Fulham make the short trip to Selhurst Park to take on Crystal Palace in the 2024/25 Premier League season. Here is a preview.
A classic London derby will be on show as Crystal Palace host Fulham with both sides desperate to get one over the other. There will certainly be consequences at the middle and lower end of the league standings around this fixture.
The last time they met, Jeffrey Schlupp helped Palace claw a point back after Fulham took a second-half lead through Rodrigo Muniz.
Hence, four of their last five encounters have ended in a draw, with Fulham winning the other 3-0 in 2022.
Oliver Glasner has had a transformative effect on Crystal Palace since taking over from Roy Hodgson early in 2024 as they had a strong finish to last season with tenth position. However, the Eagles are still trying to rediscover that formula as they are winless after six Premier League matches.
Glasner’s side lost their first two games against Brentford and West Ham United then secured three straight draws before losing to Everton at Goodison Park. That most recent defeat would have stung considering they took an early lead but ultimately became the first side to lose to the Toffees this term.
It is pertinent that Palace get back on track by producing results to avoid getting sucked into the relegation dogfight. A derby is always a good way to boost morale and they will be desperate for their first derby win of the season in front of their home fans.
The Cottagers are by no means inferior opposition given their encouraging start to the season and the toughness characterized by Marco Silva’s side.
Fulham are in their third top-flight season under the Portuguese manager and their focus is to kick on after a difficult campaign last time out. Goalscoring issues have been resolved, and they have also improved the creative department while replacing the all-action Joao Palhinha with Sander Berge in midfield.
Since losing 1-0 at Manchester United after an even contest on the opening day, Fulham bounced back with a home victory over Leicester City before drawing against Ipswich Town and West Ham United. The West Londoners were knocked out of the Carabao Cup Third round after a long penalty shootout against Preston North End, but they returned to league action with a 3-1 victory over Newcastle.
They followed that up with a 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest to seal their first away win of the season and take them up to sixth on the log.
It must now be onwards and upwards for Fulham who will aim to become mainstays in the top-half of the league table. They would look to overcome Palace in such a game of small margins to give them the best chance of reaching those objectives.
While there have been several draws against Palace recently, Fulham must play for all maximum points here. They have the tools to do it and Silva will be urging his side on.
Match tickets
This must-see Premier League fixture takes place on Saturday, 9 November 2024 with kick-off scheduled for 4 PM UK time. Match tickets are available for sale on each club’s website with season ticket holders and club members getting priority consideration.
Selhurst Park may be one of the smallest stadiums in the Premier League, with a capacity of just over 25,000, but it still produces one of the best atmospheres. The noise is set to go a few decibels higher for this London derby and both sets of supporters will be keen to make their voices heard.
There is often little between these sides when they meet, so it usually boils down to who wants it more. The role of the fans to get the players fired up takes on even more importance here.
The game is likely to be sold out fast given the high demand, so official channels may not be dependable to purchase match tickets. Hence, we urge those who need Crystal Palace vs Fulham tickets to get their copies on a resale site.
Team news
For Palace, Matheus Franca, Cheick Doucoure, Chadi Riad, Chris Richards and Jefferson Lerma are currently out injured but a few should be available to face Fulham.
On the other hand, Carlos Vinicius and Jorge Cuenca are both sidelined for Fulham who have been fortunate with injuries so far.
Line-ups
Palace have a prolific goalscoring outlet as only Erling Haaland (20) and Cole Palmer (18) have scored more Premier League goals than Jean-Philippe Mateta (13) since Glasner took over in late February as he recorded his best-ever total of 16 goals in a top-flight league campaign.
The Eagles must continue to harness the Frenchman in the form of his life, and their hopes of winning this game may rest on the quality of chances that are created for Mateta. Hence, Eddie Nketiah and Eberechi Eze have a crucial task as inside forwards behind the central striker.
Crystal Palace: Henderson; Lacroix, Guehi, Chalobah; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Nketiah, Mateta, Eze
Joachim Andersen returns to his old stomping ground where he made 112 appearances in over three years for Palace, and he would be key to stopping his former side. The Dane’s organizational skills must come to the fore when marshaling the defence around him.
Crucially, the visitors possess a robust midfield and a forward line that thrives on spaces afforded to them on the counterattack.
Fulham: Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Pereira; Traore, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez
Prediction
This is a tight contest on paper but it is up to either of the teams to grab control of this one and take the three points. Crystal Palace are expected to take the initiative at home, but their form this season means they may be short on confidence and Fulham must pounce on any errors.
An end-to-end game awaits, and at the time of writing, Marco Silva’s side look better equipped to take a good result. Their recent history of draws may just be too much to shake off, unfortunately.
Crystal Palace 1-1 Fulham
