Nothing captures the attention and excitement of sports fans like English football and the reasons for this are many. Considered the country with the best domestic football league in the world, the English Premier League, it is much bigger than just that. It is the only place where several competition ranks are strongly followed and enthusiastically cheered on. Even the second-tier Championship and the third and fourth ranks, League 1 and League 2, football are popular among both fans and sports bettors.
But there is another reason why English football is so popular, and that is their many cups: the League Cup, the Football League Cup, the FA Community Shield, and the FA Cup. It is the last one that we deal with today, as it’s the oldest football competition in the world, being first established in the 19th century. It is iconic because it encompasses teams from different leagues, as David vs Goliath matches are quite common with Premier League giants like Liverpool often taking on little-known local clubs.ย
The 2025 FA Cup Quarter-Finals are Here
On March 29 and 30, the quarter-final stage of the 2024/25 FA Cup is on program, with the first game featuring Premier League rivals Fulham and Crystal Palace. It is a London derby, one of many considering how many teams hail from the capital, but not really the main one that first comes to mind. Still, the stakes are high as these two teams, who are not used to winning trophies, are in contention for the prestigious cup.ย
At the moment, in the ongoing Premiership campaign, Fulham is in 10th place with Crystal Palace right behind them in 11th. So not only are they local rivals, but they are also in the very middle of the table, vying for a chance to get one over on each other.
Fulham has 42 points from 11 wins, 9 draws, and 8 losses while Palace is at 39 points with a 10-9-9 score. They even have the same goal difference, a modest +3.
How Did They Get Here?
In the 5th round of the competition, Fulham beat Manchester United after penalties. It was a 1-1 draw after regulation and the southwest London team won the penalty shootout 4-3. Before that match, they had beaten Wigan Athletic 2-1 in the 4th round and Watford 4-1 in the 3rd round. As for Crystal Palace, the road was a bit easier, as they won against Stockport 1-0 in the 3rd round, and then beat Doncaster 2-0 in the 4th. Their previous match in the 5th round was a 3-1 win against Millwall.
Now Fulham and Crystal Palace meet in the quarter-finals on March 29, for a chance to advance to the semis. Previously, they have only met twice in the competition, all the way back in February of 1907. The first was a goalless draw, and then 4 days later, Palace won 1-0.
Overall, across all competitions, Fulham has won 19 times, Crystal Palace 15 times, and a draw being the result 19 times.ย
Quarter-Final Chances and Odds
So who is the favorite in this London derby? Fulham is favored, as the game will be played at Craven Cottage, the teamโs ground in West London. This automatically puts them forward in the chances department, which the sportsbooks and sports odds aggregation providers like Odds88 have recognized. Therefore, Fulham is the favorite with 2.25 odds while Crystal Palace is sitting at 3.25. The draw bet is the same at 3.25. Fulham is favored to score first with 1.87 to 2.21 and the goal range for 2-3 and 4-5 goals are 1.93 and 4.00, respectively.ย
Who Plays in the Other Quarter-Final Matchups?
Bournemouth plays Manchester City and is the underdog with 3.80 odds over the favoritesโ 1.95. Brighton goes up against Nottingham Forest and is the heavy favorite with 1.80 to Forestsโ 4.00. In the fourth and last matchup, the outsider, Championship side Preston, only gets 7.50 odds in their duel against Aston Villa at 1.42. As for the outright winner of the competition, Manchester City is the favorite with 3.00 followed by Villa with 5.00, Brighton with 7.00, and Fulham with 9.00. Bournemouth gets 11.00 while Crystal Palace is at 12.00.ย
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who has won the FA Cup the most?
Arsenal holds the record for the most FA Cup victories with 14 titles, followed by Manchester United with 13 and then Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham at 8 each.
2. Who is the leading scorer in FA Cup history?
ย Ian Rush is the FA Cup’s all-time top scorer with 41 goals, followed by Denis Law with 34 and Jimmy Greaves with 32.ย
3. Which player has won the most FA Cup titles?
ย Ashley Cole has won the most FA Cup titles with 7 wins, 3 with Arsenal in 2002, 2003, and 2004, and 4 with Chelsea in 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2012.ย
4. Have Fulham or Crystal Palace ever won it?
Neither has ever won the competition. Fulham’s best performance came in 1975 when they reached the final but lost to West Ham United. Crystal Palace reached the final twice, in 1990 and 2016, but finished runners-up, losing to Manchester United on both occasions.
