HLTCO podcaster Dan Cook was left far from impressed by Eberechi Eze's performance during Crystal Palace's derby defeat on Wednesday evening.

The Lowdown: Palace's slump continues

After a bright start to the game against Brighton on Wednesday, which saw Crystal Palace squander two glorious chances via Odsonne Edouard and Michael Olise, they ultimately tasted defeat once again in the Premier League.

It was an all too familiar feeling for Palace and Patrick Vieira as they once again failed to pick up three points - something they've been unable to do throughout 2023 - but it could've been very different had the Palace boss not been pretty much forced into a half-time switch.

Vieira seemingly had no choice but to hook Cheick Doucoure after he somehow avoided picking up a second yellow card in the first half, which allowed Eze the chance to impact the game and get the Eagles a positive result, although he was far from being at a level of which to do so.

The Latest: Eze struggled to make an impact

Cook ripped into Eze on the HLTCO podcast after his shocking 45-minute cameo, which saw him fail to register a single shot in the second half (as per Sofascore).

He said: "Ebere Eze's overall performance in the second half left a lot to be desired. He seemed ponderous in possession, he seemed loose with his touch and he didn't really - for my money - look after the ball at all well, and it really did hamper us."

The Verdict: Vieira needs to get more out of Eze

After bursting onto the Premier League stage back in 2020, it has been a rather steady decline for Eze, with a long-term injury likely playing a big part in that. However, he needs to step up his game to avoid having a relegation on his CV.

It wasn't too long ago that Eze was being linked with a move to mega-rich Newcastle United - which shows the talent he possesses - so it's now up to Vieira to unlock that talent once again, as Palace desperately need inspiration in the final third.

Palace haven't scored a goal in any of their last four matches and have also failed to find the back of the net more than once in a game since December when they beat Bournemouth 2-0, so Vieira certainly needs to be getting the most out of his flair players such as Eze, Olise and Wilfried Zaha. Otherwise, it could be a bleak end to the season.