With an external chance of an unlikely FA Cup and Champions League, Fulham is located. A Blockbuster Stropdas against Crystal Palace gives them the opportunity to reach their first FA Cup-Halve final since 2002 and to get a step closer to their first FA Cup final since Bobby Moore and Co played in 1975.
The side of Marco Silva is only four points from the top four. History is in their grip. Silva has created a team that reflects his personality: ambitious, aggressive and very competitive. He was praised this week as a possible replacement for Ange Postecoglou in Tottenham, one side that they comfortably defeated in their last league match.
So much of Fulham's threat comes from broad areas, especially left, because in the last third Silva gets completely as possible again Antonee Robinson on the ball on the ball. Trent Alexander-Arnold is the only defender to create more opportunities from Open Play in the Premier League this season.
Willian made his first start since he had returned to the club in January against Spurs and immediately started that old understanding with Robinson on the left. He stopped inside and freed the space for Robinson, who likes to encounter the channels.
Willian's return has given Silva even more broad options and has allowed him to switch Alex Iwobi to the right and still have the much improved Adama Traore and Ryan Sessegnon as options for the couch, even while Harry Wilson and Reiss Nelson are injured.
Silva likes to make impactful substitutions late in games. He brought Rodrigo Muniz and Sessegnon against Spurs and they both scored.
Fulham is happy to build from behind and let teams print on them. Spurs tried it and they easily played through it. The cornerstone of their defense is the center-back combination of Calvin Bassey and Joachim Andersen. Bassey dominates out of possession in one on one, while Andersen does the same possession with his long, ranging steps.
Both parties have defeated each other this season, so there is nothing to hide tactically.
The key to success for Palace will be how they deal with the flying wide men of Fulham and still remain effective on the counterattack. I expect that Fulham dominates the possession and tries to push Palace's wing back into a defensive five.
Glasner has quickly implemented a 3-4-2-1 system, a system that tries to play an illustrious club in the northwest but has not been able to use somewhere so effectively. He has built a side that plays with a solid structure in midfield, but with flair and freedom that often gets five attacking players in the last third part.
Ebereechi Eze is the most creative player. He is in his pockets with Ismaila Sarr to form a midfield box with players Adam Wharton and Jefferson Lerma behind them. Palace is well equipped after playing since 8 March and it has given the productive Jean-Philippe Mateta time to recover from his head injury in the final round.
The Premier League is seen as the holy grail, but if you want to be remembered, win a trophy. These are players at clubs from the middle of the table that usually do not have the chance to reach a final, but there is no Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea or Newcastle left. They may never get a better chance to win the FA Cup.
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