Verdict: Draw
Best odds: 53/25
Bookmaker: ZetBet
Separated by less than 10 miles in England’s vibrant capital, London rivals Fulham and Crystal Palace battle for a coveted FA Cup semi-final spot in Saturday’s quarter-final clash at Craven Cottage.
The hosts progressed past Manchester United in the last round thanks to their penalty shootout expertise, while the Eagles cruised past Millwall in a match marred by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s severe injury.
Fulham
Cast your mind back to the opening game of the Premier League season, where Manchester United’s new signing Joshua Zirkzee netted the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Fulham. Fast-forward to March 2, and the Dutchman once again played a decisive role in the two sides’ tense FA Cup quarter-final—this time at the Red Devils’ expense.
Following a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, Marco Silva’s side pushed the contest to penalties, where Bernd Leno denied both Victor Lindelof and Zirkzee from the spot. In contrast, Fulham converted all four of their attempts, ending Man United’s FA Cup defense and cementing their status as dark horses in pursuit of a first-ever triumph in the competition.
However, history is not on their side. Fulham have fallen at the quarter-final stage in each of their last four attempts since last reaching the semis in 2002 – three times to Man United and once to Tottenham Hotspur, whom they defeated 2-0 just before the international break.
Second-half goals from Rodrigo Muniz and former Spurs man Ryan Sessegnon secured a sixth win in eight matches for Silva’s men, keeping them firmly in the race for a top-seven finish. Yet, remarkably, Fulham are still searching for their first set of consecutive home victories across all competitions this season.
Team News
After enduring their final two matches before the international break without Sasa Lukic, Fulham will gladly welcome their midfield anchor back following his two-game suspension for accumulating 10 yellow cards.
Lukic’s return could put Emile Smith Rowe at risk of dropping out, with the Serbian slotting into midfield and Andreas Pereira—who has created more chances than any other player in this season’s FA Cup (18) – pushing forward into the number 10 role.
However, Silva remains without three injured players: Kenny Tete (knee), Harry Wilson (foot), and Arsenal’s FA Cup winner Reiss Nelson (thigh), the latter of whom has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Crystal Palace
Palace reinforced their Selhurst Park stronghold with three consecutive home wins before the international break, the second of which came in an emotional FA Cup last-16 triumph over Millwall following a horrific injury to star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Oliver Glasner’s side ran out 3-1 winners despite the shocking incident, which saw Liam Roberts’ reckless high boot on Mateta spark outrage, with Palace chairman Steve Parish calling it the “most reckless” challenge he had witnessed in his 59 years. Shaken but unfazed, the Eagles powered through to the quarter-finals.
Like Fulham, Palace are still searching for their first-ever FA Cup triumph. However, while the Cottagers have fallen at this stage in their last four attempts, the Eagles have won four of their last five FA Cup quarter-final ties.
In their final game before the break, Palace found it difficult to break down a resilient Ipswich Town side, with the injured Mateta watching on, but a moment of brilliance from Ismaila Sarr secured a 1-0 Premier League win—their fourth straight victory in all competitions.
Notably, that winning streak began with a 2-0 triumph over Fulham at Craven Cottage in late February, extending Palace’s unbeaten away run against the Cottagers to six matches. Fulham have not beaten the Eagles on home soil since the New Year’s Day in 2005.
Team News
Mateta is set to receive a warm reception from both sets of fans on Saturday, as the French striker has been medically cleared to feature in the quarter-final after his distressing ear injury.
With Mateta available for the London derby, Palace are only expected to be without Joel Ward (calf), Cheick Doucoure (knee), and Chadi Riad (knee). Meanwhile, Will Hughes is eligible to play despite serving a Premier League suspension for accumulated yellow cards.
In preparation for their return to competitive action, Glasner’s side took the unusual step of playing a mid-season friendly before the international break, securing a 1-0 win over Norwegian side HamKam on March 13. Matheus França scored a stunning winner in that match, boosting his chances of earning valuable minutes on Saturday.
Conclusion
This is as close to a coin flip as it gets. Both Fulham and Palace entered the international break in excellent form, and with Mateta’s much-anticipated return, the Eagles should carry more attacking threat than they did against Ipswich.
However, a decisive winner may not emerge after 90, or even after 120 minutes of battle.
Verdict: Draw
Best odds: 53/25
Bookmaker: ZetBet
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