Crystal Palace vs Aston Villa predictions: Eagles could advance from tight encounter
&w=707&quality=100)
- Crystal Palace have won three of the last four matches between the teams
- The Eagles have kept clean sheets in three of four FA Cup ties this season
- Recommended bet: Crystal Palace draw no bet
Crystal Palace are the only one of the FA Cup semi-finalists striving for a first victory in the competition and are sure to be fired up for their intriguing clash with seven-time winners Aston Villa under the Wembley arch.
The Eagles have reached two FA Cup finals (1990 and 2016), and lost out to Manchester United on both occasions, although the first of those ties had to be settled by a replay.
Villa’s last FA Cup success came way back in 1957.
However, Unai Emery has a trophy-winning pedigree, having secured three Europa League titles while in charge of Sevilla and another while at the helm of Villarreal.
Emery was also highly successful with Paris Saint-Germain where he landed a league title and four cup successes — two in the Coupe de France and two in the Coupe de la Ligue.
Team news
Palace defender Chris Richards is back in contention after a one-match suspension but Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucoure (both knee) are unavailable.
Oliver Glasner needs to check on Ben Chilwell (illness), although Tyrick Mitchell has been the first-choice left wingback and should stay in the side.
Emery will have to make do without cup-tied Chelsea loanee Axel Disasi but he has no injury concerns and faces a number of tricky selection decisions, including who to select up front out of Ollie Watkins and Marcus Rashford.
Midfielder John McGinn was among the senior players benched for Tuesday’s 2-1 loss at Manchester City but has a strong case for a recall to the starting XI.
The stats
&w=707&quality=100)
Crystal Palace have lost just two of their last 11 matches.
Palace have netted in 18 of their last 20 fixtures.
Three of Palace’s last four games have featured at least four goals.
Both teams have scored in five of Aston Villa’s last six matches.
All of Villa’s last nine games have generated at least three goals.
Prediction
Crystal Palace are 12 points below Aston Villa in the Premier League but they are unbeaten in their four matches against the West Midlands outfit and may just have the edge in the Wembley encounter.
The Londoners triumphed 2-1 at Villa in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup as well as taking four points from the league meetings, including last month’s 4-1 triumph at Selhurst Park.
Villa have had a strong season, including a run to the Champions League quarter-finals, but they suffered a major blow to their top-five hopes on Tuesday when losing 2-1 at Manchester City.
Palace had a more positive midweek experience — drawing 2-2 at Arsenal — and can follow that up by reaching the FA Cup final for the third time in their history.
Win up to £250,000 with LiveScore 6!
Win up to £250,000 with our free-to-play game, LiveScore 6!
