EPL Round Up: Eze scores twice, Iwobi suffers damaging defeat as Chelsea fumble again
Hodgson made a shock return as Palace manager last month and has led the Eagles to three consecutive wins
Crystal Palace’s revival under Roy Hodgson continued with a 2-0 win over rock-bottom Southampton, while Everton suffered a damaging defeat to Fulham and Wolves took a step towards safety by beating Brentford.
Hodgson made a shock return as Palace manager last month and has led the Eagles to three consecutive wins to steer them nine points clear of the relegation zone.
Saints were in desperate need of points after a five-match winless run left them cut adrift at the bottom of the table.
Palace crush Leeds to boost their hopes of safetyPalace crush Leeds to boost their hopes of safety They couldn’t find a breakthrough in the first half despite a bright start, Palace coming closest when Michael Olise found the net, only for his strike to be ruled out for offside.
The visitors then struck with their first shot on target when Jordan Ayew’s effort was parried into the path of Eberechi Eze for a simple finish on the rebound.
Eze then grabbed his second in the 69th minute in spectacular style, spinning past his marker and smashing a shot into the bottom corner, and Palace almost made it three late on when Olise struck the post from a free-kick.
Saints remain bottom after a sixth game without victory, but Everton’s 3-1 defeat to Fulham ensured that the gap to safety remains four points with seven rounds remaining.
The Cottagers travelled to Goodison Park on the back of four straight league defeats, but took charge of the game midway through the first half when Harry Wilson’s shot struck the post and Harrison Reed converted the rebound.
Ferdinand says Bellingham should join ambitious Real Madrid after Liverpool end interest Everton drew level before half-time when Dwight McNeil hit his fourth goal of the season, making him the Toffees’ joint-top scorer with Demarai Gray, and the former Burnley man saw a cross clip the post too.
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But Fulham pulled away in the second half when Wilson drilled in from a Willian lay-off and Daniel James struck from close range.
Marco Silva’s side are 10th, eight points outside the top six, while Everton remain in a perilous position, hovering above the drop zone on goal difference ahead of Nottingham Forest, who have a game in hand.
Wolves’ chances of retaining their top-flight status look far rosier after a 2-0 win at home to Brentford. Diego Costa stabbed home his first goal for the Molineux club before the break – and his first goal in English football since the 2017 FA Cup final – before Hwang Hee-chan made sure of the points with a simple finish in the second half.
Ivan Toney smashed a shot off the bar in the dying minutes as Brentford looked to pull one back, but a third defeat in a row extended the Bees' winless run to five matches, leaving them ninth and seven points from the top six.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa's fine form continued with a commanding 3-0 win over Newcastle United, while Chelsea fell to another poor result as they lost 2-1 at home to Brighton and Bournemouth's survival hopes were boosted with a last-gasp winner in a 3-2 win over Tottenham.
