Report & Highlights: Eze & Sarr fire Palace into historic third-ever FA Cup Final

Summary

• Mateta, Sarr and Richards return to the starting XI

• 12: Kamara fires over the bar with the first attempt of the game

• 20: Villa threaten from two set-pieces to no avail

• 24: Digne finds Rogers in the box, but he fires wide

• 28: Mateta scores, but the effort is ruled out for a foul on Konsa

• 30 - GOAL: EZE PUTS PALACE AHEAD WITH A STUNNING STRIKE

• 33: Pau heads wide for Villa following a corner

• 37: Mateta’s storming run sees Sarr head over

• 39: Konsa’s goal bound header is saved by Henderson

• 45: Mitchell has a golden opportunity to double the lead, but he loses his footing

• HT: Palace 1-0 Villa

• 48: Henderson makes two top stops to deny Villa

• 54: Mateta misses penalty to double Palace’s advantage

• 58 - GOAL: SARR SMASHES HOME A SECOND FROM 20-YARDS

• 68: Rogers’ mazy run leads to nothing, while Tielemans fires wide

• 75: Mateta tracks back and slides in well to deny Villa

• 80: Kamada picks out Sarr excellently, but he heads wide

• 82: Nketiah’s effort is blocked as the game opens up

• 90+4 - GOAL: SARR WRAPS IT UP WITH A SOLO EFFORT

• FT: Palace 3-0 Villa

• Palace progress to third-ever FA Cup final

It had all led up to this. South London’s takeover of Covent Garden earlier in the day, the pints flowing at the Green Man, the convergence of all the fans to Wembley had all led up to this one Saturday evening.

Oliver Glasner and his men were in good spirits off the back of a 2-2 draw at the Emirates, though with the game coming just three days prior, the manager shuffled the pack by making three changes.

In came Jean-Philippe Mateta, Ismaïla Sarr and Chris Richards to the starting XI, in place of Eddie Nketiah, Justin Devenny and Jefferson Lerma who dropped to the bench.

Unai Emery meanwhile made two changes to his Aston Villa side, with Marco Asensio and top scorer Ollie Watkins coming in for Jacob Ramsey and Marcus Rashford, the latter not in the squad at all.

With the capacity crowd in full voice, red and blue balloons cascading down and flags waving in the Palace end, Ebere Eze got the game underway.

There was nothing to separate the two sides in the opening 10 minutes, as neither side was taking the initiative. Attacking moves were cancelled out at both ends and passes were mostly centred around the middle of the park.

It took until the 12th minute for there to be an attempt on goal, with Boubacar Kamara firing way over the bar and into the Palace end of Wembley from about 30 yards out.

Just under halfway through the first-half, Villa had two set-piece opportunities, though Asensio’s deliveries left a lot to be desired for the side in their changed white strip.

Another chance fell kindly to Morgan Rogers a few minutes later, as Lucas Digne whipped a ball across the box, but his side footed effort was wide of the mark.

Palace were growing into the game and actually had the ball in the back of the net, with Mateta battling past Konsa, though the Frenchman was adjudged to have fouled him according to the VAR.

Despite the debatable decision to disallow the Mateta goal, the Palace supporters were in raptures just a couple of minutes later as Eze blessed the side ahead with a stunning strike.

The Palace No. 10 was picked out in space following excellent work from Sarr down the right-hand side, beating Digne, and he made no mistake with a first-time finish on his right foot.

Emiliano Martínez looked to have got fingertips to it, but there was absolutely no stopping the incredible effort from Eze.

With Palace in the lead, the red and blue half of Wembley were in full voice. Villa looked for a route back into the game, but their efforts from corners were easily dealt with.

Pau headed wide and whilst Ezri Konsa’s header looked destined for the back of the net, Henderson managed to comfortably hold onto it on the line. These two chances were either side of Mateta excellently picking out Sarr for a header that went over the bar.

On the stroke of half-time, Palace were handed a golden opportunity to get a second. Again down the right-hand side, it was worked brilliantly with Sarr delivering a peach of a ball into the path of Tyrick Mitchell.

Unfortunately, the left wing-back couldn’t get a clean shot away and it was ultimately cleared away before the half-time whistle.

After the break Villa were on the front foot and forced Henderson into two terrific saves. The first was a two-handed tip over the bar to deny a John McGinn volley and the second was an outstretched palm to deny a curling effort from Digne.

In their first attack of the second-half, Palace were awarded a penalty as Eze was brought down by Kamara inside the box. The decision was upheld by VAR, though the offending Kamara was not given a second yellow card.

Mateta stepped up from 12-yards, but the strikers’ attempt was wide of the mark, with Martínez diving the right way.

No matter, as Palace were once again celebrating just a few minutes later following another sensational strike from distance. Sarr found himself with space to run into through the middle and duly obliged - firing a right footed into the bottom corner with ease unchallenged.

The Palace half of Wembley was bouncing once more, even louder than in the first-half. The Eagles were on the brink of a third-ever FA Cup final.

Villa’s hopes were fading fast, and efforts to find a foothold into the game were toothless. Henderson punched out a cross that fell into the path of Leon Bailey for a strike on the edge of the box, but it was blocked by a Villa shirt.

A long-distance effort from Tielemans, from a similar distance to his winner for Leicester City in 2021, was wide of the mark and a mazy run from Rogers prior was ultimately swept up by the Palace defence.

The game opened up with chances flowing for both sides in the final 15 minutes. Villa’s attempts of going forward were quashed by a recovering Mateta, while Sarr headed over after getting on the end of a perfectly weighted ball from Daichi Kamada.

With the game heading into the dying embers, the red and blue flags were on full display once more and there was no stopping the full-on party in the Palace end. Sarr wrapped it all up in stoppage time, running clean through on goal and tucking it past a hopeless Martínez.

After playing the fully allotted seven minutes added, the referee blew his whistle to bring to an end an incredible game that Palace frankly dominated from start to finish. Another trip to Wembley awaits, this time for the final.

Palace: Henderson (GK), Richards, Lacroix, Guéhi, Muñoz, Wharton (Hughes, 88), Kamada, Mitchell (Chilwell, 84), Eze (Lerma, 87), Sarr, Mateta (Nketiah, 78).

Subs not used: Turner (GK), Ward, Clyne, Esse, Devenny.

Villa: Martínez (GK), Cash, Konsa, Pau, Digne (Maatsen, 60), McGinn (Bailey, 60), Kamara (Barkley, 68), Tielemans, Asensio (Ramsey, 68), Rogers (Malen, 78), Watkins.

Subs not used: Olsen (GK), Mings, Garcia, Onana.

AS IT HAPPENED