Nketiah Shines As Crystal Palace Celebrate FA Cup Triumph With Win Over Wolves
Last Updated:
Eddie Nketiah scored twice as Crystal Palace won 4-2 over Wolverhampton. Ben Chilwell and Eberechi Eze also scored. Palace will play in next season's Europa League.
Eddie Nketiah scored twice on Crystal Palace's party night as they celebrated their FA Cup triumph in style with a 4-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Tuesday.
Palace's last home game of the season came three days after they beat Manchester City at Wembley to claim the first major silverware in the south London club's history and there were euphoric scenes as they hit back to take the three points.
The carnival atmosphere was interrupted briefly when Wolves took the lead through Emmanuel Agbadou's 24th-minute header but Selhurst Park was really rocking when Nketiah struck twice in the space of five minutes before halftime.
Ben Chilwell's free kick deflected off of Agbadou's head to make it 3-1 in the 50th minute and the noise in the stadium barely diminished when Wolves reduced the deficit with a glancing header from Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Twelfth-placed Palace, who made six changes to the side that started against City, brought on Cup final goal hero Eberechi Eze in the 81st minute and he put the icing on the cake with a clinical angled finish after a jinking run.
Oliver Glasner's side have 52 points, the highest total Palace have collected in the Premier League, and they will end a momentous season at champions Liverpool on Sunday.
After the historic events of Saturday it looked like Palace might be suffering an FA Cup hangover when Agbadou's header from a corner just about crossed the line.
Nketiah came off the bench at Wembley and had been on the fringes at Palace but he was given a start and took full advantage to score his first league goals for three months.
Three minutes after Palace fell behind, former Arsenal forward Nketiah received a cut back from Romain Esse and fired a shot past Wolves keeper Dan Bentley who could have done better.
Nketiah was at it again soon after, guiding in a low cross by Ismaila Sarr for his 50th senior career goal.
'We're buzzing, we're happy and it's a massive day for us. Our manager was keen to keep it going and keep the celebrations going. Everyone was firing and we got the win," Nketiah said.
'The unity between the fans and the players is amazing and it will be amazing to have European nights here."
It was a memorable night for Palace's long-serving defender Joel Ward who wore the captain's armband in his 364th and final appearance for the club after a 13-year stint.
'What a way to sign off. I couldn't have written a better story and a better ending," the 35-year-old said.
Palace's FA Cup win means they will play in next season's Europa League.
First Published:
May 21, 2025, 07:27 IST
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Wasteful India Concede Late Goal, Lose 2-3 To Netherlands In FIH Pro League
A wasteful Indian men's hockey yet again conceded a late goal to lose 2-3 against the Olympic champions Netherlands, enduring their second consecutive defeat in the European leg of the FIH Pro League here on Monday. For India, Abhishek, playing his 100th match, scored in 20th minute, while Jugraj Singh converted his team's ninth penalty corner in 54th minute. The Netherlands scored through Thijs van Dam (24th), Tjep Hoedemakers (33rd) and Jip Janssen (57th). India had earlier lost 1-2 against the Netherlands on Saturday. India started on the front foot in the first quarter with as many as nine circle penetrations, but the goals eluded the visitors. India had the first chance of the match in the sixth minute but Abhishek's shot went wide. Soon, Shilanand Lakra snatched the ball in the midfield and raced his way into the Dutch circle only to shoot wide. Tjep Hoedemakers got the first scoring opportunity for the Dutchmen but his reverse hit from a tight angle was off the target. Minutes later, Hoedemakers got another chance but his deflection went wide. The Indians secured the first penalty corner of the match in the 18th but the Dutch defended well to deny India skipper Harmanpreet Singh. But two minutes later, Abhishek handed India the lead with a fierce shot to the top of the Dutch goal after being set up by Lakra. India's joy, however, was shortlived as four minutes later Thijs van Dam found himself at the right place at the right time to level the scores after the ball, from Thierry Brinkman's pass, hit an Indian stick and popped up in front of the goal. The Dutch dominated the early exchanges after the change of ends and took the lead three minutes into the third quarter through Hoedemakers, who neatly deflected in Derck de Vilder's pass. Minutes later, Netherlands got their first penalty corner but the effort went wide. Thereafter it was all India as they secured as many as six penalty corners in quick succession but Harmanpreet and Jugraj Singh failed to convert any of them. The Indians were guilty of wasting chances, converting just one of the nine penalty corners they secured in the match. Towards the end of the third quarter, India got as many as five penalty corners in quick succession but Harmanpreet and Jugraj failed to breach the Dutch defence. In the 54th minute India got two more penalty corners, the second of which was converted by Jugraj to level the scores. But as has often been the case, the Indians conceded another late goal when Janssen converted the Netherlands' second penalty corner three minutes from the hooter to seal the match. India will next play Argentina here on Wednesday.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Every fan knows the truth: The Stanley Cup is the greatest trophy in sports
Stanley Cup (via Getty Images) The Stanley Cup is not a trophy—it's a living legacy that binds generations of NHL champions together in one simple, compelling tradition: it's passed from one team captain to the next, face-to-face on the ice, never behind a closed door. In contrast to the other professional sports, in which the owners are the stars, the Stanley Cup is put into the hands of those players who bled, broke, and fought for it. The Stanley Cup's traditions generate stories fans never forget When an NHL season ends, the moment every hockey fan waits for is not a speech from an owner or a trip to a VIP stage—it's watching the Stanley Cup being handed to the winning captain right on the ice. In that moment, the blood, sweat, and bruises of the playoffs crystallize into pure elation. It's immediate, raw, and deeply earned. A Reddit user summed up the sentiment best: 'I don't think any sports fan puts up an argument that it isn't the greatest trophy in sports. But I like to push a bit further and argue that the NHL playoffs is the greatest tournament in sports. It's absolutely GRUELING. It's months of playing broken, hurt and tired all for the glory of lifting the greatest trophy into the air and having your name etched into it.' NHL Mic Drop: Panthers vs. Oilers Game 2 | Stanley Cup Final That emotional center is one of what makes the Stanley Cup distinguishable from other trophies such as the Lombardi Trophy or the Larry O'Brien Trophy. As one fan put it, 'Watching the end of the Super Bowl always feels a bit gross to me for this exact reason.' And the trek? Fierce. Grueling. Glorious. Another commentator commented, 'This is arguably the best aspect of hockey. Credit is given to the warriors on the ice not the stiffs with the pocket books.' 'The 92 Penguins partied with the Cup so hard, doing various activities like throwing it into Mario's pool and diving for it. They ended up damaging the cup a bit (it got better) and that's why there's a keeper of the cup now,' one fan commented. Also read: Don Cherry slams Stanley Cup Final refs after controversial Game 2: 'The worst I've ever seen' But while all its glory, not everybody is pleased with the way the NHL handles its most revered item these days. One fan commented, "And the NHL is ruining it. Such a prestigious trophy in by far the greatest sport, and every fan has said at least once in the last 12 NHL is a joke.' But not even league blunders can remove the Cup's mythos.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Transfer News: Manchester City Sign Rayan Ait-Nouri Ahead Of Club World Cup
Last Updated: Rayan Ait-Nouri signed a five-year contract with Manchester City from Wolverhampton Wanderers for around £33.7 million. Algerian defender Rayan Ait-Nouri has signed a five-year contract with Manchester City, moving from Wolverhampton Wanderers ahead of this month's Club World Cup, the club announced on Monday. While financial details remain undisclosed, British media reported a fee of around £33.7 million ($45.69 million) for the 24-year-old, who had one year left on his Wolves contract. Ait-Nouri initially joined Wolves on loan from Ligue 1 side Angers in 2020, making the move permanent a year later. He departs after five seasons with Wolves, having made 157 appearances, scoring 12 goals and registering 19 assists. 'City are one of the biggest clubs in the world, and playing for them is a dream come true," Ait-Nouri said. 'I am also very excited about working with Pep (Guardiola) and his coaching team, and training and playing alongside such a world-class group of players." Learn more about our first summer signing! ✨ — Manchester City (@ManCity) June 9, 2025 Last season, Ait-Nouri impressed at both ends of the pitch. Among defenders, only Fulham's Antonee Robinson surpassed his assist tally. He also ranked fourth among defenders in goals and chances created. City's director of football, Txiki Begiristain, said the club had been tracking Ait-Nouri for 'quite some time". 'He already has extensive Premier League experience and has also shown his quality at international level with Algeria," Begiristain added. Wolves have now lost two key players from last season, following Brazil forward Matheus Cunha's move to Manchester United on 1 June. City finished third in the 2023-24 Premier League season, securing Champions League qualification on the final day. Guardiola's side will next compete in the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia. They face Club Leon in their opening game on 18 December, before matches against Urawa Red Diamonds and Al-Ahly in their other Group B fixtures. First Published:
