Eagles Soar Past Canaries: Palace Cruise Into FA Cup Third Round
Crystal Palace comfortably dispatched Norwich City at Selhurst Park, securing a dominant 4-0 victory in the second round of the FA Cup. The Eagles showcased their attacking prowess, securing a commanding lead within the first half hour and comfortably navigating the remaining stages of the match.
The game began with Palace quickly establishing control, forcing Norwich goalkeeper Angus Gunn into action early on. Eberechi Eze, a constant threat throughout the evening, narrowly missed with an effort from a Daniel Muñoz cross within the opening seconds.
Norwich briefly threatened to disrupt Palace's dominance with a swift counter-attack. However, Vicente Guaita produced a brilliant double save to deny a goal, first thwarting a shot from Crnac and then reacting instinctively to deny Oscar Schwartau with a diving save.
Palace's superiority was soon evident, with a second goal arriving in the 18th minute. Odsonne Ãdouard, who had opened the scoring with a powerful header in the 11th minute, turned provider, finding Jean-Philippe Mateta in the box. Mateta made no mistake, confidently smashing the ball past Gunn to double Palace's lead.
The Eagles continued to press, with Eze's inventiveness and creativity proving a constant thorn in Norwich's side. The midfielder came close to scoring his first goal of the season when his clever lob, following a deft pass from Eze, landed on the roof of the net.
Eze's persistence was rewarded six minutes from time when he finally found the back of the net. After a dazzling run past five Norwich defenders, Eze delicately slotted the ball into the bottom corner, capping off a fine individual performance.
Palace's dominance was complete in the 85th minute when a swift counter-attack ended with a composed finish from Will Hughes, securing a resounding 4-0 win.
The victory sees Palace progress to the third round of the FA Cup, where they will face a formidable opponent in the form of a Premier League rival. The Eagles will be hoping to maintain their momentum and continue their strong start to the 2023/24 season.
Palace: Guaita (GK), Muñoz (Ward, 78), Clyne, Guéhi, Riad (Richards, 10), Mitchell, Doucouré (Wharton, 69), Hughes (Lerma, 69), Eze, Mateta, Kamada (Sarr, 69).
Subs: Johnstone (GK), Schlupp, Ahamada, Ãdouard.
Norwich: Gunn (GK), Fisher, Hanley, Córdoba, Chrisene (Doyle, 58), Nuñez, Gibbs, Forsyth (Schwartau, 58), Forson (McLean, 13), Hernández, Crnac (Sainz, 83).
Subs: Mair (GK), Stacey, Duffy, Sargent, Hills.
