Crystal Palace booked a date at Wembley Stadium as they progressed to the FA Cup semi-finals with a hugely impressive 3-0 win against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Both sides had chances in a lively opening 20 minutes, with Andreas Pereira seeing his driven effort flash past the post before Jefferson Lerma cracked the crossbar with a brilliant volley.
Palace midfielder Adam Wharton was also fortunate not to be sent for an early bath after flicking a boot at Rodrigo Muniz while already on a yellow card.
Fulham's potential sense of injustice was added to when the Eagles, specifically Eberechi Eze, hit them with a double sucker punch in the space of four minutes.
The England attacker cut in from the left and curled a stunning effort past Bernd Leno from the edge of the box in the 34th minute before turning provider for Ismaila Sarr.
Eze was given far too much room to whip a cross towards the near post, where the Senegalese forward was on hand to stoop and head into the Fulham net.
Marco Silva made several changes in the second half, but for all of his side's possession, they could not find a way back into the contest, with Calvin Bassey coming closest amid a goalmouth scramble.
Instead, it was two of Oliver Glasner's substitutes who sealed the win for Palace.
Daichi Kamada set Eddie Nketiah free down the left, and he stayed just onside before coolly finishing past Leno to confirm Palace's spot in the semi-final for a second time in four seasons, as they continue to fly higher and higher in 2025 and chase a first-ever major trophy.
Data Debrief: Eze does it again
It had already been an incredible week for Eze, who scored his first goal for England on his first appearance under Thomas Tuchel, before he capped it off with a starring role on Saturday.
The Palace attacker, who also notched his 10th assist this season while teeing up Sarr, scored the opening goal to set his side on their way, and once again, it came from distance.
Of the six goals he has scored for his club this season, four have come from outside the box, a tally only Matheus Cunha and Bruno Fernandes (both six) can better among Premier League players.
With the scoreline 3-0 in favour of Palace but the xG (expected goals) only 1.46 to 1.21, it is safe to say Eze proved the difference.
Match Report
Crystal Palace thrashed Fulham away from home and advanced to the FA Cup semi-finals. Goals from Eze (34'), Sarr (38') and Nketiah (75') saw off the hosts, who despite their strong start failed to react after their opponent's first goal. Jefferson Lerma was one of the stars of the match with his work in midfield, while Daniel Muñoz started a little passively but grew until he left the field. There could be a duel of Colombians in the semi-finals if Luis Sinisterra's Bournemouth beat City.
Now, after advancing to the semifinals, the team earned a £450,000 prize and hopes to find out its opponent after the quarterfinals are played this Sunday. The teams still in contention are: Brighton vs. Nottingham Forest (March 29, 12:15 p.m.), Preston vs. Aston Villa (March 30, 7:30 a.m.), and Bournemouth vs. Manchester City (March 30, 10:30 a.m.).
Fulham made Crystal Palace feel the pressure early on. Constant attacks began with a shot from Brazilian Rodrigo Muniz that went just wide, and then Willian took center stage, sending several crosses into the box that the visiting defense kept out. The home side's momentum waned, and the visitors surged forward to take the lead .
Palace breathed a sigh of relief in the 12th minute with a surge from Sarr, who used his pace to beat his marker and deliver a pass into the box that Robinson parried. From the corner, Mateta narrowly missed the chance to score. Fulham attacked more heavily through Muñoz's area , who until the 20th minute looked weak in marking, leaving space for his opponents in his role as wing-back.
Lerma unleashed a three-finger shot from outside the box in the 25th minute, but the crossbar prevented what was supposed to be a magnificent goal from the Colombian. Jefferson was the most outstanding player in the visiting midfield, helping out in defense and also providing the team with opportunities.
Palace took another breath to play in the opposition's half and Eze opened the scoring with a shot across goal that Leno couldn't get past in the 34th minute . Crystal Palace continued to attack after taking the lead and extended their lead, again with Eze taking center stage. The number 10 showed patience and precision to deliver a precise cross to Sarr's head, who finished in the goalkeeper's box to make it 2-0 in the 38th minute.
Fulham had no reaction and Palace ended the first half controlling the scoreboard without much possession, but with defensive order to prevent the home side's attempts from worrying Henderson.
What was expected happened at Craven Cottage, Fulham had to come out for the second half determined to get a goal that would put them back in the game and try to equalize. Marco Silva's team dominated the 60 minutes , but they couldn't find a way past Palace's defensive structure, which remained focused to prevent any surprises.
In the 67th minute, Willian shot from a diagonal inward, but Henderson saved his hand to send it out for a corner. The Nigerian Bassey narrowly missed the opportunity, but Lerma hampered him and then failed to finish from the ground.
Nketiah appeared in the 75th minute , just five minutes after coming on for Mateta. The forward took advantage of an assist from Kamada, who had also come on at the same time, and coolly entered the box, slanted across the pitch, and finished through Leno's legs. A 3-0 scoreline seemed to seal the tie with 15 minutes remaining.
At the end of the match, Fulham went all out in stoppage time, but still couldn't find any clear chances against a Palace side that, with the lead, defended more relaxed and tried to increase their advantage on the counterattack. Muñoz left the pitch in the 86th minute, and in the end, it was a great qualification for the Colombian team to the FA Cup semifinals, which will be played next Saturday, April 26, with the opponent yet to be determined.
Line-ups
Fulham XI: Willian, Leno, Andersen, Iwobi, Lukic, Pereira, Castagne, Berge, Antonee Robinson, Calvin Bassey, Rodrigo Muniz
Subs: Tom Cairney, Jimenez, Traore, Harrison Reed, Diop, Steven Benda, Sessegnon, Smith Rowe, Jorge Cuenca
Crystal Palace XI: Lerma, Dean Henderson, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Sarr, Eberechi Eze, Daniel Muñoz, Guehi, Maxence Lacroix, Chris Richards, Tyrick Mitchell, Adam Wharton
Subs: Clyne, Chilwell, Kamada, Matt Turner, Nketiah, Justin Devenny, Matheus França, Romain Esse, Caleb Kporha
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wizzybbigstepper
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Once a Gunner… ❤️🔥