Crystal Palace secured a commanding three nil win over Aston Villa to reach the FA Cup final, with Eberechi Eze and Ismaïla Sarr producing moments of individual brilliance that lit up Wembley. It was the club’s most complete display of the season.
The breakthrough came midway through the first half when Eze drifted between lines, cut inside from the left, and lashed a right footed drive beyond Emiliano Martínez. The finish drew a roar that rattled the stadium roof.
Sarr doubled the advantage before the interval, sprinting onto Daichi Kamada’s perfectly weighted pass and steering a low shot inside the far post to cap a sweeping counter attack. He repeated the feat late on to seal progression.
Villa threatened briefly when Ollie Watkins struck the bar, yet Palace’s back four marshalled by Marc Guéhi and Chris Richards smothered further pressure. Dean Henderson needed only one notable save.
Eze later revealed that a clear tactical brief from Oliver Glasner allowed him to roam freely, while Sarr praised the manager’s video analysis for exploiting Villa’s high defensive line. Both players spoke of unwavering belief ahead of the final.
With supporters still singing long after the whistle, Palace’s two match winners took a joint lap of honour, waving scarves and posing for photographs that will decorate bedrooms across south London for decades. Their chemistry feels central to a potential fairy tale.
