While the opposition is fierce – Emma Hayes' Chelsea team have finished as Women's Super League champions in each of the last four seasons, and have won the FA Cup in the last three – the Eagles can step out with great pride in their achievements so far this season.
The match, which kicks off at Kingsmeadow at 14:00 GMT, will be broadcast live on the FA Player and the @adobewomensfacup social channels (X/Twitter, Facebook and TikTok).
Laura Kaminski’s Palace – who enjoyed such a fine first half to their 2023/24 season – will be bidding to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in the Women's team's history.
They have already won back-to-back games in the competition for the first time as a full-time professional outfit, with a 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers in south London last month following a 6-0 win over Chatham Town in December.
Hayes herself said of Palace in her pre-match press conference: "‘We have to acknowledge that they [Palace] are flying high. They’re contenders to go up.
"I’ve watched them: they’re an organised team, they make it difficult out of possession, and they’re a threat going forward. They mean business."
