Prediction: Watford win
Best Odds: 11/8
Bookmaker: bet365
The FA Cup quarter finals are set to take place this weekend, and in case you hadn’t already guessed as much, that’s a pretty big deal. The winners of these four games will be moving on to the FA Cup semi finals, which means they’ll be booking their ticket to Wembley. Two such teams who will be aiming for glory are Watford and Crystal Palace, as the two teams prepare to square off in their quarter final. The two are pretty similar in terms of the stature of their clubs, but they’ve definitely had very different seasons so far.
Watford
It’s an exciting time to be a fan of Watford Football Club, and that may well be an understatement. They’ve had a fantastic season and are currently sitting comfortably in the top eight of the table, with a place in the Europa League being in their sights. They’ll be battling Wolverhampton Wanderers and potentially West Ham & Leicester for that honour, but in truth, they may not even need the Premier League in order to accomplish their goal. If they can win the FA Cup, they’ll be on their way to the Europa.
Team News
Despite fielding a weakened side in past rounds, Watford are expected to pull out their big guns for this tie.
Crystal Palace
It’s been a pretty ‘up and down’ season for Crystal Palace this season, although it certainly seems like they’re in a decent position in the race for survival. Roy Hodgson has a lot of experience in this department, and with five points separating themselves and Cardiff City, one or two more big wins will be huge for them. Of course, we’re here to talk about the FA Cup, which is a competition they reached the final of as recently as 2016. They won’t forget the pain of losing at Wembley, and they’ll be hellbent on getting back to the big dance.
Team News
Meyer and Batshuayi are expected to start together, despite Hodgson not considering the FA Cup a priority.
Factors to Consider
- These two teams faced off in an FA Cup semi final in 2016, with Palace winning 2-1.
- Watford have won four and lost two of their last six games.
- Crystal Palace have won three, drawn one and lost two of their last six games.
- Watford have scored 10 goals and conceded 10 in their last six games.
- Crystal Palace have scored 12 goals and conceded eight in their last six games.
Conclusion
Both of these clubs know what is at stake here, and the result will largely depend on who can handle the pressure. We think, on the day, that’ll be Watford. Palace have a tendency to shoot themselves in the foot, and the Hornets know that if they can get at the Eagles’ star players and bully them a bit, they’ll have a lot of success. Watford have been able to find a way to win on multiple occasions throughout the course of the season, and we’re backing them to do it again as they continue their road to Wembley.
Prediction: Watford win
Best Odds: 11/8
Bookmaker: bet365
- Soccer News Like
- Be the first of your friends!
