Crystal Palace v Everton predictions: Palace progress set to continue

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Crystal Palace v Everton in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

Where to watch

ITV, 12.30pm Sunday

Best bet

Crystal Palace
1pt Evs Betfred

Team news

Crystal Palace
Will Hughes and Luka Milivojevic are available after illness, leaving only Nathan Ferguson and James McArthur on the absentee list.

Everton
Tom Davies, Cenk Tosun, Fabian Delph and Yerry Mina are sidelined, Allan is suspended while Jordan Pickford and Donny Van de Beek are doubts.

Match preview

Patrick Vieira was a four-time FA Cup winner with Arsenal and Manchester City and he can take his Crystal Palace side a step closer to glory by steering them to a quarter-final victory over Everton at Selhurst Park.

Palace have never won the FA Cup and the last of their two final appearances was in 2016 when they succumbed to a 2-1 extra-time loss to Manchester United.

However, they are taking the competition seriously and have benefited from some kind draws because Everton are the first Premier League opponent they have had to face.

Vieira's side approach the game full of confidence after extending their unbeaten sequence to five with a hard-fought 0-0 draw at home to Manchester City on Monday.

They are heading for a comfortable mid-table finish and Vieira has a few pleasant selection conundrums to consider with right-back Joel Ward fully recovered from injury and midfield pair Will Hughes and Luka Milvojevic free from the illnesses which ruled them out against City.

The Frenchman seems likely to select his strongest side, including the settled front three of Michael Olise, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Wilfried Zaha, which caused Wolves all sorts of problems in the recent 2-0 success at Molineux, and that should give the Eagles a great chance of toppling the Toffees, who are stuck in a relegation battle.

Everton picked up a precious three points when Alex Iwobi's injury-time goal secured a 1-0 success at home to Newcastle on Thursday, but their disjointed performance did nothing to suggest they will avoid a bumpy ride over the remainder of the season.

Their final 11 league games include matches against five of the top eight teams, so it is imperative that Frank Lampard considers the fitness of players who expended so much physical and mental energy in their midweek success.

Lampard, like Vieira, was a four-time FA Cup winner in his playing days, and would love to combine top flight survival with a couple of successful trips to Wembley, but the short turnaround makes it very difficult for his team to compete on an even playing field.

The Toffees have struggled on their travels since before Lampard's arrival, taking just six points from a possible 39, the worst record in the top flight.

Everton's most recent road success was a 3-2 extra-time victory over Championship strugglers Hull in the FA Cup third round, but their clash with Palace looks a tougher assignment and it is unlikely to have a happy ending for the visiting side.

Key stat

Everton have lost eight of their last ten away fixtures

Inside info

Crystal Palace

Penalty taker Wilfried Zaha
Free-kick wizard Conor Gallagher
Set-piece aerial threat Cheikhou Kouyate
Card magnet Conor Gallagher

Everton

Penalty taker Dominic Calvert-Lewin
Free-kick wizardAnthony Gordon
Set-piece aerial threatMichael Keane
Card magnetAbdoulaye Doucoure

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