A place in the FA Cup fourth round will be on the line when Crystal Palace and Everton face off at Selhurst Park on Thursday.
The FA Cup resumes with the third round this week, with Premier League clubs entering the equation. The action begins on Thursday, with Crystal Palace and Everton locking horns at Selhurst Park.
For Crystal Palace, 2023/24 has been a dreadful campaign thus far, with Roy Hodgson facing an uncertain future at the club. The veteran manager came out of retirement to help out the South London club. But a run of one victory in nine games has put him under pressure. However, the Eagles’ only win in that period came in their most recent clash, which will have relieved Hodgson.
As for Everton, the Toffees have seen their recent excellent run of form disappear. The visitors have lost their last four games, suffering heavy defeats against Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers last week. The period also included a penalty shootout loss to Fulham, which booted them out of the EFL Cup.
Crystal Palace and Everton have already locked horns once this season, with the Toffees eking out a narrow 3-2 win at the end of a five-goal thriller. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Crystal Palace
Roy Hodgson has a new injury concern hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Everton on Thursday, the Crystal Palace manager will be bereft of the services of seven first-team players.
Michael Olise is the latest absentee, with the youngster picking up a hamstring injury this past weekend against Brentford. Olise has joined Sam Johnstone (calf), Joel Ward (thigh), Rob Holding (ankle), Cheick Doucoure (Achilles), and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi (hamstring) in the treatment room.
In addition, Jordan Ayew is unavailable after joining Ghana for the Africa Cup of Nations. So, Roy Hodgson needs a clever solution to complete his offensive unit on Thursday. He will deploy Odsonne Edouard on the flank, with Jeffrey Schlupp featuring on the right wing. Jean-Philippe Mateta should spearhead the Crystal Palace attack against Everton.
Eberechi Eze will reprise the no. 10 role, looking to pull the strings in the final third. But he will also support Jefferson Lerma and Matheus Franca during the defensive phases. As for the backline, Nathaniel Clyne, Joachim Andersen, Marc Guehi, and Tyrick Mitchell will complete the defensive quartet. Finally, Dean Henderson will take his spot between the sticks.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Henderson; Clyne, Andersen, Guehi, Mitchell; Lerma, Franca; Schlupp, Eze, Edouard; Mateta
Everton
Unlike his counterpart in the Crystal Palace dugout, Sean Dyche barely has any roster issues to deal with ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park. The Everton manager will be without four first-team players on Thursday.
Idrissa Gueye is the latest absentee, with the experienced midfielder joining Senegal for the Africa Cup of Nations. In addition, Ashley Young (knock) and Dele Alli (groin) remain on the sidelines. Abdoulaye Doucoure is closing in on returning to action. But Thursday’s game has come too soon for him.
Jordan Pickford is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Everton lining up in a 4-1-4-1 formation in front of him. The backline should feature Seamus Coleman, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, and Vitaliy Mykolenko.
As for the midfield unit, James Garner should sit at the base and play the anchor role, although he will receive defensive support from Andre Gomes and Amadou Onana. Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil will be the wide attackers, with the duo using their directness to trouble the Crystal Palace defenders. Finally, Beto will spearhead the Everton attack on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (4-1-4-1): Pickford; Coleman, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko; Garner; Harrison, Onana, Gomes, McNeil; Beto
Key Stats
- Everton have already won away against Crystal Palace this season, beating them 3-2 in the Premier League. The last time they won two away games against an opponent in the same season was at West Ham United in 2007/08.
- Crystal Palace have progressed from just two of their six FA Cup ties against Everton. But the Eagles won the most recent such encounter 4-0 in March 2022.
- Crystal Palace have lost three of their last four FA Cup third-round matches, the exception coming in 2021/22 when they reached the semi-finals.
- Everton are without a win in their most recent 12 FA Cup games in London (D4 L8) since beating Manchester United 1-0 at Wembley Stadium in the 1995 final.
- Everton have lost seven of their last nine FA Cup games against fellow Premier League sides (W2), losing all four away from home in this run.
Player to Watch
Beto
Eberechi Eze was a candidate for the section, considering his importance to Crystal Palace in Michael Olise’s absence. But we have gone ahead with Beto as our pick, with the Portuguese striker eager to make his mark for Everton.
The 25-year-old has blown hot and cold since joining the Merseyside club this past summer. But he has stamped his authority in cup games this season, scoring thrice and providing two assists in five outings across the EFL Cup and Coppa Italia. So, he will fancy his chances of finding the back of the net on Thursday.
Prediction
Crystal Palace 1-2 Everton
Crystal Palace and Everton do not have much FA Cup pedigree heading into the third-round clash at Selhurst Park on Thursday. The Eagles have overcome Everton only twice in six FA Cup meetings. On the other hand, the Toffees have failed to beat fellow Premier League clubs in the competition in seven of the last nine attempts.
In addition, Everton’s record in FA Cup games in London is dreadful. Furthermore, with neither team in particularly solid form, an exciting clash bereft of defensive solidity is on the cards. But Michael Olise’s absence, coupled with Beto’s ability to chip in with crucial goals in cup matches, tips the scales in Everton’s favour. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 victory for Sean Dyche and his charges.
