Fulham vs Crystal Palace Report
Scorers: Andersen (OG) 37’, Munoz 66’
Crystal Palace made history with back-to-back away London derby victories in a top-flight campaign for the first time since 1997/98, defeating Fulham 2-0 at Craven Cottage.
The Eagles were the superior side throughout, frustrating Marco Silva’s men, who failed to register a single shot on target in the contest.
Palace Take Control as Fulham Struggle to Create Chances
With Fulham chasing a potential top-six finish, the home side came into the match looking to maintain their strong home form in London derbies. However, it was the visitors who looked the more dangerous in the first half.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, aiming to become the first Palace player to score in four consecutive away league games, tested Bernd Leno early on. Meanwhile, Eberechi Eze twice forced the Fulham goalkeeper into action with powerful long-range efforts.
Fulham had fleeting attacking moments, but they were unable to sustain pressure on the Palace defence.
Their lack of rhythm was punished eight minutes before the break when a Will Hughes corner was inadvertently glanced into the net by former Palace defender Joachim Andersen, gifting the visitors a deserved 1-0 lead at half-time.
Mateta Denied as Palace Maintain Pressure
Mateta thought he had extended his scoring streak 10 minutes into the second half when Eze played him in with a clever backheel. The French striker finished emphatically past Leno, but VAR ruled him marginally offside, denying him a record-setting moment.
Palace continued to push for a second goal, and Leno was forced into a superb point-blank save from Maxence Lacroix’s header.
Jefferson Lerma followed up with a well-struck effort from the rebound, only for Raúl Jiménez to bravely block with his head, keeping the Cottagers in the contest.
Fulham Caught on the Break as Palace Seal the Win
As Fulham committed numbers forward in search of an equaliser, they left themselves vulnerable to the counter-attack. Palace exploited this ruthlessly in the 82nd minute when Mateta embarked on a driving run before laying the ball off to Daniel Muñoz.
The Colombian right-back skilfully skipped past Calvin Bassey before firing a powerful shot past Leno at the near post, sealing a 2-0 victory for the visitors.
What This Means for Both Teams
- Fulham: A disappointing display saw Marco Silva’s side fail to register a single shot on target, marking their first home London derby defeat in eight matches. As a result, they drop to ninth in the league table, losing crucial ground in the European race.
- Crystal Palace: Oliver Glasner’s men extended their unbeaten Premier League away run to nine matches, with their last four away victories all coming by a 2-0 scoreline. Palace move up to 13th, solidifying their position in mid-table.
Final Thoughts
Crystal Palace delivered a well-structured and disciplined performance, controlling the game from start to finish. Fulham, on the other hand, lacked sharpness in attack and were unable to break down a resolute Palace defence.
With confidence growing under Glasner, the Eagles will look to build on this result, while Fulham must regroup quickly to avoid further setbacks in their pursuit of a European spot.
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