Crystal Palace reached the FA Cup final for the first time in nine years as Ismaila Sarr's double and a stunning strike from Eberechi Eze secured a 3-0 win against Aston Villa at Wembley on Saturday.
Palace's fans, dreaming of a first major trophy in the south London club's 119-year history, cranked up the volume from the first minute and were rewarded in thrilling fashion.
England forward Eze put Palace ahead in the 31st minute with a sweetly-struck right-footed shot from just outside the penalty area after being picked out by Sarr.
Tyrick Mitchell spurned a glorious chance to make it 2-0 just before halftime and when Jean-Phillipe Mateta missed a penalty shortly after the restart, Palace might have feared they would be made to pay by their Premier League rivals.
But Villa simply could not cope with Palace's energy and Sarr then sent a long-range low drive past Emiliano Martinez just before the hour to put his side firmly in control.
Sarr then broke clear in stoppage time and finished in style to send Palace's fans into delirium.
The Eagles have never won the FA Cup, losing their two final appearances against Manchester United in 2016 and 1990.
Villa, who last won the FA Cup in 1957, were hoping to make the final for the first time since 2015.
But Unai Emery's team produced a dismal display and will have to settle for fighting to qualify for the Champions League via a top five finish in the Premier League.
After the win, Palace hero Eze said he was grateful for a chance to aim for glory.
"Special day. I'm grateful to God for the opportunity to play here, to win, to go to the final. We want to go all the way and we believe we can do it," he told BBC Sport.
"I saw the opportunity to shoot, I am always trying my luck, always taking shots. We work on this stuff all the time, I'm grateful to God that I have scored today and helped the team."
Eze also lauded Sarr for stepping up when the team needed him.
"He's top. I probably got this [man of the match award] prematurely so I will probably be giving it to him inside, but he's helped us so much this season," Eze said.
Villa piled on more pressure after the restart when Dean Henderson was called into another big save to deny John McGinn's sharp volley, then Lucas Digne fired through a crowd, narrowly wide of Henderson's right post.
Palace were awarded a 53rd-minute penalty after Eze was tugged down by Kamara and Mateta stepped up to the spot after a VAR check, but the Frenchman's attempt clipped the post.
Just as Villa had begun to gain momentum, Adam Wharton intercepted a pass and Sarr latched on after a quick touch from Mateta, taking a few paces forward before firing into the bottom-left corner.
Henderson was called upon again to punch away a cross then denied substitute Leon Bailey, moments after Eagles striker Mateta slid in to deny Ross Barkley - who had also come on - a chance.
Sarr probably should have cushioned the Eagles' lead earlier when he nodded Eze's cross off-target, while Matty Cash's attempt to claw a late goal back for Villa sailed wide.
Villa had seven minutes of stoppage-time to turn things around, but Palace won the ball back and Sarr decided he was not finished, outpacing Konsa before slotting home in front of a sea of Eagles supporters.
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Federer's 19 grand slam titles
Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal
French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling
Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic
US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Company%20profile
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The%20specs
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The%20Genius%20of%20Their%20Age
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
The currency conundrum
Russ Mould, investment director at online trading platform AJ Bell, says almost every major currency has challenges right now. “The US has a huge budget deficit, the euro faces political friction and poor growth, sterling is bogged down by Brexit, China’s renminbi is hit by debt fears while slowing Chinese growth is hurting commodity exporters like Australia and Canada.”
Most countries now actively want a weak currency to make their exports more competitive. “China seems happy to let the renminbi drift lower, the Swiss are still running quantitative easing at full tilt and central bankers everywhere are actively talking down their currencies or offering only limited support," says Mr Mould.
This is a race to the bottom, and everybody wants to be a winner.
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
((Disclaimer))
The Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG (“Bank”) assumes no liability or guarantee for the accuracy, balance, or completeness of the information in this publication. The content may change at any time due to given circumstances, and the Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG is under no obligation to update information once it has been published. This publication is intended for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer, a recommendation or an invitation by, or on behalf of, Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch), Liechtensteinische Landesbank AG, or any of its group affiliates to make any investments or obtain services. This publication has not been reviewed, disapproved or approved by the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) Central Bank, Dubai Financial Services Authority (“DFSA”) or any other relevant licensing authorities in the UAE. It may not be relied upon by or distributed to retail clients. Liechtensteinische Landesbank (DIFC Branch) is regulated by the DFSA and this advertorial is intended for Professional Clients (as defined by the DFSA) who have sufficient financial experience and understanding of financial markets, products or transactions and any associated risks.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
ASSASSIN'S%20CREED%20MIRAGE
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
more from Janine di Giovanni
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
THE%C2%A0SPECS
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
Torque: 300Nm
Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
FIXTURES
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
Note: d/n = day/night
