Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze celebrates scoring their second goalImage source, Reuters
Image caption,

Eze has scored 28 goals for Crystal Palace since signing from QPR in August 2020

Eberechi Eze scored against his former club Queens Park Rangers to help Crystal Palace claim a 2-1 victory and reach the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Summer signing Eddie Nketiah netted his first Palace goal to open the scoring in the 16th minute, slotting the ball through the legs of goalkeeper Joe Walsh.

A high-pressing QPR side fought back and Sam Field equalised with a looping finish eight minutes into the second half.

However, the home side's hard work was undone when Eze got lucky with a shot that bounced off Steve Cook and wrong-footed Walsh.

It is the first time Palace have reached the fourth round of the EFL Cup since the 2018-19 season, when they fell to Middleborough.

Oliver Glasner's side will discover their fourth-round opponents when the draw takes place on 25 September.

Eze, who left QPR for Palace in 2020, came close to grabbing an early goal, but his effort from the edge of the box fizzed over the crossbar.

The England international redeemed himself shortly after, threading the ball through QPR's defence to find former Arsenal man Nketiah, who had plenty of space to poke home Palace's first.

Nketiah nearly doubled the visitors' lead before half-time when he slammed a low strike towards goal but his effort was palmed away by Walsh to the feet of Daniel Munoz, who couldn't adjust his feet in time.

QPR continued to pile pressure on with a high press after the break and Dean Henderson was called to action for the first time to deny Paul Smith with a superb fingertip save.

However, the Palace keeper was at fault minutes later when his poor clearance from a corner resulted in Field's left-footed finish.

Eze had the last say on his return to Loftus Road as he darted through the middle of the pitch and cut off to the right before his strike deflected off Cook into the net.

Player of the match

Number: 10 E. Eze
Average rating 8.51
Number: 8 S. Field
Average Rating: 6.93
Number: 13 J. Walsh
Average Rating: 6.67
Number: 14 K. Saito
Average Rating: 6.60
Number: 25 L. Andersen
Average Rating: 6.56
Number: 24 N. Madsen
Average Rating: 6.53
Number: 7 K. Dembélé
Average Rating: 6.53
Number: 5 S. Cook
Average Rating: 6.52
Number: 3 J. Dunne
Average Rating: 6.52
Number: 23 Hevertton Santos
Average Rating: 6.41
Number: 40 J. Varane
Average Rating: 6.40
Number: 22 K. Paal
Average Rating: 6.39
Number: 20 H. Ashby
Average Rating: 6.36
Number: 28 A. Lloyd
Average Rating: 6.35
Number: 11 P. Smyth
Average Rating: 5.89
Number: 18 Ž. Celar
Average Rating: 5.69
Number: 19 E. Dixon-Bonner
Average Rating: 5.65

After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.

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