IT hasn’t been the most memorable of seasons for Crystal Palace so far. Currently sitting 14^th in the table, the Eagles don’t look set to break their trend of finishing between 10^th and 15^th in every single one of their Premier League seasons since returning to the top-flight in 2013.

While they’re comfortable enough not to worry too much about being dragged into a relegation scrap come May, Eagles fans can perhaps be forgiven for wanting a little more excitement.

Not least because Roy Hodgson’s side boast two of the Premier League’s most sought-after talents: Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise.

The pair were in fine form this midweek, with Olise assisting both of Eze’s goals against Sheffield United before scoring himself to help Palace pick up a second league win in their last three games.

Remarkably, over the last three months of November, December, and January, Crystal Palace have scored 17 Premier League goals and 12 of them have been at least scored or assisted by one (or both) of Eze and/or Olise (71%), including each of their last nine in a row. That is how important the pair are to the club right now.

And it isn’t just this season that the duo have shown their exceptional talents at Selhurst Park.

Over the last three seasons, only five players have more Premier League assists than Olise, who is the youngest of all players in the top 10 over this period.

And while Olise closes in on 20 Premier League assists, Eze reached that figure for goals via his brace against Sheffield United, becoming only the seventh player to reach 20 in the competition for Crystal Palace, and the fourth of those to do so while aged 25 or younger.

But perhaps it’s more than just their goal contributions that make Eagles supporters a little frustrated with their side’s, dare we say, dull state of affairs right now. They were even knocked out of both cups in their respective third rounds this season.

Because Eze and Olise bring far more than just goals and assists to the party.

They are two of the Premier League’s top five players for dribbles completed per 90 minutes this season.

To have two of these dribble kings in the same side, it’s more than fair for Palace fans to perhaps expect a little more than just Premier League stability. A bottom half finish and early cup exits year in, year out doesn’t exactly scream ambition worthy of the mercurial talents they have in Eze and Olise.

And such is the quality being shown by the pair, it would not be a surprise to see both playing for Champions League clubs next season. And then what for Palace?

The emergence of Eze and Olise has been timely, what with the departure of Palace’s star man Wilfried Zaha, who for years was their key forward, bringing goals and willingness to beat a defender that gave Palace fans something to cheer every weekend.

That burden is now shared between Eze and Olise, but how do Palace go about replacing them should they leave? That’s the big question staring the club in the face.

It’s telling that both Eze and Olise were signed after impressing in the Championship.

Eze arrived at Palace after notching 14 goals and eight assists for QPR in the second tier in 2019-20, a season he began as a 21-year-old.

Olise was similar, recording seven goals and 12 assists in the Championship as a teenager for Reading in 2020-21.

That trick is tough to repeat. Others, such as Brennan Johnson, have also had success when impressing as Championship youngsters before beginning their Premier League careers. But it’s no guarantee of success, and if Palace are to lose Eze and Olise, the pair would surely generate funds that would allow the club to be ambitious in their plans for the future. The fans would certainly expect that.

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