Images from Saturday's FA Cup quarter-finals.
Crystal Palace too good for Fulham
Eberechi Eze capped a memorable week with a goal and an assist as a clinical Crystal Palace beat London rivals Fulham 3-0 on Saturday to book their place in the FA Cup semi-finals.
The winger, who scored his first England goal on Monday, whipped in a brilliant opener against the run of play in the 34th minute to stun the home crowd.
Four minutes later Eze's left-wing cross was headed in by Ismaila Sarr to put Palace in control of the tie.
Most of the second half was played in Palace's half as Fulham tried to respond but the hosts were caught cold again when substitute Eddie Nketiah, a Cup winner with Arsenal in 2020, fired a shot past Bernd Leno in the 75th minute.
While Oliver Glasner's Palace can look forward to a second Wembley semi-final in four seasons and dream of winning the FA Cup for the first time in the their history, Fulham must console themselves with a push for Europe via the Premier League.
Much of the pre-match talk was about the return of Palace's leading scorer this season Jean-Philippe Mateta after sustaining a horrible facial injury in the previous round against Millwall.
Mateta wore a mask to protect the ear wound that required more than 20 stitches and his name was sung by Palace's large and vociferous following. But it was Eze who stole the show.
"We're confident in ourselves and we know what we can do, we know what we are capable of," he said.
"It's games like today where you show the mentality which will get you further in the tournament."
London's oldest football stadium bathed in beautiful spring sunshine alongside the River Thames was the perfect setting for the first FA Cup clash between the clubs since 1907.
With so many of the usual suspects having bowed out, fans of Fulham and Palace arrived with genuine belief that this could be the year they win their first major silverware.
Fulham, FA Cup runners-up in 1975, dominated the opening half an hour with Rodrigo Muniz going close and Andreas Pereira scuffing a good chance wide.
For all Fulham's territorial superiority, though, it was Palace who packed the greater punch.
The visitors almost took the lead when Jefferson Lerma dipped a sumptuous volley against the crossbar.
Eze broke the deadlock in stunning fashion, dropping his shoulder after receiving the ball wide on the left before lashing an unstoppable shot in off the far post.
It was a sucker punch for Fulham and they were still clearing their heads when Eze sent in a cross from the left that Sarr met with a guided header to send the visiting fans wild.
Fulham applied plenty of pressure after the break with Willian almost scoring a replica of Eze's goal but being denied by Dean Henderson while Calvin Bassey nearly bundled home after a goalmouth scramble.
There was not much conviction in Fulham's play, however, and Nketiah put them out of their misery as twice Cup runners-up Palace reached the semi-finals for the sixth time.
Forest knock Brighton out on penalties
Nottingham Forest secured a place in the FA Cup semi-finals by beating Brighton & Hove Albion 4-3 in a penalty shootout when Ryan Yates smashed home the winner after the game finished goalless following extra time.
Forest keeper Matz Sels saved Jack Hinshelwood's low shot towards the bottom corner before keeping out Diego Gomez's attempt into the middle of the goal either side of the visitors' missed effort from Neco Williams that flew over the bar.
Twice winners Forest, who won the trophy in 1898 and 1959, last reached the final in 1991 and had not made the semis since.
Forest, third in the Premier League, have needed penalties to decide their last three FA Cup ties, including against third-tier Exeter City and fellow Premier League club Ipswich Town.
The fans created a lively atmosphere at the Amex Stadium but there was little spark on the pitch in the first half.
Brighton's Bart Verbruggen made a superb save after 15 minutes to keep out Taiwo Awoniyi's shot from a tight angle by blocking it with his foot in the game's first real chance.
Awoniyi came in to lead Forest's attack in place of their injured top scorer Chris Wood.
Brighton's Yasin Ayari sent a chance just wide from distance shortly after and Carlos Baleba fired just past the post from the edge of the area as the hosts stepped up the tempo.
They sustained the pressure after the break and Georginio Rutter was inches from scoring when he swivelled and sent his effort over the bar from close range.
The game could have turned after the hour mark when Forest thought they were awarded a penalty after Brighton forward Kaoru Mitoma's challenge on Elliot Anderson. However, a VAR review showed there was no foul committed.
With eight minutes added to regular time, Forest were close to finding a late winner as Verbruggen saved an attempt from Murillo following a free kick while Yates sent a chance over and the game finished 0-0 and headed to extra-time.
Good defending by both sides made for a drab first half in the extra period before a brilliant save by Sels kept out a powerful header from Brighton substitute Gomez that would have otherwise sailed right under the crossbar.
Joao Pedro then thought he had made it 1-0 for Brighton from close range but it was chalked off for a clear offside in the build-up moments before the two sides headed into the shootout.
The 1983 finalists Brighton, who have never lifted major silverware, reached the semi-finals twice in the past six years, last doing so in 2023, but their wait for a trophy goes on.
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