Rooney concerned after what he saw in Aston Villa v Crystal Palace, Lineker agrees
Aston Villa’s FA Cup dream came to a crashing end as they were beaten 3-0 by Crystal Palace in Saturday’s semi-final.
Unai Emery’s men trailed 1-0 at half-time thanks to Eberechi Eze’s goal, but matters only became worse in the second half when Ismaila Sarr scored a brace.
Villa’s attention must now turn back to the Premier League, where they are still vying for a place in next season’s Champions League.
Emery’s side will be gutted that they have been knocked out of both the Champions League and the FA Cup this month, meaning they can no longer win silverware.
Lineker and Rooney think Mateta’s goal should’ve stood
Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta was in the thick of the action as the Eagles beat Villa in the FA Cup semi-final, as he missed from the penalty spot before assisting Sarr’s first goal just five minutes later.
Meanwhile, the 27-year-old thought he had opened the scoring, but was adjudged to have fouled Ezri Konsa in the build up.
Gary Lineker said BBC One’s live coverage (26 April, 6.07pm): “It’s not a foul. Any kind of contact now is perceived as being a foul.”
Wayne Rooney added: “That’s a real concern for me. If he goes down that easily… it’s a concern for me. He just gets bullied.”
Villa will be bitterly disappointed by their defeat to Palace
This season seemingly promised so much for the Villa Park side, who began the month looking forward to the Champions League quarter-finals and FA Cup semi-finals.
| Opponent | Result |
| Newcastle | 4-1 W |
| Manchester City | 2-1 L |
| Crystal Palace | 3-0 L |
Villa’s Champions League exit, albeit they put up a great fight in the second leg, was somewhat predictable due to the strength of PSG.
But Emery’s men would have fancied their chances of getting the better of Palace at Wembley and booking their spot in this season’s FA Cup final.
However, Villa’s semi-final display was one of their worst performances of the season, as Oliver Glasner’s men were deserved victors at Wembley.
When the West Midlands giants beat PSG at Villa Park 3-2 in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final, Emery’s side proved they are capable of beating some of the best teams in the world.
However, Emery’s side were unable to beat Palace at Wembley, which is bitterly disappointing as a once promising season looks set for an uninspiring ending.