Crystal Palace secured a dominant 3-0 victory over Aston Villa in the first leg of the FA Cup semi-finals, marking their return to the final after an eight-year absence under Glasner’s leadership.

Crystal Palace started the match strongly, with Eberechi Eze scoring in the 31st minute, putting Unai Emery’s side under pressure early on.

Although the first half ended with Palace leading 1-0, they continued their impressive performance in the second half and earned a penalty in the 54th minute.

Jean-Philippe Mateta missed the penalty against Emiliano Martinez, keeping the score at 1-0.

However, Martinez’s joy was short-lived as Ismaila Sarr scored Palace’s second goal in the 58th minute.

Aston Villa’s relentless pressure to avoid defeat allowed Palace to counterattack repeatedly, with Sarr scoring the third goal from Odsonne Édouard’s assist, sealing a 3-0 victory.

This marks Crystal Palace’s third FA Cup final appearance in their history. Their last final was in the 2015-16 season, where they lost 2-1 to Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United.

The second semi-final of the FA Cup will take place tomorrow between Manchester City and Nottingham Forest, where Pep Guardiola’s side aims to reach the final for the second consecutive year.

The situation for Aston Villa and Unai Emery has worsened in recent weeks after their heartbreaking elimination against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Following last week’s defeat to Manchester City, they now sit seventh in the Premier League, facing a tough battle for a Champions League spot, trailing fourth-placed Manchester City by four points.