More questions than answers
Patrick Vieira has often called for consistency this season but not just from his players on the pitch. He's also after emotional consistency on a game by game basis - never get too high after a win and never sink too low after defeat. Still, the Frenchman would have headed to the King Power Stadium on Sunday with at least more hope than doubt that his side could keep the high standards they've set themselves over the last two months up against a Leicester side full of changes.
Instead, ahead of the biggest game of this season and the biggest game for the club since the 2016 FA Cup final, Vieira leaves Leicester with more questions than answers leading into the semi-final showdown with London rivals Chelsea. Plans won't have been thrown out of the window by any means, but there might be need for recalculation following a difficult first 45 minutes in the Midlands.
Tyrick Mitchell's injury causes the most obvious spanner in the works, with Vieira admitting after the game that playing Joel Ward in his place at left-back was not ideal, even more so given it was Ward's first action since early February due to injury. Meanwhile, in midfield, Palace look short on potential options to line up at Wembley and go toe to toe with one of the best teams in Europe.
READ MORE: Jordan Ayew sends Chelsea message to Crystal Palace teammates following Leicester defeat
Conor Gallagher - who wasn't at his best against Leicester - will be unable to face his parent club, while a knock to Will Hughes in the build-up to the match meant he was unable to be part of the matchday squad and could now be a doubt for Sunday. James McArthur and Ebere Eze both came on to good effect in the second period to replace Cheikhou Kouyate and Gallagher respectively, though whether McArthur has it in him to start against Chelsea after only recently returning from a second injury of the season is uncertain.
Zaha’s penalty trouble
Vieira made a strong point of backing Wilfried Zaha following his penalty miss against Norwich at Carrow Road earlier in the season but after failing to convert from the spot twice again at Leicester there might be an inkling of doubt creeping into his mind.
Zaha’s first attempt at Kasper Schmeichel’s goal was a tame effort to Dane’s left which the Foxes keeper kept out fairly easily, though he was given another bite of the cherry after the referee deemed Schmeichel to have encroached off his line. This time, Zaha went the opposite way but was denied once again. Luckily, the ball bounced back to him and he was able to head home his 11th goal of the season, though there will remain questions over his penalty-taking abilities after today.
Those won’t be coming from Vieira though, who told reporters at full-time that he still had full confidence in Zaha’s penalty-taking abilities and that if they won a spot-kick against Chelsea at Wembley next week, the Ivorian would be the one to take it.
Rare mistakes
After stringing together a brilliant set of performances to help keep clean sheets in their previous four matches, Palace centre-backs Joachim Andersen and Marc Guehi struggled during the first 45 minutes at the King Power Stadium. Like in the reverse fixture at Selhurst Park, the Eagles found themselves 2-0 down at the break largely thanks to their own errors. Nathaniel Clyne and Andersen got themselves in a twist for Ademola Lookman's opener before Guehi's failure to control the ball allowed Patson Daka to pick out Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall who finished excellently past Vicente Guaita.
If this is what’s required for Andersen and Guehi to have a faultless performance at Wembley next week, then Vieira will take it. But it will bring some Palace fans back down to earth after growing accustomed to the pair barely putting a foot wrong over the last two months.
Lightning doesn’t strike twice
At Selhurst Park in October, it was Vieira’s smart substitutions that brought Palace back into the game as Jeffrey Schlupp and Michael Olise both netted off the bench to secure a draw after going 2-0 down.
For a moment at the King Power Stadium on Sunday, it seemed like Vieira’s options off the bench were again going to claw Palace back into a game that they had struggled in during the first half. Both McArthur, on for Kouyate, and Ebere Eze, on for the underwhelming Gallagher, immediately added some much-needed energy into the midfield and it was no surprise that Palace soon enjoyed their best spell of the match.
McArthur was able to slow the game down in the middle of the pitch which allowed the Eagles more time to pick their passes and create space between the lines to hurt Leicester. This was where Eze looked most comfortable - gliding towards the Foxes’ goal and making things happen by combining with the front three.
If both McArthur and Eze were auditioning for a starting berth at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final next week, they both did enough in their short cameos to prove to Vieira they’re ready for the big stage.
No risks taken with Mitchell
After initially going down with an injury 20 minutes into the game but getting back up and carrying on, it did not initially seem as if there was any problem to worry about with Tyrick Mitchell. But shortly after picking up a yellow card - his first in a Crystal Palace shirt since October 2020 - Vieira decided he would make a change, replacing Mitchell with Joel Ward who was making his 300th Palace appearance in the more unfamiliar territory of left-back.
The manager confirmed in his post-match press conference the move was precautionary, though said Mitchell had felt something in his calf which soon prompted the change. The 22-year-old will now undergo tests on Monday to assess the severity of the injury, with fans now sweating on his availability for Sunday's huge FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea.
