Sarr Ignites Wembley as Palace Punish Villa in FA Cup Showcase
If you’ve never seen Wembley erupt for Crystal Palace, Sunday was your chance. With over 82,000 fans buzzing, Crystal Palace wrote another amazing chapter in their long story, hammering Aston Villa 3-0 to drive into their third FA Cup final. Nobody expected such dominance, but this Palace team, energized by Ismaila Sarr and Eberechi Eze, were ruthless, outclassing a Villa side still reeling from the whistle.
Palace fans had barely finished their pre-match chants when Eze got things started. Picking up a pass just inside the box, he shifted quickly onto his right and tucked the ball beyond the keeper—a slick, confident opener. Villa tried to respond, with Ollie Watkins and Moussa Diaby buzzing around the Palace box, but their possession counted for little. Every time Villa pressed, Palace won the ball back fast and broke forward with purpose.
Once the second half started, Sarr took over. First, he ghosted in between defenders, latching onto a Mateta flick to smash home from close range. Villa’s midfield stood frozen: Sarr was simply quicker, sharper, more determined. Just minutes later, he punished Villa again, finishing smartly after a swift counterattack that left Unai Emery’s men trailing shadows. Sarr’s brace wasn’t just about goals—it was about pure influence. He chased every loose ball, pressed Villa into mistakes, and celebrated with the kind of joy that echoed around Wembley’s famous arch.
There could have been a fourth for Palace, as Jean-Philippe Mateta drew a penalty after a clumsy challenge by Konsa. But Mateta’s shot, too casual and too central, was saved. Didn’t matter. By this point, Palace were running rings around Villa, whose heads had dropped—a scene that’s become all too familiar for Villa at Wembley. They’ve now lost a staggering seven out of nine matches at this stadium.
Palace’s Big Moment: Final Awaits as History Beckons
Oliver Glasner, Palace’s manager, was quick to praise how his side executed the game plan. Palace mixed high-intensity pressing with patient possession, always looking for runners in behind. Their pace—especially Sarr’s—was too much for Villa’s back line. Glasner called it ‘almost perfect football’ and you could see why. They didn’t just win; they controlled, dictated, and embarrassed a team that had dreams of its own cup glory.
On the other end, Unai Emery was left searching for answers. He told reporters how frustrated and disappointed he was, bemoaning Villa’s inability to turn possession into dangerous attacks. Emery has now lost more games at Wembley than he’d care to count, and Villa fans will be haunted by how flat their side looked with such high stakes on the table.
The bigger story is where this leaves Palace. They’ve already beaten Villa three times this season—once in the League Cup, and taken four Premier League points off them for good measure. Now, with a date against either Manchester City or Nottingham Forest in the final, the South Londoners are desperate to wash away the heartbreak of their 2016 defeat at the same stage.
This run also wakes memories of those early ’90s cup journeys—when Palace were the underdogs, trying to upset the big boys. But this time, the squad feels more mature, their style more defined, their belief clearly sky-high. Fans might whisper about their 120-year wait for a major trophy. If Sarr and Eze keep playing like this, that wait could finally be over. Wembley saw Palace at full throttle—and it’s the kind of performance that makes you believe almost anything is possible.
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