If Alan Pardew‘s side hoped to gain any momentum heading into the FA Cup Final against Manchester United, they probably won’t get it today thanks to Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam.
In the first half of the match between the Eagles and Potters, Gianelli Imbula slipped a neat pass into the feet of Marko Arnautovic, who then threaded it to Adam, who made no mistake with drilling a low, right-footed finish past Wayne Hennessey to grab an early Stoke City lead.
Crystal Palace proved unable to answer in the first half, so they’ll need a strong rally in the second to have a chance against the aggressive Stoke City attack.
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On May 21 Crystal Palace will head to Wembley to take on the Red Devils for the FA Cup Final – a title the club have never won – and actually beat Stoke City 1-0 in the fifth round back in January.
The Eagles are not mathematically out of the relegation woods just yet either, but can avoid the drop entirely if Sunderland lose or draw against Chelsea today.
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