Match Report
Fulham (1) 1-1 (0) Crystal Palace
Premier League Match Day 35 2324 at Craven Cottage
Saturday 27th April 2024 KO: 15:00
Referee:
Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
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Fulham were denied all three points by a late Jeffrey Schlupp worldie in our meeting with Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage.
The Whites were not at their best in the first half, but started the second impressively and duly took the lead through Rodrigo Muniz’s 10th goal of the season.
We looked on track for a return to winnings way with a professional performance, until Schlupp came off the bench to hammer in a stunning 87th minute equaliser.
There were two changes to the XI that started against Liverpool, with Issa Diop preferred to Tosin, and Harrison Reed – captaining the side – in place of Sasa Lukic. Willian was on the bench having recovered from a groin strain.
The in-form Palace started menacingly and should have been in front inside six minutes when Will Hughes played Michael Olise in, but the winger side-footed wide when well placed.
They had another clear sighter in the 13th minute when a strong Joao Palhinha tackle fell kindly for Daniel Munoz. His clipped cross was slightly behind Jean-Philippe Mateta, who volleyed over from close range.
There was no let-up, with Chris Richards next to squander a chance, heading narrowly over from Will Hughes’ deep free-kick.
The Eagles were playing with the swagger of a side coming off the back of three straight wins, with their latest threat coming from the left foot of Adam Wharton who fizzed one just over from distance.
Fulham did grow into the game as we approached the end of the first half, with Dean Henderson denying Muniz from a tight angle, and Diop heading over from the subsequent corner.
| Match Stats |
Fulham |
Crystal Palace |
| Goals |
(1) 1 |
1 (0) |
|
| Scorers |
Muniz 52 |
Schlupp 87 |
| , |
| Goal attempts |
9 |
14 |
| On target |
2 |
4 |
| Shooting Accuracy |
22% |
29% |
| Possession |
54% |
46% |
| Passes |
530 |
446 |
| Passes Success |
79% |
81% |
| Crosses |
14 |
21 |
| Crosses Success |
21% |
10% |
| Corners |
5 |
9 |
| Tackles |
24 |
20 |
| Tackles Success |
71% |
65% |
| Saves |
3 |
1 |
| Fouls |
13 |
10 |
| Offsides |
1 |
1 |
| Yellows |
0 |
2 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: SkySports |
The Whites began the second half with much more purpose and were quickly rewarded. Andreas spotted the overlapping run of Timothy Castagne down the right, whose perfectly flighted cross just had to be guided home by the head of Muniz, who made no mistake.
Andreas would have claimed assist of the season had we taken our next chance, as his stunning outside of the boot pass cut through the Palace defence to find Bobby De Cordova-Reid, but he couldn’t quite wrap his foot around the shot and skewed wide of the near post.
Palace responded by replacing Mateta with Odsonne Edouard who almost had an immediate impact when he skidded a low shot on target, but Leno got down instantly to make a fine save.
A stunning Muniz switch of play then sent Alex Iwobi scamping down the right, holding the ball up before laying off to Reed who curled his first time strike narrowly off target from 20 yards.
Schlupp had been another introduction and he did make a telling difference, crashing an unstoppable strike into the top left hand corner from long range, leaving Leno with no chance.
It was a gutting blow but, on the balance of Palace’s first half display, probably led to the fairest outcome.
Fulham boss Marco Silva: "It's a fair result. Palace played better than us in the first half, they were more aggressive, and it was difficult for us to build attacks like we normally do.
"We started the second half better, we scored and had more chances to score the second for it to be completely different, we didn't, and they equalised with an amazing strike.
It's a cliche but it was a game of two halves, and in the end, the draw was a fair result."
Opta stats
Fulham are now unbeaten across their last five Premier League matches against Crystal Palace (W1 D4). It is Fulham's longest unbeaten league run against the Eagles since a 12-game run in the second division between 1974 and 1985 (W4 D8).
Fulham have now lost just one of their last six London derbies in the Premier League (W4 D1) and are unbeaten in their last three (W2 D1), their longest such run in the competition since winning three in a row between January and April 2013.
Fulham have now avoided defeat in each of their last 14 Premier League matches when scoring the opening goal (W11 D3), having last lost against Manchester United on the final day of last season.
Fulham : Leno, Castagne, Diop, Bassey, Robinson, Reed (Cairney 85), Palhinha (Lukic 68), De Cordova-Reid (Willian 68), Pereira (Wilson 85), Iwobi, Muniz (Broja 85)
Unused substitutes: Rodak, Tete, Traore, Ream
Goals:
Muniz 52 (Lift-off for Fulham!
Quick, incisive football from Fulham as a one-touch move releases Castagne down the right flank and his first-time cross finds the unmarked Rodrigo Muniz to head home from close range.
It's the 10th goal of Muniz's breakthrough season and sees the striker end a four-game goal drought. )
Crystal Palace : Henderson, Clyne, Andersen, Richards, Munoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell (Ahamada 86), Olise, Ayew (Schlupp 76), Mateta (Edouard 69)
Unused substitutes: Ward, Tomkins, Matthews, Riedewald, Rak-Sakyi, Ozoh
Goals:
Schlupp 87 (WHAT A GOAL!!!!!!
Crystal Palace level in emphatic fashion.
Wharton feeds the ball into Jeffrey Schlupp who takes a touch to set himself before rifling a thunderbolt into the top corner from 20 yards.
Leno was a mere bystander as it flashes in off the underside of the bar.)
Booked: Hughes (83,f), Andersen (90,f)
Referee:
Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)
Attendance: 0
Next Fulham travel to London neighbours Brentford on May 4, kick-off 3pm.