Eze leads Crystal Palace into FA Cup semi-finals

LONDON: Eberechi Eze inspired Crystal Palace to a 3-0 FA Cup quarter-final win at Fulham on Saturday with a goal and an assist in a four-minute period in the first half.

Fresh from scoring his first England goal against Latvia on Monday, Eze broke the deadlock with a stunning strike from outside the box.

He then turned provider for Ismaila Sarr to rapidly double Palace´s lead and Eddie Nketiah added more gloss to the scoreline as a second-half substitute.

After a difficult start to the season, Palace are one of England´s form teams as Oliver Glasner´s men have also marched up the Premier League table to 12th in recent months.

The Eagles have won their last six away games, including a 2-0 win at Craven Cottage last month, and will believe they can go on to win the FA Cup for the first time.

Palace were able to welcome back French striker Jean-Philippe Mateta for the first time since he needed 25 stitches in an ear wound suffered in his side´s fifth-round win over Millwall four weeks ago.

But it was Eze who was Palace´s match winner with two decisive moments in a matter of minutes.

The 26-year-old cut inside on his favoured right foot to curl in off the far post to open the scoring on 34 minutes.

Eze then jinked past Sander Berge and showed his ability on either foot with this time an inch-perfect left-footed cross for Sarr to head in at the near post.

“It´s unbelievable -- the individual quality,” said Glasner on Eze´s impact.

“It was so important the first goal because we got the belief back, we were really struggling in the beginning. You need something when you´re struggling in the game, some positive actions to get the belief back.”

Fulham are four places and six points above Palace in the Premier League and will now turn their focus to trying to qualify for the Champions League for the first time by finishing in the top five.

However, their dreams of Wembley were extinguished 15 minutes from time.

Eddie Nketiah had only been on the field a few minutes as Mateta´s replacement and produced a composed finish under his former Arsenal team-mate Bernd Leno for a third goal in four games.

Brighton host Nottingham Forest in Saturday´s other quarter-final tie.

Forest thrashed the Seagulls 7-0 last month, but Brighton have won six and drawn one, 2-2 away to Manchester City, of their seven games since.

City are the favourites for the competition but face a tough trip to Bournemouth on Sunday.

After a disappointing season that has fallen well short of their usual standards, the FA Cup is City´s final shot at winning a trophy.

Aston Villa visit second-tier Preston hoping to remain on course for their first trophy since 1996 in Sunday´s early kick-off.