Eberechi Eze shows what he's all about as Crystal Palace demolish Fulham to reach Wembley
FULHAM 0-3 CRYSTAL PALACE: Oliver Glasner's excellent Eagles are now just two wins from FA Cup glory and Europa League football after tearing their London counterparts to shreds at Craven Cottage
Adam Wharton might have been lucky to stay on the pitch but there was nothing fortunate about the result. Eberechi Eze-inspired Crystal Palace clinched their place in the FA Cup semi-finals - for the second time in four seasons - in emphatic fashion after dismantling Fulham to record their sixth consecutive away victory in all competitions.
Oliver Glasner's exceptional Eagles simply love playing on the road and after keeping seven straight away clean sheets, in some ways, it's a pity they now head to neutral ground as they have made a real habit of embarrassing opponents on their own patch.
For all the talk about the returning Jean-Philippe Mateta, Palace did not need their water polo cap-wearing hero at his best, as Eze, jet-heeled Ismaila Sarr and sub Eddie Nketiah inflicted the damage with three ruthless finishes.
As furious Fulham fans flooded towards the exits shouting expletives after Nketiah had buried Palace's third, you began to wonder how this team and manager are on course to break the club's Premier League-record points total.
Silva has had three shots at Wembley as Craven Cottage boss and each time he's fallen short after losing to Manchester United at the quarter-final stage in 2023 before last season's Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Liverpool.
During a week in which he finally talked up his own European aspirations in the Portuguese press, this was one of the few dark days of his Fulham reign. His men had immediately taken the game to Palace as Rodrigo Muniz, who pipped Raul Jimenez to a start having struck three goals in as many FA Cup games this season, left Marc Guehi and Maxence Lacroix for dust before curling narrowly wide inside two minutes.
The Cottagers saw a half-hearted penalty shout correctly rebuffed when ex-Eagle Joachim Andersen's strike struck the supporting arm of Jefferson Lerma and just minutes later, lethargic Palace were feeling the heat as Wharton was booked for scything down Willian. As the fired-up hosts began to shift through the gears, the smart money was undoubtedly on Fulham.
Andreas Pereira flashed the ball just past the post following great work from Calvin Bassey before Muniz hit the deck following an innocuous incident involving Wharton.
Replays showed the fresh-faced Eagles midfield anchorman - already cautioned and walking a tightrope - got away with one following a small kickout at the Brazilian, who certainly made the most of the contact.
After being outplayed for the best part of 25 minutes, counter-attacking masters Palace began to lure dominant Fulham into a false sense of security, just as they did in their 2-0 Premier League victory at Craven Cottage only five weeks ago.
Lerma's remarkable, looping, long-range volley cannoned off the crossbar before Eze backed up his first international goal with England with yet another piece of majestic, individual brilliance.
Tyrick Mitchell did well to control on the touchline and find Eze, who shifted inside and wrapped a stunning, low shot in off the post. Four minutes later it was 2-0 as purring Eze probed from the left and fed the ball across the face of Bernd Leno's goal, Ismaila Sarr attacked the front post and glanced home his ninth goal of the season in all competitions.
Fulham defender Bassey came close to handing Silva's side a lifeline when he attempted to bundle home a loose ball following Willian's corner but resolute Palace held firm.
Glasner then once again displayed his managerial expertise as two of his subs, Daichi Kamada and Nketiah, combined for the killer third. The Japanese international slipped in the ex-Arsenal striker and he applied a confident finish, slotting through Leno's legs.
Join our new WhatsApp community! Click this link to receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £192 and includes more than 1,000 live matches each season across the Premier League, EFL and more.