Crystal Palace 3 Aston Villa 0: Eagles reach first FA Cup final in nine years after Eze screamer set tone at Wembley

EZE does it. The Eagles cruised into the third FA Cup final in their history thanks to a brilliant goal by their talismanic No 10 Eberechi Eze and two second-half strikes by fellow forward Ismaila Sarr. GettyCrystal Palace have reached their first FA Cup final in nine years[/caption] GettyEberechi Eze cracker set the tone for Palace to dominate against Aston Villa[/caption] GettyEze smashed in a 20-yard screamer past Emiliano Martinez inside 31 minutes[/caption] GettyIsmaila 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 When Jean-Philippe Mateta fired wide from a penalty won by Eze early in the second half, you wondered if it would turn the tide in VIlla’s favour. But Sarr soon produced a moment which was as thrilling as Eze’s first-half opener and added a third in stoppage time in front of their ecstatic fans. And so Palace made good on boss Oliver Glasner’s pre-match promise. The Austrian talked up the ability of players like Eze and Sarr to deliver “magic” when it mattered most. Glasner also said he would only don traditional formal attire if Palace secured another date at Wembley by reaching the final. Now, suited and booted, he will lead the pride of South London across the river again in three weeks’ time in search of the club’s first major trophy. For this Palace team, the cup run had the feeling of now or never. With Eze, Mateta, Adam Wharton and captain Marc Guehi all on the radar of “bigger” clubs this summer, a chance like this might not arrive again for a while. ReutersVilla failed to show up and were dumped out of domestic glory[/caption] CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS And perhaps on May 17, it will be third time lucky, after the heartbreak of finals nine years ago and in 1990. For Villa, defeat means a thrilling season of Champions League nights could yet end in bitter disappointment. Wins earlier in the day for top-five rivals Chelsea and Newcastle leave Unai Emery’s side adrift in seventh place. They will need to bounce back quickly from this disappointment if they are to earn the right to show they belong among Europe’s elite again. Villa could have no complaints about this defeat as their much-heralded attack, minus the injured Marcus Rashford, fired blanks while Palace’s main men turned up in style. But too many flares and not enough flair was the story of a first half that was poor until Eze’s stunner. The Palace fans had been the more animated before kick off and surely earned their club a fine in record time. They had come equipped not only with a £13,000 tifo banner but also with a number of illicit fireworks that they set off in the opening 30 seconds. GettyPalace fans broke strict Wembley rules just 30 seconds into their FA Cup semi-final[/caption] A pall of smoke duly covered their half of the pitch, but anyone whose view was obscured did not miss much. Early on Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez stood stock still with the ball at his feet for several seconds, staring down the equally motionless Mateta. It summed up the stalemate that followed. Palace sat off, happy to concede possession and hold their narrow shape while Villa struggled to find a way through. The game needed someone to take it by the scruff of the neck. When Mateta and then Morgan Rogers tried, they were halted by Kamara and Tyrick Mitchell respectively. Both players were booked for their cynicism. The first proper chance fell to Rogers whose first-time shot into the ground went wide Mateta put the ball in the net at the other end but only after tripping Ezri Konsa, so the goal was rightly disallowed. But there was no denying Eze moments later. Sarr closed down Pau Torres and took out FIVE Villa players with a run inside and pass. Eze, waiting inside the D, hit it first time. The curling shot was fierce enough to give Martinez the benefit of the doubt, but close enough to him to make you wonder whether the ‘keeper that the VIlla Park announcer calls the best in the world should have done better. Torres went close to redeeming himself but his header after a corner drifted wide. It was a much better game at last. Mateta robbed Kamara, beat him and Konsa, and crossed for Sarr, who headed off target. Showman Sarr’s double means Palace will face either Man City or Forest in the final "Up there with one of the greatest days in the club's history!" pic.twitter.com/F5H3dKAryd— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 26, 2025 Konsa then put a header on target from a corner, but

EZE does it.

The Eagles cruised into the third FA Cup final in their history thanks to a brilliant goal by their talismanic No 10 Eberechi Eze and two second-half strikes by fellow forward Ismaila Sarr.

Getty

Crystal Palace have reached their first FA Cup final in nine years[/caption]

Getty

Eberechi Eze cracker set the tone for Palace to dominate against Aston Villa[/caption]

Getty

Eze smashed in a 20-yard screamer past Emiliano Martinez inside 31 minutes[/caption]

Getty

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

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