Crystal Palace Overcome Fulham 3-0 to Reach FA Cup Semi-Final

Crystal Palace has made it to the FA Cup semi-finals for the third time in the last decade, following a commanding 3-0 victory over Fulham. Despite Fulham's early dominance and possession, it was Palace’s clinical finishing that secured their place in the next round, showing a clinical edge that Fulham could not match.

The match started with plenty of early promise for Fulham, who began the game with high intensity, pressing Palace from the outset. Within the first two minutes, Rodrigo Muniz had a chance to put Fulham in front, only to see his effort drift harmlessly wide. The early energy from the home side, though promising, would quickly fade as Palace took control of the match with two quick goals.

In the 17th minute, Eberechi Eze delivered a moment of magic. After Fulham’s Muniz was on the ground following a challenge, Palace broke quickly down the left flank. Tyrick Mitchell passed to Eze, who cut inside and curled a beautiful shot past Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno, finding the far corner of the net. This goal seemed to take the wind out of Fulham’s sails, and just four minutes later, Palace struck again.

This time, Eze was involved once more. Released down the left wing, Eze cut inside to deliver a perfect cross, finding Ismaïla Sarr at the near post. Sarr made no mistake, heading in to double Palace’s lead. The visitors were now in full control, and for the first time in the match, the home fans at Craven Cottage were silenced.

Despite their best efforts to rally, Fulham struggled to break down Palace’s defense. They had plenty of the ball and won numerous corners, but lacked the precision to trouble Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson. Their best chance came from a Willian curling shot in the 68th minute, which Henderson managed to parry away, keeping Palace’s lead intact.

Fulham's frustrations were compounded as Palace made their third and final goal of the evening. Jean-Philippe Mateta, making his return after injury, was replaced by Eddie Nketiah in the 75th minute. Just five minutes later, Nketiah finished off a swift counter-attack, firing past Leno after being played onside by Fulham's defense. This effectively sealed the victory for Palace, as Fulham’s hopes of a comeback quickly evaporated.

For Fulham, this was a bitter defeat, marking their fifth consecutive loss at this stage of the FA Cup. Marco Silva’s side started the match brightly but could not maintain their early momentum, and Palace's clinical finishing made the difference.

Crystal Palace will now look ahead to the semi-finals with hopes of reaching a final. As for Fulham, they must regroup after another disappointing cup exit and focus on their Premier League campaign.