Eagles Fly High as Crystal Palace Breeze Past Aston Villa to Reach FA Cup Final
Wembley Stadium witnessed a masterclass from Crystal Palace as they swept aside Aston Villa 3-0 to book a spot in the FA Cup final on May 17, 2025. A brilliant first-half strike from Eberechi Eze set the tone before Ismaila Sarr added two clinical goals to secure the Eagles' place in the showpiece event.
After a cagey opening, it was Eze who lit up the semi-final, curling a stunning first-time shot past Emiliano Martinez in the 31st minute following great work from Ismaila Sarr. The goal injected life into the contest, though Aston Villa had their moments, with Morgan Rogers and Ezri Konsa both spurning chances to level before the break.
The second half saw Palace initially falter when Jean-Philippe Mateta missed a penalty in the 53rd minute, his effort clipping the post and sailing wide. However, Oliver Glasner's men quickly regrouped. Moments later, a costly mistake from Youri Tielemans gifted possession to Mateta, who set up Sarr for a clinical finish to double Palace's advantage.
Aston Villa, chasing the game, left themselves exposed at the back. Substitute Eddie Nketiah capitalized late on, dispossessing Tielemans once again and feeding Sarr, who raced through to slot calmly past Martinez, sealing a famous 3-0 victory.
For Crystal Palace, it’s a historic moment — another chance to lift the FA Cup, having last reached the final in 2016. They will face either Nottingham Forest or Manchester City, who meet in the other semi-final.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa must now shift their focus back to the Premier League, with the goal of securing a top-five finish and Champions League qualification.
A thrilling day at Wembley belongs to the Eagles — and the dream of FA Cup glory lives on.
