Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder admitted there was little his side could do to stop influential Crystal Palace duo Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze after the pair lifted the hosts to a 3-2 victory at Selhurst Park.
A frenetic first 30 minutes in south London started in stunning fashion with Ben Brereton Diaz’s opener inside the first 21 seconds, cancelled out by Eze via Olise’s assist.
James McAtee quickly restored United’s lead but the sides were square at the break after Olise once again teed up Eze before he got himself on the scoresheet with the 67th-minute game-winner.
Wilder, whose side remain bottom of the Premier League, said: “We got pushed back, those two players decided a pretty tight game.
“The quality that those two players have, you’re up against minimum £50million for both of those players. You have to deal with that, that’s what the Premier League is about.
“Could have done with Olise having just a few more days off but that’s the challenges you’re up against. You want to play against the best players, and when they find those bits and moments that we’re trying to find it makes it a difficult evening.
“We do prep and we do structure and we have a game plan but I think what happens is that those boys can destroy your game plan through individual brilliance.
“You can have all the plan in the world, but those boys find a way.”
Despite injuries severely hampering their appearances together, Olise’s seventh assist for Eze moved him into joint-first with Andros Townsend and James McArthur for the most times a Palace player has assisted a single team-mate.
The victory eased pressure on Palace boss Roy Hodgson after the Eagles’ 5-0 dismantling at the hands of Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, where fans in the away end raised banners protesting against the direction of their club.
Yet there were worrying scenes at Selhurst Park, with both Olise and Eze removed in the second half after they received treatment on the pitch.
The 76-year-old said he was more concerned about Eze than Olise, who had returned to his line-up for the first time in 2024 after sitting out since Palace’s Brentford victory in late December, having also missed a significant spell to start the season with a separate hamstring issue.
Hodgson said the pair “haven’t been fully assessed” but “both of them were pretty upbeat after the game, and with any luck” available to face bitter rivals Brighton on Saturday.
The Palace boss said the win and presence of the two influential players did “wonders” for his side’s confidence and added: “Hopefully we put the black mark of last week, the heavy defeat, behind us.
“I think people, if they’re looking at the team now, should be doing so with a large degree of optimism. This team and this group of players are capable of lifting Crystal Palace up into a higher position than we find ourselves in.”
Chelsea players must set ego aside or 'situation will hardly change', Silva warns
The departing Thiago Silva warned Chelsea's players to set their egos aside, or their "situation will hardly change" next season.
Silva, who will return to hometown club Fluminense in the close season, is gearing up for his final appearance for the Blues after four years at Stamford Bridge, where they host Bournemouth on the final day of the 2023-24 campaign.
A draw would be enough for sixth-place Chelsea to secure a return to European football next season, while they could still overtake Tottenham in fifth with a win and Spurs losing to bottom side Sheffield United.
But despite a positive end to the campaign, during which they have won four successive games and lost just one of their last 14, Mauricio Pochettino's side are a whopping 28 points adrift of leaders Manchester City.
Silva believes the club deserves better, having spent over £400 million on no fewer than 13 players over the past year, and has urged the squad to prioritise teamwork over their personal ambitions next term.
"I hope [the players] understand that everything they did to get to Chelsea has to be worth it," he told Sky Sports. "Because the season we're having is not worthy of Chelsea. I think they need to do more next year.
"These boys need to be aware that Chelsea has to fight for [for trophies] in the top positions. If we take a little of our ego and put it in favour of the team, I think it will work. If we don't do that, the situation will hardly change, unfortunately."
'Age is not an issue', insists energised Casemiro
Casemiro insists "age is not an issue" and the midfielder is feeling optimistic about the future at Manchester United.
The Brazil international and his team-mates have endured a frustrating season at Old Trafford, with the club in danger of suffering their lowest Premier League finish in eighth place.
Casemiro enjoyed a successful first campaign with the Red Devils, who he helped to a third-place finish and victory in the Carabao Cup.
However, injuries have prevented the 32-year-old from building on that momentum this term, with critics suggesting his age is preventing him from coping with the physical demands of the English top flight.
But the former Real Madrid midfielder rubbished those suggestions, highlighting notable examples of players shining in their mid to late 30s.
"I feel very well, very well," he told Sky Sports. "I feel healthy, with energy and the same mentality I always had.
"I guess people end up talking about the age factor, but it's been proven. Recently, our friend Thiago Silva - at the age of 39, came here and showed that, yes, you can play. The previous Ballon d'Or winners were over 34.
"At Manchester City, there's Kevin De Bruyne. (Mo) Salah at Liverpool. I think age is not an issue, it is not a factor in this, but analysing one's game and knowing about everything that is happening around the game.
"These are people who analyse football well, who see what's happening, who know what's happening, and not analyse the age.
"But I'm well, I'm happy. As I usually say, Manchester United gave me what I wanted - this joy of being able to enjoy the game, enjoy the Premier League. So, I'm happy to be here."
United conclude their Premier League season away to Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday, before facing rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final on May 25.
Casemiro believes the vast number of injuries have played a crucial factor in the Red Devils' struggles this term.
"It's been a season of a lot of sacrifices for all of us, with the injuries and players adapting," he added. "So, it's been very hard for us.
"The manager came to ask me [to play at centre-half], and I told him I'm always available. That's the way I am; trying to help, committing to the team and to the coaching staff. So, when he asked me, I didn’t even hesitate.
"I think we had over 60 or 70 injuries. I've never seen this in my life.
"It is hard to think about winning a Premier League when you have so many injuries to important players, players that you think will be able to play throughout the season, and you can't count on them."
Arsenal 'can't get too emotional' ahead of final day, Odegaard insists
Martin Odegaard has urged Arsenal not to become "too emotional" ahead of their showdown with Everton on the final day of the Premier League season.
The title race is going right down to the wire with the second-place Gunners, who are two points behind leaders Manchester City but boast a superior goal difference, needing a victory, while hoping Pep Guardiola's side fail to beat West Ham at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal had hoped for a helping hand from rivals Tottenham when they welcomed City on Tuesday, but Erling Haaland's brace put the Citizens on the brink of a record-breaking fourth straight Premier League crown.
Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta's side are still in with a chance of claiming their first title in 20 years, and Odegaard insists he and his team-mates are focused on taking care of their own result at the Emirates.
"Obviously, you look at the results, and we were hoping," he told TNT Sports when asked about Tottenham's clash with City. "We spoke about it the day after, and we have to focus on ourselves, we can't get too emotional about it.
"We have one more game, at home. It's the last game of the season and our goal and our task is clear, we have to win that.
"We'll see what happens. That's our mindset now; win that last game, give the fans a good last game and we'll see. It's out of our control and, as I said, we just focus on our game."
It is the second season running that Arsenal are running City close; the Gunners eventually falling away having led the Premier League table for the majority of the campaign.
However, they have managed to stay with their title rivals this time around, and Odegaard is delighted by the strides the squad has made in the space of 12 months.
"I would say amazing," the skipper said when assessing the Gunners' season. "We've taken good steps and I feel like we're a much better team compared to last season.
"We've had some really good games, some good results, and we are now there until the last day, to push for it."
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