LONDON: 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 gave 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 last appearance for the club after a 13-year stint.
Palace’s FA Cup win means they will play in next season’s Europa League.
Nketiah and Eze on target on Palace party night
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Nketiah and Eze on target on Palace party night
- There was a carnival atmosphere at Selhurst Park
- Palace’s FA Cup win means they will play in next season’s Europa League
Local golfers to compete alongside world's best at Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship
- Bahraini talent secure places through national qualifying route as game’s growth continues in the Kingdom
BAHRAIN: Three Bahraini golfers will tee off alongside DP World Tour stars at the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship, which takes place from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, having earned their places through the Kingdom's national qualifying pathway.
Ahmed Al-Zayed, Khalifa Al-Maraisi and Ali Mohamed Al-Kowari earned their places through the Kingdom’s qualifying pathway and will represent Bahrain at the Royal Golf Club in the third edition of the tournament, held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
They will be joined by England's Tom Sloman, who earned a professional invitation as winner of the King Hamad Trophy, and Malaysia's Zubair Firdaus, champion of the Bahrain Amateur Open.
The local qualifiers will compete alongside a stellar field that includes three-time Major Champion Padraig Harrington, current Race to Dubai leader Jayden Schaper, past winner Dylan Frittelli, and 2025 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Martin Couvra.
The Bahraini trio secured their spots through different routes. Al-Zayed was the best Bahraini finisher at the King Hamad Trophy, Al-Maraisi topped the Bahrain Golf Association rankings in 2025, and Al-Kowari came through the National Team Qualifying Tournament.
For Al-Zayed, who carries a +2.4 handicap, it marks a proud return to the championship.
“I’m so proud to be playing in this championship,” he said. “This is my second time participating in this event. I would like to thank Bapco Energies for organizing the biggest event in the country and the Bahrain Golf Association for giving national team players the chance to participate. I’m focused on representing my country in the best way and looking forward to playing with the best tour players to gain more experience.”
Al-Kowari, also playing off +2.4, will make his second consecutive appearance at the tournament after a hard-fought qualifying campaign.
“I'm very happy to play in this great tournament again,” he said. “It wasn't easy to get the spot, but we did it eventually. We played four days for the national team qualifier — it was really, really windy — but in the end we did it. I had some really good rounds and got the spot.”
The qualifying pathway highlights how hosting the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship is helping to develop the game across the Kingdom, providing local players with experience of competing at the highest level.
The tournament follows the Dubai Invitational and Hero Dubai Desert Classic — the first Rolex Series event of the season — as part of the DP World Tour's International Swing and features a prize fund of $2.75 million.
