.

QPR 2019/20

Supporters' Player of the Season

2019/20 Championship 

PFA Team of the Season 

Players’ Player of the Season

Junior Hoops Player of the Season

November 2020, January 2021, October 2022, April 2023

Crystal Palace Player of the Month

October 2022 v Leeds United

Crystal Palace Goal of the Month

Crystal Palace, 2020/21 (v Sheffield United)

Goal of the Season

Twitter

Instagram

Appearances

Goals

Every Touch: Eze v Everton

Eze's reaction to home loss

Olise & Eze back in action | CCTV

Behind the Scenes: Eze signs new deal

Eze x Bright & Wright

FOOTBALL FOCUS: Honest Cards with Ebs & Marc

Ebs reacts to a great home victory

Go pitchside at Palace v Sevilla

Eze speaks after stunner vs Sevilla

The Full 90: Crystal Palace v Sevilla | Palace TV+

Extended Highlights: Crystal Palace 1-1 Sevilla | Palace TV+

Match Action: Crystal Palace 1-1 Sevilla

Detroit fans show their love for Palace at open training

Palace players coached by Detroit Lions

The Full 90: Crawley Town 0-4 Crystal Palace | PalaceTV+

Goals Inside Box

Goals Outside Box

Right Foot

Left Foot

Shots

Shots on target

Hit woodwork

Penalties taken

Penalties scored

Touches

Touches in opposition box

Aerial duels

Aerial duels won

Interceptions

Blocks

Recoveries

Tackles won

Duels won

Clearances

Minutes

Attempted passes

Successful passes

Chances created

Crosses

Yellow cards

Red cards

Fouls won

Fouls Conceded

Season

Games

### **Summary**:

- Three changes for Palace as Eze, Doucouré and Schlupp all unavailable
- Edouard volleys wide from well-worked set-piece
- Kudus sidefoots West Ham into the lead moments later
- Bowen volleys at Johnstone under pressure from Guéhi
- Andersen’s deflected free-kick spins narrowly wide
- **HT: West Ham 1-0 Palace**
- Souček effort disallowed for offside
- Edouard sees close-range header deflect behind
- Frenchman intercepts to pull Palace level moments later
- Emerson volleys over for the hosts from clipped Paquetá pass
- Two teams struggle for control in slow final quarter
- Bowen heads at Johnstone deep into injury-time and Ward blocks from Fornals
- **FT: West Ham 1-1 Palace**

Palace were forced into three changes for their trip to London Stadium, with Ebere Eze and Cheick Doucouré having both been sidelined following injuries last weekend and Jeffrey Schlupp absent due to personal reasons.

Those restrictions saw Roy Hodgson line up with Chris Richards in defensive midfield, Will Hughes and Jordan Ayew also returning to the starting XI.

With West Ham involved in European competition in midweek and Palace coming off the back of a difficult run of form, it was a slow start from both sides in east London, with set-pieces proving most opportune for two teams armed with quality deliverers.

Indeed, the clearest chance of the opening stages fell to Palace’s top scorer Odsonne Edouard, who was unfortunately leaning back to wrap his foot around Joachim Andersen’s header back across goal – and could not direct his finish between the posts.

Palace were made to pay for that profligacy moments later when West Ham’s best player of the day, summer signing Mohammed Kudus, started and finished a sweeping move; James Ward-Prowse’s diagonal ball allowed Vladimir Coufal to cross low towards the penalty spot, and Kudus side-footed into the bottom corner from 12 yards out.

While the Eagles responded with a number of promising attacks, it was a final ball they generally lacked in the first-half, with Jarrod Bowen next to go close for West Ham as he attempted to lob Sam Johnstone from a long ball forwards, only to volley straight into his gloves.

The closest Palace came in the opening 45 minutes was again from a set-piece, albeit from an unlikely source: when Ayew won a free-kick 30 yards from goal, it was Andersen who stepped up to take it. His effort clipped the top of the ball and, with goalkeeper Alphonse Areola left flat-footed, spun agonisingly wide of the far post.

A disjointed first-half paved way for a more entertaining second in east London – but it almost started poorly for the Eagles when Tomás Souček swept in Kudus’ in-swinging cross, albeit from a blatantly offside position, as VAR then confirmed.

What followed was Palace’s best five-minute spell of the game, a series of attacks putting the West Ham goalmouth under real pressure.

First, a deep free-kick from Michael Olise was volleyed back across goal from Guéhi and Edouard stooped to seemingly inevitably head into the unguarded net – only for his effort to somehow clear the far post by virtue of a deflection off the covering Ward-Prowse.

He was not to be denied, and when only a half-chance arose moments later, the forward took it brilliantly, intercepting Konstantinos Mavropanos’ loose pass 30 yards from goal.

Driving into the box, he switched back onto his left foot before squeezing a rolling finish between Edson Alvarez, Alphonse Areola and the bottom-right corner, the Frenchman’s seventh goal in 13 games this season.

While Palace looked threatening on the break, West Ham began to control possession more as the half wore on; left-back Emerson ought to have scored from Lucas Paquetá’s impressive clipped pass, but blazed over with the goal at his mercy.

There was little to choose between the two teams as the match entered its final quarter, both teams struggling to create against their opponents’ well-drilled defences.

The best opportunities perhaps went to the hosts as the game entered six minutes of injury-time, but key interventions from Richards to block from Coufal; Johnstone to save Bowen’s close-range header; and Ward to deny Pablo Fornals with the last kick of the game; all amounted to secure the Eagles a valuable point on the road.

**West Ham:** Areola (GK), Coufal, Mavropanos, Aguerd, Emerson, Ward-Prowse, Álvarez (Fornals, 88), Souček, Paquetá, Kudus, Bowen

Subs: Fabianski (GK), Cresswell, Ogbonna, Kehrer, Cornet, Benrahma, Ings, Mubama

**Palace:** Johnstone (GK), Ward, Andersen, Guéhi, Richards, Mitchell, Lerma, Hughes (Riedewald, 83), Olise, Edouard (Mateta, 87), Ayew

Subs: Matthews (GK), Whitworth (GK), Tomkins, Clyne, França, Ebiowei, Ahamada

#### As It Happened

Odsonne Edouard’s well-taken second-half goal secured a valuable point, and made it five straight matches unbeaten for Crystal Palace at London Stadium, against West Ham United. 

Report: Edouard strike secures Palace point at West Ham

West Ham United v Crystal Palace (2023-12-03)

Crystal Palace

Premier League

West Ham United

Last Match

Bournemouth

Next Match

Festive Season Offers

The Crystal Palace manager said: “I thought that for a large period of the game, I was quite pleased with the way we were playing, both defending and attacking. It was certainly an even game in that period of time, especially right at the very beginning – we started extremely well.

“Then, we had to go through the anxious moments of the final five minutes of normal and additional time. That’s understandable, because we’ve just lost two games with late goals, games where we felt we gave away the point we’d earned.

“We were playing against a crossing team, so I could have done without that ten minutes which I thought was when West Ham were at their most dangerous, but I also think the team showed a lot of resilience. I could understand the anxiety.

“It was more important we come away with a point today, because had we lost this game with another late goal, it would have had massive consequences for the team's confidence and feeling about themselves. But if we think back to the way we played for the whole of the 90 minutes, I think we could be pretty satisfied with the point we've taken here today.

“I thought our first-half performance was quite good. I thought we were organised, I thought the players were in their right positions, I thought that we moved the ball around quite well.

“Maybe in the second-half we went a little bit too direct at times, trying to make things happen that bit too quickly in terms of our attacking play, but putting the two bits together…

“In the second-half, there was the resilience, a fighting spirit, a passion. In the first-half I thought there was a little bit more composure in our game, but put the two together, it’s got us a point here today - a point which is never easy to get."

Post-Match Press Conference: West Ham (a)

The manager also offered an update on the fitness status of Ebere Eze, who had a scan on an ankle injury on Friday.

Hodgson said: “I’m afraid the update is a little bit up in the air, because Eze is seemingly of the opinion that he’s going to get over this injury very quickly… whereas the medical staff think he's going to be out for a period of time. I know what I want, but I don’t know what I'm going to get.

“I think he’s going to attempt to train with us over the next couple of days, which is great. That's extremely positive, but I don’t know how optimistic I can be. The medical people are telling me the injury is such that it will take a longer period of time to recover from.”

Hodgson was pleased with the performance of Chris Richards in midfield, the defender having come into an unfamiliar position after the late withdrawal of Jeffrey Schlupp due to personal reasons.

“I thought he did well,” the manager confirmed. “He found out very late. We’ve been preparing all week to play against West Ham with a certain formation in mind and a certain way of playing and attacking, but it had to change at the very last minute when we lost Jeff Schlupp overnight.

“That was a blow for the team to have to come terms with, but the decision was Chris should go in there. We thought that was the best way to help us get a result, and he must be very pleased with his performance as a central midfield player, albeit that he is, by trade, more of a centre-half.”

The manager was also happy with Odsonne Edouard’s goal-scoring display, the Frenchman matching his previous season-best of seven goals in a Crystal Palace shirt.

Hodgson noted: “I thought for large periods again he did well. He linked things together for us in that spell when we were passing the ball quite nicely. We were looking to be on a par with our opponents, who are above us in the table and doing so well in Europe.

“During that period of time he did well. He took his goal well – it was a bit of a gift, but then the goal they scored wasn’t exactly one of our better moments. We felt that was a little bit soft from our side as well.

“I still think he \[Edouard\] has got more in his locker than we’re able to get out at the moment. It’s improving. It’s not for wont of trying, but I think he does have a lot of technical ability.

“He’s a good athlete, so really and truly we should get more out of him than we’re getting, but maybe that will also be helped when players of the quality of Eze and \[Michael\] Olise get up and running. 

"Maybe the service to him will be that little bit better and he’ll get more opportunities to combine.”

Roy Hodgson was pleased with the characteristics of his side’s display at London Stadium in the 1-1 draw with West Ham United.

Hodgson on Palace's character, Edouard, Richards & Eze

After back-to-back late defeats against Everton and Luton Town, Odsonne Edouard’s well-taken second-half goal – plus a committed and diligent defensive display – helped Palace claim a point in east London.

Guéhi told Sky Sports: “We’ve stopped the bleeding. When you go on a run of successive losses, just a point is massive in this league.

“There are so many good teams, and it’s quite competitive around us. Today was a good point, and it’s important that we move on and build on this.

“For us, we dropped six points in the last couple of games. Performances… you feel like you play well, and you don’t get enough out of the game. We know in the Premier League that’s not enough, so when the manager is saying it’s important that the performance is there and the attitude is there, it’s key. You’ve seen that today.”

Marc Guehi on a point at the London Stadium

Guéhi explained that Palace’s approach has been about remaining calm and composed, rather than panicking in the face of recent defeats.

He added: “Since I’ve been in the league, you get moments like this. I had it last season and the season before, where we might’ve gone on a run of successive losses, or it might be difficult. It’s important that we stay calm.

“We’ve got so many senior players in the team who have gone through these experiences. Today, it was important that we made sure we got a point away from home against a good opponent.

“It’s typical Premier League, that type of stuff. It was steady. We’ll look back on it and think we maybe could have done a bit more on the ball, been a bit braver with that final pass, that killer moment… but like I said, it was important we stop the bleeding and get a point.”

With back-to-back home fixtures against Bournemouth and Liverpool to come, Guéhi is looking to build on his team’s display.

The defender said: “I think every team, every game you play, is tough. It doesn’t matter who you’ve got next.

“Further down the line we’ve got a lot of tough games, but it’s important we approach every game with that attitude.

“Today I’m proud of the team – a good performance, a good attitude – and we move on.”

Marc Guéhi feels Crystal Palace’s performance in the 1-1 draw against West Ham United could give them a foundation to kick on in the coming weeks.

Guéhi proud of Palace’s performance and attitude

latest_videos

Latest 

Latest Video

Match reports

Match reports

Report: Edouard strike secures Palace point at West Ham

Hodgson on Palace's character, Edouard, Richards & Eze

Guéhi proud of Palace’s performance and attitude

Festive Season Offers

Latest Videos

The Full 90: West Ham v Crystal Palace | Palace TV+

Extended Highlights: West Ham 1-1 Crystal Palace | Palace TV+

Match Action: West Ham United 1-1 Crystal Palace

Post-Match Press Conference: West Ham (a)

Chris Richards speaks to Palace TV after stepping into midfield

Roy Hodgson gives his thoughts on the draw at West Ham

10Eberechi
Eze

Match reports

Match reports

Report: Edouard strike secures Palace point at West Ham

Hodgson on Palace's character, Edouard, Richards & Eze

Guéhi proud of Palace’s performance and attitude

Festive Season Offers

Latest Videos

The Full 90: West Ham v Crystal Palace | Palace TV+

Extended Highlights: West Ham 1-1 Crystal Palace | Palace TV+

Match Action: West Ham United 1-1 Crystal Palace

Post-Match Press Conference: West Ham (a)

Chris Richards speaks to Palace TV after stepping into midfield

Roy Hodgson gives his thoughts on the draw at West Ham

10EberechiEze

10Eberechi
Eze