SATV 27 April, Kathmandu: Crystal Palace took one step closer to winning the FA Cup for the first time as they beat Aston Villa 3-0.
Eberechi Eze lit up Wembley with a scorching opening goal on 31 minutes, bending home a beautiful strike from 22 yards following a turnover and pass from Ismalia Sarr.
Villa always looked vulnerable to the direct and incisive Palace attacks, and Jean-Philippe Mateta really should have made it 2-0 on 53 minutes but blazed his penalty wide after Eze had been tripped.
Player ratings:
Crystal Palace: Henderson (9), Munoz (7), Richards (7), Guehi (7), Lacroix (7), Mitchell (7), Wharton (8), Kamada (7), Sarr (9), Eze (8), Mateta (8).
Subs: Nketiah (7), Hughes (7).
Aston Villa: Martinez (6), Cash (6), Konsa (6), Torres (6), Digne (6), McGinn (6), Tielemans (6), Kamara (5), Asensio (5), Rogers (6), Watkins (6).
Subs: Bailey (7), Maatsen (6), Barkley (6), Malen (6).
Player of the Match: Sarr.
Villa piled on some pressure after the break but the fautless Dean Henderson was called into action to make a big save to deny John McGinn's sharp volley, then Lucas Digne fired through a crowd, narrowly wide of Henderson's right post.
The raucous Palace end did not have to wait long to get the two-goal cushion though as Sarr thumped home a zinger of a strike from range seven minutes later, before wrapping up the game in injury time on the counter attack.
Sarr has proved a real thorn in Villa's side this season, racking up seven goal involvements in three appearances.
For Villa, who huffed and puffed without much conviction in the final third, it means their wait to lift the FA Cup goes on - it has been 68 years since they last did so.
It caps off a crushing few days for Unai Emery's side. A tough defeat to fellow Champions League battlers Man City and now this thumping loss. They are in danger of running out of steam this season - and there are still four games to go in the top-flight as they try to finish in the top five to secure Champions League football.
Palace will play either Nottingham Forest or Manchester City in the final at Wembley on May 17.
