Crystal Palace vs Everton

Selhurst Park sets the stage for an exciting FA Cup third-round tie between Crystal Palace and Everton.

Crystal Palace couldn’t have imagined a better way to cap off a tumultuous 2023, beating fellow London rivals Brentford 4-0 on home turf to arrest a dismal eight-game winless streak in all competitions (D3, L5). It was an ideal way to prepare for this fixture, one they’ll take seriously after losing to this opposition 3-2 in the Premier League earlier this season. However, the last time Palace and Everton faced each other in the FA Cup, Roy Hodgson’s side obliterated the Merseyside outfit 4-0 in March 2022 en route to reaching the semi-finals. Yet, it’s also the only time they’ve progressed beyond round three across the past four campaigns, suggesting their bid to post back-to-back competitive wins for the first time since August/September is in limbo.

On the other hand, Everton’s form wobble toward the end of 2023 saw them lose three Premier League matches on the trot by a combined score of 8-2 in the wake of a gut-wrenching League Cup exit at the hands of Fulham via penalties. Everton’s abysmal spell of form, combined with November’s Draconian ten-point punishment for breaching FFP rules, paints a bleak picture at the start of 2024, but there’s a silver lining. The ‘Toffees’ have dominated this fixture recently, emerging victorious in three of their last four H2Hs (D1), not to mention clocking three clean sheets in the process. But on a less positive note, after winning four consecutive away matches, Sean Dyche’s men have lost the last two, conceding 2+ goals on each occasion.