Crystal Palace African import came prepared for the party on Saturday, as Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr fired the Eagles to the 2025 FA Cup final at Wembley.
Eze unlocked a tense semi-final after 31 minutes when he rifled a magnificent drive high past helpless Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez from the edge of the penalty area.
Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell mis kicked in front of an open goal before the break, then Jean-Philippe Mateta failed from the spot when his penalty glanced off the post.
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But the Eagles kept pushing to increase their lead and Sarr hit another stunning goal after 58 minutes, advancing before drilling a low shot from 22 yards into the bottom left corner with Martinez stretching in vain.
This victory means manager Oliver Glasner takes Palace to their third FA Cup final, their first since 2016.
The Eagles have never lifted the trophy and will face either Manchester City or Nottingham Forest.
Eze and Sarr were the headline double act as Palace continued their quest for that elusive first FA Cup triumph – but this was a consummate team effort from back to front.
And it is a tribute to manager Glasner that Palace can play with defensive solidity but also an attacking freedom that encourages the brilliant ‘X factor’ moments that illuminated the quarter-final win at Fulham.
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In defence, the composure of captain Marc Guehi and Maxence Lacroix ensured Palace were never under sustained pressure, while Adam Wharton brought measure and creation to midfield.
Palace produced a thrilling edge in attack, led by Eze, who became a game-changer.
After Eze set Palace on their way, they showed real character to recover from the disappointment of Mateta’s missed penalty.
In the end, they ran out comfortable winners thanks to the contrasting goals from Sarr, the first an arrowed strike from distance followed by the second which combined his pace, skill and composure.
