Crystal Palace Defeats Aston Villa 3-0 To Reach FA Cup Final With Eze And Sarr's Stellar Performances

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Crystal Palace secured their third FA Cup final appearance with a commanding 3-0 win over Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium. This marks their first final since 2016. Eberechi Eze's stunning goal and Ismaila Sarr's two second-half goals sealed the victory. The Eagles will return to Wembley on May 17 to face either Nottingham Forest or Manchester City, who play on Sunday.

Villa began the match strongly, with Boubacar Kamara's early strike serving as a warning for Palace. Morgan Rogers missed a great opportunity soon after, narrowly missing Dean Henderson's right post following Lucas Digne's cross. Palace thought they had scored when Jean-Philippe Mateta found the net, but it was disallowed due to a foul on Ezri Konsa.

Eze opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a curling shot from outside the box that beat Emiliano Martinez. Tyrick Mitchell had a chance to double the lead before halftime but failed to convert Sarr's pass. Despite Villa's efforts after the break, Henderson made crucial saves against John McGinn and Digne.

Palace had a chance to extend their lead when Kamara fouled Eze in the box, but Mateta's penalty hit the post. However, Sarr scored in the 58th minute after Adam Wharton regained possession, finding the bottom-left corner from distance. Villa nearly responded through Leon Bailey, but his shot was blocked by teammate Pau Torres.

Sarr continued his impressive form against Villa by scoring again after Eddie Nketiah won possession from Youri Tielemans. Sarr raced towards goal and finished past Martinez, securing Palace's victory. This performance marked Palace as the first team since Chelsea in 2017 to score two goals from outside the area in an FA Cup semi-final.

Sarr has been involved in seven goals against Villa this season—five goals and two assists—only surpassed by Bruno Fernandes' eight goal involvements against Leicester City this term. Meanwhile, Palace's defence recorded their tenth clean sheet of 2025, leading all Premier League teams since January.

Villa Struggles at Wembley

Aston Villa has struggled at Wembley recently, losing seven of their last nine matches there across all competitions. Overall, they have lost three of their last six games, matching their losses from their previous 21 matches combined. Despite these challenges, Villa showed resilience throughout the match.

The Eagles' comprehensive performance highlighted both offensive prowess and defensive solidity. Their ability to score from distance proved decisive in securing their place in the final. As they prepare for May 17th’s showdown at Wembley, Crystal Palace aims to continue their strong form and claim FA Cup glory.