Crystal Palace
Fulham FC
Fulham FC
Fulham go to fellow Londoners Crystal Palace knowing that a win could propel them out of bottom three
Crystal Palace 1-1 Fulham
The Premier League survival race is really hotting up as we enter the final third of the season.
Not too long ago, it appeared that the bottom three clubs were all too far adrift of safety, with no hope of catching the teams above them. That remains truly for both Sheffield United and West Brom, who are 14 and 11 points behind respectively.
For Fulham, however, a combination of good form on their part and mixed results from the likes of Newcastle, Brighton and Burnley above them have brought them back into contention. Their win over Sheffield United last weekend means that they’re just three points adrift.
Crystal Palace took a huge step towards safety by beating Brighton last weekend, and with a 10-point gap between themselves and Fulham, look to be sure of a spot in the top division for next season.
They remain without several injured stars here, however.
Form Guide (all comps): WWLLW
Reasons to be cheerful:
Three wins from their last five has all but secured their survival
Last weekend’s win proves that they can play well without Zaha
Reasons to be fearful:
Remain without multiple injured players here
Fulham will be more determined than ever to claim victory
Each time Crystal Palace appear to be losing their grip on their Premier League safety, they pull a string of good results out of the bag to stay just out of touch of danger.
With three wins from their last five games, including a important derby victory over Brighton last weekend, The Eagles and their manager Roy Hodgson have drawn on all of their experience and played some good football at the same time.
Last weekend also saw them claim three points without star player Wilf Zaha, who remains injured here. Previously, they had lost 18 of the last 20 games without their talisman, so it’s an encouraging sign that they can still find their way to victory.
Here, they’ll face a Fulham side fighting for their Premier League lives.
Star Man – Jean-Philippe Mateta
Got his first goal for Palace last weekend in the win over Brighton and will be looking to help his side once again here.
Form Guide (all comps): LDWDW
Reasons to be cheerful:
Two wins from last four games has taken them to brink of safety
A win here could take them into 17th if Newcastle lose
Reasons to be fearful:
Disastrous run of fixtures in March
Crystal Palace will not be easy to beat
Fulham haven’t been this close to leaping out of the relegation zone since the start of 2021, when they were just two points behind Brighton at that stage after 16 matches.
Fast forward almost two months, and once again The Cottagers have a golden opportunity to leapfrog a struggling side into 17th. This time it’s Newcastle who really do look like a side in trouble.
Unfortunately, regardless of the result in this match, Fulham have a terrible run of fixtures coming up, with Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City their next three opponents. It’ll be a bonus if they secure any points from those three ties.
Here, they must play with that in mind, and go all out for the win – a point could be little use to them at this stage. Unlike Palace, they have a largely fully fit squad to choose from.
Star Man – Ademola Lookman
Scored his fourth goal of the season in the win over Sheffield United last weekend. His side will need more important goals from him if they are to survive.
Should be an entertaining match with chances at both ends
Can Palace win again without Zaha?
Fulham will go for the win here
This is a typically close meeting between two London sides, with Palace taking 17 wins from their previous clashes, compared with 14 for Fulham.
The Eagles have also had the better of the last three meetings, but Fulham are a side in good form right now, not to mention fighting for their survival.
This is sure to be a close game, but either side could end up pinching it.
Crystal Palace 1-1 Fulham
