Fulham 0-3 Crystal Palace: Eagles stun hosts to book FA Cup semi-final spot thanks to Eberechi Eze, Ismaila Sarr and Eddie Nketiah goals

If their progress to the last eight will forever be defined by an ear almost removed by the studs of a goalkeeper’s boot, Crystal Palace carved their way into the last four with a little more surgical precision.

With Fulham sliced open and the quarter final sewn up with two goals inside five first half minutes.

The first, a sublime strike by Eberechi Eze, who then turned creator for the second, scored by Ismaila Sarr.

From that point on, Oliver Glasner’s never looked like losing. They let their hosts have the ball and dominate possession while they protected the lead and caused problems on the counterattack.

Eddie Nketiah scored the third to end any hope of a fightback, having just come off the subs’ bench to replace Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was playing for the first time since the fifth round when he was injured by a flying kick from Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts.

Palace return to Wembley Stadium for next month’s semi-final in hope of reaching their first FA Cup final since 2016 and a first major trophy.

Crystal Palace had to survive a strong opening by Fulham. The home side came out charged up by the energy inside Craven Cottage and took control for the first half hour.

Willian was influential and Rodrigo Muniz disturbed the Palace’s centre halves, but the visitors held firm. They blocked shots and engaged defensively to protect their goalkeeper.

When Fulham did penetrate the red and blue shield, their finishing let them down. Muniz rolled clear inside two minutes and slid a side-footer wide of the far post. Andrea Pereira pulled another good chance wide after Calvin Bassey and Willian linked up down the left.

Palace’s twin threats on the break from set-pieces were, however, always present. Jefferson Lerma struck the bar in the 26th minute, connecting beautifully on the volley with the outside of his right boot to send a clearance by Alex Iwobi swerving back over a crowded penalty area. Lerma’s sublime effort beat Bernd Leno, thumped against the frame of the goal and away.

Six minutes later, Eze broke the deadlock with a goal of no less technical brilliance. Collecting a short pass inside by Tyrick Mitchell, the England forward cut square along the edge of the penalty area. He beat Sasa Lukic to make the room to shoot and curled the ball low, beyond Leno and in off the foot of the far post.

It was a delightful goal and after scoring the first Eze made the second. His first dribble down the left was halted but Palace won the ball back and a pass by Lerma sent him racing once more down the left.

Fulham’s defenders froze, no doubt concerned by his twinkled-toed audacity and what had gone before but Sarr was on the move, from the deep to the near post and Eze picked him out, with a cross clipped into his path.

Sarr beat Leno with a glancing header and Palace were two up, the damage done in clinical fashion and the mood inside Craven Cottage transformed.

Glasner had the hosts where he wanted them, happy to let them dominate possession, trusting his defensive unit to keep them at bay and his forward players to threaten again on the counterattack. This set the pattern for the second half.

Fulham boss Marco Silva’s first changes were to send on the pace of Adama Traore and the craft of Emile Smith Rowe. Dean Henderson saved at full stretch, a deflected effort by Willian, and Sarr scrambled away a corner with Bassey lurking.

But Palace resisted and subs Daichi Kamada and Nketiah combined to see them through the closing minutes without alarm.