BOLD EAGLES' EZE PICKINGS

Silva's side the Wembley way

- Ryan Taylor at Craven Cottage

ADAM WHARTON might have been lucky to stay on the pitch - but there was nothing fortunate about the result.

Eberechi Eze-inspired Crystal Palace clinched their place in the FA Cup semi-finals - for the second time in four seasons - in emphatic fashion after dismantling Fulham for a sixth consecutive away victory in all competitions.

Oliver Glasner's exceptional Eagles simply love playing on the road and, after keeping seven straight away clean sheets, have made a habit of embarrassing opponents on their own patch.

For all the talk about the returning Jean-Philippe Mateta, Palace did not need their water polo cap-wearing hero at his best as Eze, jet-heeled Ismaila Sarr and sub Eddie Nketiah inflicted the damage with three ruthless finishes.

As furious Fulham fans flooded towards the exits after Nketiah (right) had buried the third, you began to wonder how they are on course to break the club's record for Premier League points.

Marco Silva has had three shots at Wembley as Craven Cottage boss and each time he's fallen short, losing to Manchester United at this " stage in 2023 before last season's Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Liverpool.

Having talked up his own European aspirations in the Portuguese press, this was one of the few dark days of his Fulham reign.