Aston Villa’s hopes of winning the FA Cup ended bitterly at the hands of Crystal Palace, and Unai Emery was honest in his post-match assessment.

After a 3–0 defeat where Villa were second best for long stretches, Emery pointed to a lack of composure and failure to execute their plan.

“We lost control in key moments,” he said.

“In the first half, especially, we allowed them to build confidence. Eze was outstanding, and we didn’t find the solutions to stop him.”

Villa were blown away by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Fans would’ve expected them to win this fixture given their top performances in the EPL and also in their exit from the UCL against PSG. 

Following the loss, the Aston Villa manager had a few words to say. “We need to learn from this,” Emery added.

“Cup competitions are about moments. We didn’t win enough of them today.”

It’s a tough pill for Villa, who had been dreaming of a return to Wembley.

Instead, it’s back to focusing on their Premier League campaign, and Emery will need to pick his players up quickly.