Danny Murphy predicts scoreline and winner in Everton v Crystal Palace
Danny Murphy has predicted Everton to lose to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup later today.
The BBC pundit believes that going on a cup run could help Toffees battle against relegation from the Premier League this season.
However, he believes that the London side will prove to be too good for them on the day.
Predicting a 2-1 scoreline, he told The Daily Mail, “It’s a great opportunity for both teams who haven’t given their fans the chance to visit Wembley much in recent years.
“Continuing their Cup run would help Everton in the battle against relegation. It’ll give them a bounce because their fans need something to get excited about beyond survival.
“If they won a first trophy since 1995 and stayed in the Premier League, it would be a memorable season. Palace have never won a major trophy so their motivation is clear.
“I expect a close game. I hope Frank Lampard picks a strong Everton team to build on the momentum of Thursday’s win over Newcastle. But Palace winger Michael Olise can exploit Everton’s weakness at left back. He is elegant on the ball and has a high work-rate out of possession.”
Play the kids
Murphy might think that a cup run can help their relegation battle, but it could work the other way as well.
The further the club go in the cup, the more Lampard will want to field his best possible XI.
This will also increase the risk of injuries and would mean that more academy players will have to play in the Premier League.
While we would want the Toffees to win, it’s a good opportunity to play the kids today.
First team experience is something that is extremely underrated and for teenagers to get it at an early stage could prove to be vital.
In other Everton news, Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick has apologised to Everton with regard to his comments about them due to what’s been going on at Chelsea.
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