FA Cup: Toffees and Eagles are Looking for Cup Cheer

Everton vs Crystal Palace

Everton and Crystal Palace are about to get it on again in their FA Cup replay after the two teams played out a 0-0 draw at Selhurst Park last week.

It’s a nice distraction from the stresses of Premier League survival and FA Cup: Everton vs Crystal Palace gives both teams the chance to find their form and win a high stakes match. But it’s all positive in the Cup, you can’t get relegated, you just go out, but there’s also the very real chance of a morale boosting trip to Wembley.

Everton and Crystal Palace are managed by two of the best tactical English coaches in the business; Sean Dyche is a pragmatist, formerly known as the Ginger Mourinho, but with a desire to entertain, and there are few managers who garner more respect than Palace’s master Roy Hodgson.       

The Toffees are at odds of 1.45 to advance to the fourth round with the Eagles at 2.49 and, while Dyche’s team should have the upper hand I reckon the Everton vs Crystal Palace highlights will be a serious battle of wills between two teams which need a lift.  

Talking Points

Everton toiling in front of goal

Three goals in six games is a worrying statistic for a team battling relegation and Everton’s Sunday clash with Aston Villa turned out to be another blank, thought the Toffees showed all their resilience, earning a goalless draw as centre back James Tarkowski put in a master-class of no nonsense defending.    

Winger Dwight McNeil made an appearance in the second half against Villa, and that was good news for Everton fans as he has been the team’s most creative and dangerous player, and his supply to the strikers is a key part of the Toffees armoury. Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s red card from the first leg was overturned and he will line up against the Eagles. But the striker’s toils in front of goal continued as he missed a sitter against Villa which would have given Everton an unlikely victory; but Dyche takes a balanced view. He wants his team to be hard to beat but he also knows that winning is what the game is all about.

“I’ve only been here roughly a year,” said Everton boss, “but people have remarked to me that the mentality is stronger and more resilient. We’ve got to capitalise more when we have the ball. In particular one chance which was the golden chance of the game; a good save, that’s what stopped him today. The way it goes, if he keeps getting chances, it will go in.”     

Hodgson looking to strengthen  

While Everton are still most certainly in a relegation battle, the Eagles are looking over the shoulders too and, according to the British press, Hodgson is keen to bring in re-enforcements to push his team over the line in May. Chelsea centre back Trevor Chalobah is on the radar, but the Eagles boss will face some serious competition for his signature, with FC Bayern and Roma both monitoring the player. The Bundesliga club may have some pull as their head coach Thomas Tuchel managed Chalobah at Chelsea, but their recent signing of Eric Dier makes that position less of a priority.

And in attack Hodgson is looking for more creativity and he is one of a number of coaches who admire Blackburn Rovers youngster Adam Wharton. Other top flight clubs are interested but Palace appear to making the running. There’s no denying that the departure of talisman Wilfried Zaha has left a gaping hole in the Eagles’ forward line. Yes they have some talented wide players in Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze but they struggle for consistency and the Palace boss is looking for competition.

History

Everton have won 13 to six of the last 30 encounters with the Eagles, with 11 draws in all competitions since 1994 and Palace have not won any of their last eight visits to Goodison Park. 

In terms of recent form, neither team is pulling up trees. Everton are without a win in six, drawing three and losing three, while Palace have won one, drawn three and lost two of their last six games.   

Betting Tip

The Everton vs Crystal Palace betting odds are giving the Toffees a better than 50/50 chance of winning this tie, but at a paper thin margin with a price of 1.99, while the Eagles can be backed at 3.10 with the draw priced at 2.88.

The Toffees are not big scorers but, equally they are hard to break down and, without Zaha Palace sometimes have to search hard for that moment of magic. I’m not expecting a flood of goals.   

 

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