Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze says the south London club will head into next month’s FA Cup final at Wembley with full confidence after a commanding 3-0 victory over Aston Villa sealed their place in the showpiece event, according to a 9am News report.
The Eagles, appearing in only their third FA Cup final in history, produced a stellar team performance to dispatch Villa. Eze opened the scoring with a moment of brilliance, while fellow forward Ismaïla Sarr netted twice after the break to complete a memorable day.
Palace will now face either Manchester City or Nottingham Forest in the final in three weeks’ time, with those two sides set to meet tomorrow in the second semi-final.
Speaking moments after the final whistle at Wembley, Eze expressed his delight and optimism:
“It’s a special day. I’m grateful to God for the opportunity to play here, to win, to go to the final. We want to go all the way and we believe we can do it.”
When asked about their chances in the final, Eze was clear:
“We’re 100% confident of winning the trophy. We have shown performances like this all the time. We’re not worried or fearful of facing anyone. I trust us that we will put in the work and hopefully we can do it.”
Reflecting on his goal, which set Palace on their way before halftime, Eze said:
“I saw the opportunity to shoot, and I’m always trying my luck, always taking shots. We work on this stuff all the time. I’m grateful to have scored today and helped the team.”
Sarr’s quickfire double after the interval put the game beyond doubt, and Eze was full of praise for his teammate, even suggesting Sarr deserved the Player of the Match award:
“He’s top. I probably got this [Man of the Match award] prematurely, so I will probably be giving it to him inside. He’s helped us so much this season.”
With Palace now in the hunt for both FA Cup glory and potential Europa League qualification, Eze reaffirmed the team’s ambitions:
“Yeah, that’s the mentality. That’s where we’re at. As a team, we see that it’s possible. It’s something that Palace hasn’t done before. We’re looking to do everything we can to push and finish as high up in the league as we can, and also to do as well as we can in the cup.”
Eze also praised manager Oliver Glasner, reflecting on his first full season under the Austrian’s leadership:
“It’s very good playing under him. He’s very intense and has a clear way of playing, which helps us because it gives us a lot of clarity.”
He added:
“It’s not easy at times because it’s a lot of work, and the team has to push hard. But we enjoy it a lot, and it’s a special feeling right now. I feel like he’s taken well to the Premier League. As soon as he arrived, we saw the effect he had on us as a team. It’s definitely a credit to him, his team, and the guys he’s working with. They’ve got brilliant ideas and an incredible way of playing.”
With spirits high and confidence soaring, Palace will return to Wembley in May determined to make history.
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