Crystal Palace booked a first Wembley showpiece since 2016 with a commanding three‑nil semi‑final win over Aston Villa that underlined their status as the competition’s surprise package. Inside a raucous national stadium Ismaïla Sarr silenced the Villa end on 12 minutes when he collected Adam Wharton’s lofted pass, skipped around Pau Torres and finished low beyond Emiliano Martínez. The Senegal winger doubled the lead just before the half‑hour, nodding in Eberechi Eze’s outswinging corner after Villa’s back‑line fell asleep at a set piece. Villa briefly rallied through Leon Bailey, but Sam Johnstone’s fingertip save preserved the cushion and allowed Palace to dictate tempo after the interval.
Eze settled matters on 73 minutes with a stunning solo effort, gliding past three defenders before curling into the top corner from 22 yards. Oliver Glasner’s tactical blueprint proved flawless as his side pressed high in a compact 4‑2‑3‑1, forcing 16 Villa turnovers and limiting Ollie Watkins to just nine touches inside the box. The victory sets up a final with Manchester City on 17 May, a slot moved to 16:30 BST to avoid a Eurovision clash. Ticket demand eclipsed Palace’s 30,000 allocation in seconds, and the Holmesdale Fanatics are already planning another vibrant display.
Glasner praised a mentality forged during a winter camp in Marbella and reminded reporters that Palace have now kept four consecutive clean sheets in the tournament, beating Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Villa by an aggregate of 8‑0. Supporters poured out of Wembley chanting “We’re the Famous Palace” aware a date with history now beckons.
