CHELSEA VS CRYSTAL PALACE MATCH Live Stream FA CUP SEMI FINAL - Football Match Today

Following a hard-fought cup run for both Chelsea and Crystal Palace, the two London sides are set to battle it out at Wembley Stadium for a place in the FA Cup final in May. Chelsea’s double dreams were crushed during midweek after they were dramatically knocked out of the Champions League in extra-time (aggregate: 5-4) by Real Madrid, despite a 3-2 victory on the night. That was a result that left boss Thomas Tuchel both ‘disappointed and very proud’. While tired legs could come into the equation following that European excursion, Chelsea remain strong betting favourites to progress here. The bookmakers are not often wrong when it comes to Chelsea’s chances too, as they boast a 94% unbeaten rate when starting as favourites between Premier League (PL) and FA Cup duties this season (W22, D7, L2). These two first met in the FA Cup back in 1906 with Palace securing a 7-1 win, a result that remains the ‘Eagles’ best ever H2H victory. Losing 2-1 at the hands of Leicester City last time out wasn’t the ideal preparation for this big clash though, but that was the first defeat Patrick Vieira’s men had suffered in eight games (W5, D2). Confidence that they can upset the odds should therefore remain high, especially as they’ve managed to progress to the final in two of their last three appearances at this stage! Palace’s ability to be a tough nut to crack for some of the league’s traditionally better sides could be key here. This season, they have already avoided defeat against Manchester City (W1, D1) and Arsenal twice (W1, D1), while beating Spurs 3-0 too. The pre-match favourite has also won a joint PL-low 42% of games involving Palace this term, further inspiring confidence that Vieira’s men have what it takes to send the club to their first FA Cup final appearance since 2015/16. Players to watch: Widely regarded as Chelsea’s ‘big-game player’, Kai Havertz has scored crucial goals in the Champions League (R16 & final), the EFL Cup semi-final, and the Club World Cup final since his move from Leverkusen. As influential Conor Gallagher won’t be able to play against his parent club, Palace could look to Jean-Phillipe Mateta as he’s scored four first-half goals across his last eight games. Hot stat: Three of Chelsea’s four FA Cup semi-final wins across the last nine years saw them beat a -1 handicap. WILL NOT PLAY Chilwell B. (Knee Injury) Hudson-Odoi C. (Achilles Tendon Injury) Ferguson N. (Muscle Injury) QUESTIONABLE Barkley R. (Illness) Lukaku R. (Achilles Tendon Injury) Hughes W. (Knock) Mitchell T. (Calf Injury) Olise M. (Foot Injury) #CHELSEAVSCRYSTALPALACE CHELSEAVSPALACE #LIVESTREAM