Eddie Nketiah Shines as Mateta’s Replacement in Crystal Palace’s 4-2 FA Cup Victory Over Wolves at Selhurst Park
SELHURST PARK was alive with excitement as Crystal Palace triumphed over Wolves in a remarkable FA Cup celebration, making history yet again.
Just 72 hours after clinching the club’s inaugural trophy, Oliver Glasner reached another significant milestone by steering the Eagles to over 50 points in the Premier League for the very first time.
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Eddie Nketiah scored two goals, with Ben Chilwell finding the net for the first time for the club, and Eberechi Eze adding another as they defeated Wolves, despite the festivities from the past days.
The result provided yet another reason to celebrate, although the atmosphere was more about enjoyment than performance on the field.
Fans exuberantly cheered beneath the Wembley arch and continued the celebrations back home.
Though this final was not the last game of the domestic season, nights like this strongly advocate for earlier scheduling.
Palace has plans for a trophy parade in South London on Monday, but this was truly a festive occasion on their home ground.
Supporters arrived early, many still brimming with excitement.
They left the club shop clutching exclusive Cup winners t-shirts.
Commemorative scarves and special matchday programs, featuring the FA Cup cover along with warm messages from Marc Guehi, Steve Parish, and Glasner, were eagerly bought.
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Chairman Parish shared his enthusiasm: “Saturday felt like a coming-of-age moment, the day we truly established ourselves as a ‘genuine football club’.”
He was accompanied in the stands by Mark Bright and former manager Alan Pardew, all wearing joyful faces.
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Selhurst Park has always been a lively stadium in London, but this night was exceptionally vibrant, with all sides joining in a new chant: “12th again, who cares? We’ve won the FA Cup!”
The Holmesdale End led the crowd in chants for each of their Cup heroes, with everyone joining in.
Red and blue balloons, alongside inflatable FA Cups, floated around the stands, where nearly every fan proudly donned their colors.
As substitutes received warm welcomes on their way to the dugout, Palace’s captain, Ward, led the team out while holding his newborn daughter ahead of his final home match.
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Glasner allowed the players to fully enjoy Saturday’s win, shifting training to Monday afternoon.
He made seven changes for the match, as Guehi and Adam Wharton were sidelined due to concussion, while others were likely nursing hangovers from the weekend celebrations.
For the most part, the match itself felt secondary to the festivities.
Selhurst echoed with songs celebrating Saturday’s triumph, Glasner, and hopes for a European adventure.
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Amid the celebrations, there were moments of footballing brilliance to enjoy.
Wolves took an early lead with Emmanuel Agbadou, who headed in from a corner taken by Jorgen Strand Larsen, as Nketiah tried to clear but ultimately failed.
However, Nketiah quickly redeemed himself moments later, ensuring the Wolves goal did little to dampen the palace parties—Nketiah only added fuel to the fire.
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Nketiah, signed from Arsenal last summer, had struggled with only one Premier League goal this season prior to this game, but managed to score twice within five minutes.
His first came from a cutback by Romain Esse, finished expertly with a first-time strike, followed by a close-range header from an Ismaila Sarr cross, after some diligent work from Daniel Munoz.
There were more joyful moments to come after the halftime break.
Chilwell, who joined in January from Chelsea, netted his first goal in red and blue as his free-kick took a significant deflection off Agbadou in the Wolves wall to find the bottom corner.
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Wolves did manage to score another goal, with Strand Larsen heading in unmarked from a corner delivered by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, but Dean Henderson once again put on an impressive display, making a critical save against Goncalo Guedes.
Concerns about Wolves getting back into the match did not disturb Palace supporters, especially when Eze clinched the game with a stunning goal after coming off the bench.
Ward, who received a farewell card from the referee after a tackle on Matheus Cunha, provided one of the night’s most touching moments.
Substituted in the 70th minute, the Eagles legend dropped to his knees in the center circle, unable to hold back his emotions—a moment shared with Parish in the stands.
After 13 years, the right-back never anticipated leaving amid celebrations for lifting the Cup.
This evening was filled with joy and farewells, marking yet another chapter for a Palace team on the ascent.