Liverpool Echo journalist slams player for what he did in Crystal Palace vs Everton tie
Journalist Chris Beesley has slammed Crystal Palace winger Eberechi Eze for his “outrageous” dive in the goalless draw against Everton.
Eze chucked himself to the ground late in the first half at Selhurst Park, claiming contact had been made from Everton’s Amadou Onana.
Referee Chris Kavanagh was having none of it, though, and instead booked the England international for simulation.
Writing for the Liverpool Echo [5 January], Beesley said: “Although the explosive Eze is a box of tricks, Onana kept his nerve to have the measure of him physically and largely keep the Eagles’ dangerman under wraps, outmuscling him in key battles and forcing his opponent into an outrageous dive at one point to try and win a free-kick only for him to be booked for the second time this season against Everton for simulation.
Terrible
As Beesley points out, this is not the first time Eze has been cautioned for trying to con the officials. And make no mistake about it, that is exactly what he was attempting to do here.
Onana put in a strong performance in what was a, let’s face it, rather terrible game of football at Selhurst Park as the FA Cup third-round tie ended scoreless.
Eze is a very talented player, and if anything was going to happen for the hosts on Thursday (4 January) it was going to come via him on the right-hand side.
What makes the dive all the more galling is that Dominic Calvert-Lewin was sent off in a shocking decision later in the match.
The two sides will now face off at Goodison Park in a replay later this month, and you would not bet against Eze being up to his old tricks once again in that match to make it a hat-trick of cautions in this fixture.
In other Everton news, the Toffees have found out when they will be told if they face any further action from the Premier League.