Eze and Sarr sparkle as Eagles reach FA Cup final | OneFootball

Crystal Palace booked their place in the FA Cup final in thrilling fashion, with standout performances from Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr securing a thoroughly merited triumph over Aston Villa at Wembley.

Eze broke the deadlock in an entertaining semi-final after 31 minutes, blasting an exceptional shot high into the net beyond the reach of a stranded Emiliano Martinez from just outside the box.

Tyrick Mitchell squandered a golden opportunity before half-time, slicing his effort in front of an empty net, and Jean-Philippe Mateta missed from the penalty spot after the break: his strike clipping the post and going wide.

Undeterred, the Eagles maintained their intensity and Sarr doubled their advantage just before the hour mark with a brilliant solo effort, surging forward and firing a precise low finish into the bottom corner as Martinez was left scrambling.

During the tense period between the two goals, Palace relied on a superb showing from keeper Dean Henderson, who pulled off key stops to deny John McGinn and Lucas Digne as Villa pushed for a leveller.

Despite Villa’s relentless pressure, they couldn’t crack Palace’s disciplined backline and Sarr sealed the result in stoppage time, sprinting clear and calmly finishing past Martinez.

This win takes manager Oliver Glasner and Crystal Palace to their third FA Cup final appearance — their first since 2016. They remain in search of their maiden FA Cup win and will next meet either Manchester City or Nottingham Forest.