Arsenal
Aston Villa
Chelsea
Crystal Palace
Everton
Fulham
Leeds United
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Newcastle United
Nottingham Forest
Southampton
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
Wolverhampton Wanderers
News
Should Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace focus on the FA Cup for these reasons?
As the fans sang that “que sera sera, Palace were headed for Wembley”, thoughts of Alan Pardew’s semi-final winner in the 1990 FA Cup run surely ran through the minds of the older Eagles fans and the man himself. 26 years on and Palace are on the march again. In the quarter-finals for the first time in 21 years, the prospect of another weekend visit to the new Wembley seems appetizing to the South London faithful.
The cup tie at White Hart Lane was seen as a chance to pick back up Crystal Palace’s Premier League form, but quickly turned into a vital moment in the campaign. With a favorable draw against Reading in the next round; albeit away from home, the chances of making it to the semi-finals at the home of English football look promising.
Despite the dreadful league run, it’s not all doom and gloom for Palace. The FA Cup provides one of the last glimmers of hope for the Eagles to cement their season as successful. No one seems to understand why Palace can beat Tottenham away in the FA Cup but concede three goals at The Hawthorns. It may not be a matter of understanding though, simply harnessing that form into a fruitful cup run.
That in mind, here are 5 reasons why Alan Pardew has to prioritize the FA Cup.