MY ACCOUNT
Chelsea will look to bounce back from their Champions League heartache when they return to domestic action to face Crystal Palace in the semi-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday.
With Manchester City and Liverpool having been drawn to face each other, the Blues may feel they have got a little lucky.
However, Palace look like a different beast under Patrick Vieira, and they will be desperate to pull off a shock for their loyal supporters.
It comes as no surprise to see Chelsea installed as the pre-match favourites, and rightly so.
But Sunday’s tie is a one-off FA Cup battle. We look at how Palace can have some success.
Important for Palace to keep it tight
Recent FA Cup semis have tended to be low-scoring affairs, with six of the last nine before this year featuring under 2.5 goals until Liverpool and City played out a rare thriller.
Chelsea showed tremendous heart and ability to beat Real Madrid 3-1 in the Champions League to force extra time in their quarter-final tie but they could not quite see it through as Karim Benzema proved a thorn in their side once again.
Thomas Tuchel’s outfit certainly have a greater wealth of attacking talent but they may be suffering both mentally and physically in the wake of their European exertions.
Palace can take advantage of the extra few days’ preparation and have proven they can be tough to break down when they are at their best.
Vieira’s men may have lost 2-1 to Leicester last weekend but they had kept four clean sheets in a row before that defeat.
The Eagles can also take heart from their last result against Chelsea, having only lost 1-0 at Selhurst Park in February thanks to Hakim Ziyech’s 89th-minute winner.
Time to let Olise and Zaha loose
While the decision to loan Conor Gallagher has been proven successful, Palace will sadly be unable to call upon his services.
Chelsea have rejected a request from to let him play against his parent club, meaning James McArthur will likely fill the void in midfield.
With Gallagher unavailable, Palace need their other players to step up and shine, with Michael Olise set to be available after recovering from injury.
The former Reading ace has had a hand in half of Palace’s ten FA Cup goals this season, scoring three while providing two assists.
No player has registered more involvements this season in the competition and his direct approach could be crucial, with Chelsea still struggling with injuries.
Ben Chilwell’s absence continues to be felt at left-back, while Cesar Azpilicueta is not at peak fitness after a recent bout of coronavirus.
Like Olise, Wilfried Zaha has the game to disrupt any defence in the Premier League and he is likely to lead the line at Wembley.
Zaha has always seemed to come up with the goods for the Eagles when it matters — if he can do it one more time, he could help Vieira’s men upset the odds and reach the final.
