Fulham vs Crystal Palace

Selhurst Park sets the stage for an all-London FA Cup quarter-final tie between Fulham and Crystal Palace. 

Potentially 90 minutes away from reaching the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2001/02, Fulham defied the odds against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the previous round to set up this tie. Indeed, Marco Silva’s side won on penalties and will enter this clash in high spirits after winning six of their last eight domestic fixtures (L2). Worryingly, a 2-0 home loss to upcoming rivals Crystal Palace was among the upsets in that patch, extending Fulham’s wait for a home win against this opposition to over 20 years (D3, L3). Seeking their first home victory against the Eagles since January 2005, Fulham must set an unprecedented feat this season and win back-to-back games at Craven Cottage for the first time after seeing off Tottenham 2-0 last time out. 

On the other hand, Crystal Palace’s road to their first semi-final appearance in the FA Cup since contesting the grand final in 2015/16 has been plain sailing. Indeed, Oliver Glasner’s charges have beaten lower-league opposition in all three previous rounds, including a 3-1 triumph against Championship outfit Millwall in the last-16. Though this promises to be a much sterner test, Palace can draw confidence from winning their last five competitive away matches without conceding a single goal, including the abovementioned victory on this ground. Indeed, since a 3-2 loss at Arsenal in mid-December, they’ve gone 549 minutes without being breached on the road.