FA Cup - Chelsea v Crystal Palace Tips
Chelsea are very firm favourites to win this FA Cup semi-final match in normal time. The Blues claimed a 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge over Palace at the beginning of the campaign, while they then achieved a 1-0 win at Selhurst Park more recently. They are likely to be a popular football accumulator pick to get the job done in ninety minutes.
When it comes to qualifying for the 2022 FA Cup final, the bookies are taking no chance with their quotes about a team whose owner was recently sanctioned, although that doesn’t appear to be affecting results on the pitch. Conversely, Patrick Vieira’s side are 11/4 outsiders to reach the Wembley final and perhaps they have a sporting chance.
Can Vieira Land Another FA Cup Success?
The Crystal Palace manager knows all about the FA Cup, having won this piece of silverware on four occasions as a player. The former Gunner lifted the trophy in 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2005, with Vieira returning to Wembley to lead out his Eagles team and the biggest issue is that Conor Gallagher is unlikely to be available.
The attacking midfielder is on loan from Chelsea for the remainder of the season although he’s unlikely to get clearance to line up against his parent club here, with this being a big blow to Palace’s chances although there are going to be some exciting players lining up on the big stage and hoping to shine.
Palace enjoyed an emphatic 4-0 win over Everton in the FA Cup quarter finals, with Jean-Philippe Mateta likely to get an opportunity to shine as part of his loan spell from Mainz, while Wilfried Zaha, Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise are other exciting players that might enjoy those open spaces at Wembley.
What Are the Best Bets for Chelsea v Crystal Palace?
We wouldn’t feel too confident when it comes to Chelsea winning this FA Cup semi-final, with Tuchel’s side having everything to lose in this game. The timing of this clash is also interesting on the basis that it takes place just days after a Champions League clash away to Real Madrid where the Blues will have to push very hard to get the right result.
On the flip side, Chelsea’s form has been excellent since winning the Club World Championship. There have been a succession of wins and the only failure to land a victory came at Wembley where they could easily have edged the League Cup final after taking Liverpool to the wire.
However, Crystal Palace will not want to be left wondering what might have been and we are leaning towards the BTTS Yes option which suggests that both teams will score. The Eagles finding the net along with Chelsea winning the game is a viable price and we wouldn’t be surprised to find a 2-1 victory in favour of the favourites.