The last two times Crystal Palace reached the FA Cup final — in 1990 and 2016 — they were defeated by Manchester United. This Saturday, they return for their third-ever appearance in the final, once again facing a team from Manchester. But this time, it’s City — and at Selhurst Park, there’s hope the ending will be different. Despite the immense talent at Pep Guardiola’s disposal, the most in-form player heading to Wembley will be wearing the red and blue of Palace: Eberechi Eze, the gifted number 10, who has scored five goals in his last four matches.

In Palace’s most recent Premier League outing, Eze sealed a 2-0 away win in the London derby against Tottenham, scoring a brace and netting for the fourth consecutive game. “Right now, he looks unstoppable,” said legendary striker Alan Shearer, who selected him for his Team of the Week. Eze was also named Player of the Match by WhoScored, receiving an impressive 8.58 rating — and that performance didn’t come out of nowhere. Now 26, Eze has 12 goals and 12 assists across all competitions this season — his best campaign since arriving in the Premier League, surpassing even his peak Championship season in 2019/20 with QPR, where he was involved in 22 goals.

A Star in Full Bloom
This is Eze’s fifth season at Selhurst Park. It took time for him to hit top form, especially after a serious Achilles injury at the end of his debut campaign in 2020/21. The effects lingered even after his return in November 2021. But in the three seasons since, he’s missed just 17 matches due to injury. This season alone, he’s started 38 games and come off the bench twice — with three more games remaining.

When fully fit, there’s no doubt that Eze — who was once released by Arsenal, Fulham, Reading, and Millwall before making 122 appearances for QPR — has the quality to thrive at a top club. He’s the kind of player who drops jaws with dazzling footwork and breaks ankles with sudden moves. There’s virtually no distance too great when he sets his sights on goal.

According to Transfermarkt, his current market value stands at €55 million. He already has 10 caps for the England national team. All signs point toward a big summer move. When he scored his second goal against Spurs, Eze celebrated by making a phone gesture — hand to ear — which many interpreted as a cheeky nod to Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy. A bit conspiratorial, perhaps, but not far-fetched — Eze has been linked with Tottenham, as well as Liverpool, Arsenal, City, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Manchester United. Practically every ambitious club in England is watching him.

The Spurs Web site even ran a headline after the match: “Tottenham Must Sign Eze.” Whoever lands him will be getting a true wizard on the ball. And if anyone doubts his readiness to make the leap from Palace to a top side, they only need to look at Michael Olise — who moved to Bayern Munich last summer and has since tallied 16 goals and 20 assists across competitions.

A Threat Even Without the Ball
Though Palace isn’t known for possession-based football, Eze has proven he can thrive in a proactive system. This season, he’s been involved in 148 attacking sequences that ended in a shot — 22 more than any other Palace player and ranking 23rd in the Premier League. Among players not in top-half clubs, only Alex Iwobi (Fulham) and Matheus Cunha (Wolves) rank higher.

Among players with at least 1,000 league minutes, only Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, and Bruno Fernandes average more threats and dangerous chances created per game than Eze (5.6). That’s elite company.

One Last Gift?
Before any top club breaks the bank for him, Eze still has one mission left: deliver Palace its first major trophy. He’s been instrumental in the team’s FA Cup run — three goals and an assist in four matches. In the 3-0 quarterfinal win over Fulham, he scored, assisted, and was named Man of the Match. In the 3-0 semifinal win over Aston Villa, he scored the opener and again earned Man of the Match — yet humbly credited teammate Ismaïla Sarr, who scored twice, saying, “I’ll bring the trophy home for him.”

A few days later, Eze showcased more than just footballing brilliance by winning the Chess.com Amateur Invitational — a four-day online tournament featuring 12 content creators and athletes. Palace proudly posted on X: “He really can do it all.” Off the pitch, Eze has proven his character too — donating $25.5 million to help build a homeless shelter in London.

Wembley Awaits
Of course, City are clear favorites in the final. In their last meeting, City came back from 2-0 down to win 5-2. But Eze believes in himself and his team. “We know that if we do our thing and bring our best version — we have a chance against any team,” he said. That’s not just wishful thinking. Despite sitting 12th in the table, Palace has taken points off all six teams below champions Liverpool this season — including a 2-2 draw with City in December.

They’ve also won eight of their last 14 games, losing just twice. And if they do shock the world and beat City at Wembley — there’s little doubt that Eze will have had everything to do with it.