Eberechi Eze ambles over to take the free-kick and as he does so, Eddie Nketiah scans his surroundings. It is still early in this Carabao Cup third-round tie and QPR’s defenders are busy getting organised. Eze and Nketiah make the briefest eye contact and the grift is on: Eze quickly slides the ball into a vacant channel down the right side of the box, and before a defender can react, Nketiah peels into space before unleashing a first-time shot through the goalkeeper’s legs.
It is Crystal Palace’s first glimpse of what to expect from their £25m summer signing, the second most expensive transfer in the club’s history. The understanding, the intelligence, the economy of effort: in one run and one touch, Nketiah showed the sharp edge he adds to a team.
