Millwall and Crystal Palace Clash in Carabao Cup Derby
When the draw for the Carabao Cup third round was announced, attention turned to League Two Grimsby Town following their remarkable shootout victory over Manchester United.
In addition to Grimsby’s upcoming match against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough, another fixture that has garnered significant interest is the south London derby between Millwall and Crystal Palace.
Scheduled for Tuesday at 20:00 BST, Millwall will make a short six-mile trip to Selhurst Park, marking another chapter in this long-standing rivalry.
Due to Palace's extended tenure in the Premier League, the teams have only met twice in the last decade. However, the match holds great importance for both fan bases, according to Eagles supporter and podcaster Alex Pewter.
"I would argue that Millwall is Crystal Palace's only true London derby," Pewter stated on the FYP podcast. "For other teams in London, Palace isn't even a secondary consideration — they might even rank behind West Ham for Millwall. But this match defines which team is the top club in south London."
Lions Return to Scene of Controversial Encounter
The last meeting between these teams is remembered for unfortunate reasons. Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts was sent off just eight minutes into the match for a head-height challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta, which resulted in the Palace striker requiring 25 stitches.
Eagles chairman Steve Parish described the tackle as "the most reckless challenge on a football field" during a halftime interview with BBC One. The Premier League side ultimately won the match 3-1, progressing towards an historic FA Cup victory.
Roberts faced an automatic three-match ban, which was later extended to six games. Millwall defended their player after he received online abuse, even though Mateta publicly accepted his apology. Additionally, the Lions were fined £15,000 for homophobic chants directed at Ben Chilwell, who was playing on loan for Palace from Chelsea at the time.
This match marked Roberts' final appearance for Millwall before he transferred to Mansfield Town over the summer. "Roberts' challenge was poorly judged, but there was no intent," said Nick Hart, host of the Achtung! Millwall podcast. "The media and Palace's reaction was harsh on a player who attempted to make amends to Mateta. It’s no surprise that Liam felt compelled to leave Millwall following the online harassment he and his family faced."
Hart added, "I expect the traveling Millwall fans will remind Parish of these points on Tuesday."
Romain Esse Seeks Playing Time
One player eager to make an impact for Palace is former Millwall forward Romain Esse, who joined the Eagles in January. The 20-year-old has had a challenging start, making only 10 appearances since his transfer, despite scoring on his debut against Brentford.
He netted seven goals in 66 matches for Millwall but has only played once for Palace this season, and Pewter does not anticipate much change this week. "Recent history suggests he is unlikely to feature, having started only one match since joining. It’s been challenging to assess Esse's performance. In that one start against Wolves, he was impressive with an assist, but in the next match, he was substituted on and off within ten minutes. Clearly, something hasn’t clicked with Oliver Glasner," he noted.
Palace Aims to Maintain Dominance
In recent encounters, Palace has had the upper hand, remaining undefeated in the last six meetings since Millwall's 3-0 Championship victory at The Den in January 2011. Prior to that, the Eagles had gone eight games without a win against Millwall since December 2002.
"After a long gap between encounters, this is now the third match in under four years, spanning both cup competitions," Pewter commented. "Given the stakes, it may not be the ideal opponent for an early cup round. Regardless of past results, Palace will be eager to retain bragging rights, albeit in a professional manner."
This season, Palace enters the EFL Cup in the third round due to their participation in the UEFA Conference League. Millwall commenced their cup journey with a 1-0 victory against Newport County in the first round, followed by a 2-1 win over Coventry at The Den in the second round.