Eberechi Eze's brilliance proved decisive in Crystal Palace’s commanding 3-0 victory over Fulham on Saturday, with manager Oliver Glasner hailing the winger’s influence after he scored and assisted to guide his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2022.

Eze, fresh from scoring his first England goal against Latvia on Monday, produced a moment of magic to break the deadlock in the 34th minute, curling in a sublime opener against the run of play to silence the home crowd at Craven Cottage. Moments later, he turned provider, delivering a precise cross from the left for Ismaïla Sarr to head home Palace’s second.

The 26-year-old has now registered six goals and nine assists in 31 appearances across all competitions for Palace this season.

Glasner: "We Need Eze's Quality"

Speaking after the match, Glasner highlighted Eze’s individual brilliance, crediting his early goal for shifting the momentum in Palace’s favour.

“I told him that this goal helped us a lot today because we gained more belief. It was fundamental and came from his outstanding individual quality,” Glasner said.

“Ebere has had a strange season. He hasn’t scored many goals in the Premier League and has been unlucky at times, but he keeps going. He’s also struggled with some unusual injuries.

“The goal against Latvia, his first for England, meant a lot to him. He always has confidence, and we know he’s an incredible finisher—he loves to cut inside on his right foot and strike with precision.

“We need this quality, and he helped us massively today.”

A Crucial Run of Fixtures for Palace

Despite their FA Cup progress, Glasner stressed that Palace’s focus must remain on their Premier League campaign, where they aim to break into the top half of the table.

Currently sitting 12th with 10 matches remaining, Palace face a challenging run-in, including fixtures against Manchester City, Newcastle United, Arsenal, and Liverpool. Before that, however, they visit bottom-placed Southampton on Wednesday.

“We are in a good moment, and the players are in good shape,” Glasner added. “We need to perform at our best to win as many matches as possible. In the league, we have the opportunity to break into the top half. It’s good to have all the players together now.”

Palace Ease into Semi-Finals as Fulham Fall Short

Eze’s goal and assist capped off a memorable week, as Palace clinically dispatched Fulham at Craven Cottage.

His opener was a moment of brilliance, curling in a stunning strike against the run of play in the 34th minute. Just four minutes later, he turned provider, whipping in a pinpoint cross from the left for Ismaïla Sarr, who rose to power a header past Bernd Leno, doubling Palace’s lead.

Despite dominating possession in the second half, Fulham struggled to break down Palace’s resilient defence and were ultimately punished again when substitute Eddie Nketiah fired a powerful shot past Leno in the 75th minute to seal an emphatic win.

While Palace can now look forward to a Wembley semi-final and dream of winning the FA Cup for the first time in their history, Fulham must now turn their attention to their push for European qualification via the Premier League.

Nottingham Forest Secure Semi-Final Spot in Dramatic Shoot-Out

Elsewhere on Saturday, Nottingham Forest booked their place in the semi-finals with a dramatic 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, following a goalless draw after extra time.

Ryan Yates converted the decisive spot-kick, while goalkeeper Matz Sels was the hero for Forest, making crucial saves to deny Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gómez, while Neco Williams fired his effort over the bar.

FA Cup Quarter-Final Fixtures Continue

The remaining two quarter-finals take place on Sunday, with Aston Villa – seven-time FA Cup winners – travelling to Deepdale to face Preston North End, the last remaining Championship side.

Later in the day, Manchester City, who have also won the competition seven times, will take on Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.