Fulham vs Crystal Palace FA Cup Report
Scorers: Eze 34’, Sarr 38’, Nketiah 75’
Crystal Palace booked their place in the FA Cup semi-finals with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The result marked a sixth successive away win without conceding across all competitions for the Eagles and their third FA Cup semi-final appearance in the last nine years.
Fulham Start Strong but Fail to Capitalise
Returning to the starting XI for the first time since suffering a horror injury in the previous round, Jean-Philippe Mateta led the line for Palace. However, it was Fulham who dominated the early stages, applying heavy pressure and carving out early opportunities.
Rodrigo Muniz nearly gave the hosts the perfect start inside two minutes, muscling past defenders but bending his left-footed effort wide.
Calvin Bassey impressed down the left flank, setting up Andreas Pereira, who also failed to hit the target as Dean Henderson remained untested.
Despite their strong opening, Fulham failed to make their dominance count, and a stoppage midway through the half gave Palace the chance to regroup.
Eze and Sarr Fire Palace Into Command
The visitors began to find their rhythm, and Jefferson Lerma sent a warning shot when his audacious outside-of-the-foot volley crashed off the crossbar.
Palace’s breakthrough came moments later through Eberechi Eze, who produced a moment of magic. The playmaker glided past his marker on the edge of the area before curling a low strike into the bottom corner—his fourth goal in five cup appearances.
Eze then turned provider just before the break, delivering a pinpoint cross to the near post, where Ismaïla Sarr rose to head home and double the Eagles’ lead.
Fulham’s Second-Half Revival Falls Short
Looking to change the game, Marco Silva introduced Emile Smith Rowe and Adama Traoré at the break. The substitutions injected urgency, with Willian drawing a fine save from Henderson and Bassey seeing a point-blank strike denied by a stunning block from Sarr.
However, Palace absorbed the pressure and struck again to end Fulham’s hopes of a comeback.
Daichi Kamada slid a perfectly weighted pass through to Eddie Nketiah, who coolly slotted beyond Bernd Leno to seal a comprehensive 3-0 victory.
Eagles Fly Into the Last Four as Fulham Falter Again
This impressive win sees Palace head to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-finals, continuing their remarkable run of form away from home.
Fulham, meanwhile, are left to rue missed chances and extend their wait for a semi-final appearance—their last coming in 2001/02.
The Cottagers have now failed to win any of the last seven home head-to-heads against Palace, adding further frustration to their cup exit. For Oliver Glasner’s side, momentum continues to build as they eye a potential return to the FA Cup final for the first time since 2016.