Rich: Awful, devoid of ideas and tired. Crystal Palace were much the better team. Every turn, flick and dummy was easy to snuff out. Suddenly our season looks as barren as all of the others.

The cameras lingered on crestfallen Aston Villa faces. One half of Wembley was despondent and increasingly empty. Supporters were leaving early and, such were the queues for the exits, many had their backs turned as Ismaila Sarr’s second goal — Crystal Palace’s third — went in.