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Crystal Palace dominated Fulham with a resounding 3-0 victory in Craven Cottage, eliminating Lily Fa’s whites in the quarterfinal stage.
Despite the presence of the Nigerian duo Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey, Fulham fought to impose himself, being short against a ruthless side of the palace.
Upon returning from an injury, Jean-Philippe Mateta made his first beginning from his controversial Tackle against Millwall in the previous round, adding fire power to the Oliver Glasner team.
Palace did not waste time affirming the control, with Eberrechi Eze opening the score in the 34th minute with a well located blow.
Four minutes later, Eze became a supplier, hitting a perfect cross for Ismaïla Sarr, who capitalized the bad brand to double the leadership of visitors with a header.
Bassey, usually a rock in the back of Fulham, was caught with flat feet, allowing Sar to sneak into the near post.
Fulham, desperate for an answer, advanced after the break, but Crystal Palace remained defensively compact, frustrating the side of Marco Silva.
The Eagles sealed the victory at the end of the game when Eddie Nketiah pounced on a defensive period to draw home in the close position to the past Bernd Leno, putting the result without a doubt.
Bassey, who has been one of Fulham’s prominent artists this season, will feel disappointed with his role in Palace’s second goal.
The Nigerian defender, making only his second appearance in the FA Cup for the club, could not deal with the Eze cross, allowing Sar to return home easily.
Iwobi, on the other hand, fought to influence the game from the center of the field, since Fulham failed to break the well -organized defense of Palace.
With this defeat, Fulham’s FA Cup trip comes to an end, letting them concentrate on their remaining games of the Premier League.
Bassey has now played 30 games this season, scoring against Nottingham Forest in the League and in the FA Cup against Manchester United in Old Trafford.
For Fulham, this loss is difficult to take, but for the palace, a well -deserved place is expected in the semifinals of the FA Cup.
