Thomas Tuchel and his side will be desperate to progress through to a third FA Cup final in as many years, with the competition the only feasible piece of silverware left for Chelsea this season. The Blues already know who they could face in the final following Liverpool’s victory over Manchester City in the first semi-final on Saturday.
To get there though, they must first overcome fellow London club Crystal Palace, who have impressed under new boss Patrick Vieira this season. The former Arsenal captain took over from Roy Hodgson, overseeing a squad rebuild following a number of experienced players leaving.
It has been a success so far, with the Eagles never threatened by relegation, relishing a new style of play, defeating some of the top sides in the league and enjoying a prosperous cup run. The results have then led Tuchel to be full of praise for his opposite number in his pre-match press conference : “He's (Vieira) done a fantastic job, created a very energetic team full of individual quality and very, very dangerous counter-attacking team.
