The Palace defender was speaking after two stunning goals – plus a performance full of heart, in which the Eagles outperformed their title-chasing hosts Arsenal – secured his side a valuable point in North London.
With Villa now lying in wait in the FA Cup semi-finals, Lacroix reiterated his belief that such spirit would prove to Palace’s advantage on the grand stage: “I think it's really important for us.
“When you want to prepare for a game like the semi-finals, you always need to be 100%, especially against these types of teams like Arsenal. Today we showed our face, we showed our DNA, and we feel we can compete against these types of teams.
“This is a team that has a really good belief and we are a family and everyone wants to fight for each other.
“In the Premier League, it's always ‘Champions League week’ – when you play, every time. So now, I think it's the beginning of a hopefully good week for us.”
Both of Palace’s goals were of the highest calibre, and Lacroix said of goalscorers Ebere Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta: “I'm happy for them because they were two big goals. For them it's also important. As a striker, when you score, you're always happy.”
On the upcoming semi-final, Lacroix added: “We know it's a really important game for us, for our fans.
“There’s going to be a lot at Wembley and now it's time to think about it, it's time to prepare for it. We showed we can win.
“With our quality, it’s going to be a really good fight.”
Semi-Final Details
- Crystal Palace v Aston Villa
- Saturday, 26th April
- Wembley Stadium
- 17:15 BST
- LIVE Audio commentary on Palace TV+
Supporters can experience Wembley, and Palace's biggest game of this season, from the best seats in the house through one of our Premium Experiences – including our Pitch View package, which comes with a number of incredible benefits.