Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest successfully advanced to the semifinals of the FA Cup on Saturday. Eberechi Eze was pivotal for Crystal Palace, contributing both a goal and an assist in their commanding 3-0 triumph over Fulham. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest’s goalkeeper, Matz Sels, played a crucial role by saving two penalties in a 4-3 shootout victory against Brighton after a goalless draw.
Eze’s outstanding display came soon after he scored for England in a World Cup qualifying match against Latvia earlier in the week. “That’s what we expect from him, and that’s why we love him,” remarked Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi. “I tell him every day he’s one of the best, but it’s not about saying it, it’s about showing it and he’s done it.”
The weekend’s fixtures also feature second-division Preston facing Aston Villa, with Manchester City set to visit Bournemouth.
Crystal Palace celebrated their record-setting sixth consecutive away victory at Fulham, a milestone acknowledged by statistician Opta. “It’s this group, the character of this group, the attitude of this group, the work rate of this group and this all gives us a belief that we can win every single game,” expressed Palace manager Oliver Glasner. While Crystal Palace has yet to secure FA Cup glory, their past notable runs ended in semifinal losses, most recently against Chelsea in 2022. They have reached the finals twice, in 1990 and 2016, only to be defeated by Manchester United.
In this year’s competition, with many top English clubs already ousted, Palace sees an opportunity to potentially lift the trophy. Eze put Palace in the lead in the 34th minute at Craven Cottage, sending a curling shot from outside the box that struck the post and went in. Minutes later, he assisted Ismaila Sarr’s header for a second goal. Substitute Eddie Nketiah completed the scoring by slipping the ball through the legs of Fulham’s goalkeeper Bernd Leno in the 75th minute.
A silver lining for Palace was the return of Jean-Philippe Mateta, who made his first appearance since suffering a serious head injury, which required substantial stitches to his ear. The incident occurred earlier this month when Millwall’s goalkeeper accidentally injured him in the FA Cup. With his ear protected, Mateta played 70 minutes before being substituted by Nketiah.
Nottingham Forest’s fortunes continue to shine as they secured a place in the Champions League next season due to their strong Premier League campaign. They held their composure to win the penalty shootout against Brighton, thanks in large part to goalkeeper Sels, who saved attempts from Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez. Although Neco Williams missed his penalty for Forest by shooting over the bar, captain Ryan Yates scored the decisive spot-kick, igniting celebrations by the visiting fans. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo reminisced, “Such a stressful moment and to share it with our fans, we are so happy.” Notably, Forest last clinched FA Cup success in 1959 and appeared in their most recent final in 1991.
In addition to these FA Cup developments, Newcastle marked a momentous occasion, with thousands of fans celebrating their English League Cup win in a parade through the city. Their 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Wembley ended a 70-year domestic trophy drought. However, the official celebrations were slightly delayed, taking place nearly two weeks after the event.