Ivan Toney, Chalobah respond as Eberechi Eze swipes at 'upset' shock in new message
Eberechi Eze staked his claim as one of the best players in Crystal Palace's history with his winning goal in the FA Cup Final.
Palace produced a performance for the ages at Wembley to beat seven-time winners Manchester City 1-0 thanks to Eze's 16th-minute strike, which was the Eagles' very first shot of the match after a fast break.
Oliver Glasner's side defended staunchly for the remainder of a match which went beyond 100 minutes after a series of stoppages in both halves, including a flare-up between Palace and City's medical teams.
Dean Henderson avoided a red card for handling outside the box and also became a Selhurst Park hero with a penalty save to deny Omar Marmoush, but it's Eze whose name will be etched into FA Cup history.
Eberechi Eze sends 'start' message as Crystal Palace make history
Eze's future at Selhurst Park has long since been called into question amid interest from several clubs at the upper end of the Premier League, but Palace have now joined that top table by winning the FA Cup.
Football Insider revealed on 13 May that Man City are confident they can succeed in a bid for the Palace playmaker in the wake of the cup final, but Eze's latest Instagram post (18 May) suggested otherwise.
| Crystal Palace | Statistics | Manchester City |
| 1 | Goals | 0 |
| 0.74 | xG | 2.23 |
| 2 / 7 | Shots on Target | 6 / 23 |
| 22% | Possession | 78% |
| 1 | Corners | 7 |
The post included images of Eze with departing Palace captain Joel Ward and a statistical breakdown of the match, as well as a message which appeared to swipe at those who didn't believe Palace were capable of pulling off an upset: "If you didn’t believe before, you better start. CPFC history!"
England team-mates Ivan Toney and Trevoh Chalobah – who was recalled from his season-long loan spell at Selhurst Park by Chelsea in January – both responded to commend Eze's display at Wembley.
Toney simply said; "smoothie" to Eze, while Chalobah added: "Thou shall not pass".
Palace well placed to retain Eze after Wembley heroics
Eze's message to tell all football fans that "you better start believing" in Crystal Palace indicates that an FA Cup victory is only the start for Glasner's side, and the 26-year-old could be at the heart of things.
The England playmaker's £60million release clause could prove a huge obstacle to Palace's hopes of retaining him this summer, but if Eze does stay put, he may well go down as their best ever player.
Paul Robinson told Football Insider that Tottenham are already out of contention to sign Eze this summer, and with Palace set to play in Europe next season, there's a good chance he'll be along for the ride.