A tight first-half at St Mary’s Stadium saw few chances produced by either side, but the game was sparked into life in the second period by an Eze brace, capping an impressive team performance all-round.
The playmaker started and finished the first goal, before a moment of inspiration saw him rocket Palace into an unassailable 2-0 lead soon after.
Having matched his personal-best tally of a combined 10 goals and assists in the Premier League (seven goals, three assists), Eze smiled: “As long as I’m affecting the game, scoring goals, it doesn’t matter how it goes in, to be honest!
“I’m just happy to be contributing, helping the team and doing what I can to influence the game, because it’s been a tough period. To come out of it the way that we have is big for us.
“I’ll keep on doing what I can, keep on working hard, applying myself, and whatever happens, happens.
“That was a big game for us. We wanted to come here and win. We’ve been putting in good performances, working hard and it’s paid off today, so it’s a big one for us.”