Now Crystal Palace have secured their place in the last four of the FA Cup, it’s hard to believe that they did not win their first game of the Premier League season until late October.
The Eagles had won two games in the Carabao Cup against Championship opposition, but tension was starting to build around Selhurst Park before that much-needed victory over Tottenham in their ninth league game of the season.
The memories of those struggles are far in the past now as supporters and those around the club begin to look forward to a trip to Wembley after an impressive 3-0 win away at Fulham, having last reached the semi-finals in 2022.
The Eagles have never won the FA Cup and have lost twice in the final, in 1990 and 2016, but can dream of lifting the first major trophy in their history, which dates back to 1861 depending on which historian you believe.
Their turnaround has been masterminded by manager Oliver Glasner and since the start of 2025, only Liverpool (11) have won more games in all competitions among Premier League sides than Glasner’s Palace (10).
The Eagles, with eight, have also recorded more clean sheets than any other English top-flight side in that time.
Glasner has always said he knew the start of the season would be tricky after a summer where they lost star player Michael Olise to Bayern Munich, had a large part of their squad involved in major tournaments and had four players sign on deadline day.
It’s taken time for all of those factors to settle down but in Glasner’s trusted 3-4-2-1 formation, the Eagles are highly organised and have built real momentum as they approach the end of the season.
Palace have lost just twice in their past 15 games – which is all the more impressive when somehow they have only managed to win three games at home in the league all season.
The Eagles’ back three of Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guehi is as solid a unit as you will find across the Premier League.
