Eberechi Eze inspires Crystal Palace to stunning win at Fulham in wide-open FA Cup

Fulham 0-3 Crystal Palace: Eze scored one and assisted another as Oliver Glasner’s side were near-faultless to breeze into the FA Cup semi-finals

Eberechi Eze was the difference maker as Crystal Palace booked their trip to Wembley with a 3-0 win over Fulham in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Palace’s number 10, who was among those in England manager Thomas Tuchel’s first squad selection earlier this month, opened the scoring with a brilliant effort before he assisted Ismaila Sarr for his side’s second at Craven Cottage.

Eddie Nketiah came off the bench to add a third as Palace claimed a fifth successive win in all competitions and will now eagerly await a semi-final in a competition that has become wide open thanks to the early exits of most of the traditional “big six”.

Crystal Palace were far too good for Fulham (Getty Images)

Fulham boss Marco Silva selected striker Rodrigo Muniz ahead of Raul Jimenez and the Brazilian looked to quickly prove his manager’s decision right, going close after two minutes with a spin, drive and effort that went slightly wide of the left post.

Alongside Muniz, the 36-year-old Willian showed no signs of slowing down and was at the heart of Fulham’s attacks down the left flank.

The former Chelsea and Arsenal winger was accompanied by overlapping left-back Antonee Robinson throughout, with a particular surging run infield forcing Adam Wharton into an early booking.

After Wharton avoided a second yellow card for a kick-out on Muniz, Palace started to get a foothold. A Palace free-kick was headed clear towards Jefferson Lerma, whose outside-of-the-boot effort from distance cannoned off the crossbar in the 26th minute.

And eight minutes later, Palace opened the scoring in some style. Eze cut inside and breezed away from Andreas Pereira, opening up his body and producing a moment of brilliance by slamming his effort into the far right corner.

Eberechi Eze opened the scoring for Palace in some style (AFP via Getty Images)

The England international had the bit between his teeth and his quality was on full show again four minutes later when he helped Oliver Glasner’s side score another.

Eze skipped down the left and whipped an inch-perfect cross onto the head of Sarr, with the winger evading his marker and nodding past Bernd Leno for his side’s second.

Fulham tested Palace after the break, but the Palace defence held firm before Silva turned to his bench after the hour mark, bringing on Emile Smith Rowe and Adama Traore.

Palace celebrated an impressive win over Fulham (Getty Images)

The Cottagers came close to scoring when defender Calvin Bassey was denied a tap-in by a last-ditch intervention from Sarr following a set-piece.

But the tie was wrapped up when Nketiah used his pace on the counter to get in behind the hosts’ defence before nutmegging Leno for a third in the 75th minute.

Next month’s semi-final will mark Palace’s first trip to Wembley since they lost to Chelsea at the same stage of the FA Cup in 2022.