TWO Majestic finishes and stoppage time punisher saw Crystal Palace reach their first FA Cup in nine years.
Eberechi Eze’s screamer from the edge of the box set the tone at Wembley and silenced Villa, who never found an answer.
Crystal Palace have reached their first FA Cup final in nine years[/caption]
Eberechi Eze cracker set the tone for Palace to dominate against Aston Villa[/caption]
Eze smashed in a 20-yard screamer past Emiliano Martinez inside 31 minutes[/caption]
Ismaila Sarr thumped in a two-goal cushion after Jean-Philippe Mateta punted a penalty wide[/caption]
EBERECHI EZE! WHAT A GOAL
pic.twitter.com/aGvQmNzUz2
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 26, 2025
Ismaila Sarr!!!
Palace double their lead in style! pic.twitter.com/OKITfjRrwq
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 26, 2025
It threatened to be one of the worst FA Cup semi-finals before Eze’s cracking finish woke the Wembley crowd up from their slumber.
Oliver Glasner’s side had just had a goal chalked off for offside before the England midfielder beautifully struck in the 31st minute.
Eze’s opener led to more space on the counter for Palace, with Villa searching for their equaliser.
Both teams had chances before Boubacar Kamara bundled Eze to the ground after he let the ball run across him to concede a penalty five minutes into the second half.
But Mateta sent the spot kick well wide to give Unai Emery’ side hope.
However, any chance of a comeback went down like a lead balloon after Ismaila Sarr doubled the Eagles’ lead from distance.
Villa kept pushing. But Palace held back and stayed solid as Leon Bailey had an effort blocked off the line by a logjam of Palace bodies.
But if it wasn’t already over, Palace sent it dead and buried in the 95th minute after forcing another Villa error.
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They won it back inside the Villa half played it to Sarr, who surged into the box before slotting another effort past Martinez.
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