Match Report
Fulham (2) 2-3 (1) Crystal Palace
Premier League Match Day 03 26_27 at Craven Cottage
Saturday 5th September 2026, KO: 15:00
Referee:
John Brooks (Leicestershire)
Live on Sky Sports
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Fulham were beaten 3-2 by Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon at Craven Cottage.
Despite leading twice through Josh King and César Palacios’ first goal for the Club, the Eagles hit back three times, courtesy of Tyrick Mitchell’s brace and Ben Chilwell’s strike.
The Whites had by far the better of the game, but shortcomings at both ends of the pitch meant we are still looking for our first points of the campaign.
There was just the one change to the XI that started the Sunderland defeat, with Shea Charles replacing Sander Berge in a like-for-like swap at the base our midfield. Berge dropped to the bench, where he was joined by our three deadline days signings – Manuel Ángel, Hugo Larsson and David Affengruber.
Fulham needed little more than three minutes to threaten the Palace goal at the Putney End, with a move born in the right-hand side of our defence. Former Eagle Joachim Andersen drove forward with the ball before spotting the inside run of Timothy Castagne, whose prodded shot from the edge of the box flew just wide.
The next time we got near the opposition goal, King had us in front.
Good reading of the game from Charles saw him win possession high up the pitch and find Oscar Bobb – his cutback wasn’t properly cleared by Adam Wharton, allowing Kingy to collect, skip a challenge and fire in via a deflection off Jaydee Canvot.
Palace reacted immediately through Daichi Kamada’s close range finish, but VAR ruled the equaliser out after the Japan international had strayed inches offside.
The visitors looked to use that as motivation to maintain their momentum, with Chris Richards bending a firm shot inside the post that Bernd Leno did well to parry, and then catch.
We had our number one to thank again midway through the half when he was quick off his line to stop Yeremy Pino’s dangerous ball from finding Eddie Nketiah.
The next goalmouth action was up the other end, with Bobb having an effort hacked away from near the line, before Palacios had a shot blocked following outstanding work from Calvin Bassey and Gonzalo García.
More trickery from Bobb then teed up a chance for Castagne, but his effort was well saved by Dean Henderson, before a monumental Andersen challenge snuffed out what would have been a clear opening for Quinten Timber at the other end.
The game was incredibly open, and it was Palace who took advantage when Nketiah managed to pinch a loose ball beyond Castagne to Mitchell, who lashed inside the near post to restore parity.
The Fulham response came in the form of a right-footed Antonee Robinson curler which had Henderson rooted, but unfortunately sailed the wrong side of the far post.
Three minutes before the break, the advantage was restored.
Full credit has to go to King for creating the chance, selling Richards a hotdog on the left flank before sprinting beyond him and squaring for Gonzalo.
His flick was brilliantly saved by Henderson, but Palacios was there to follow up and fire home.
The midfielder will have been frustrated not to have doubled his tally within four minutes of the second half, firing wide on the swivel from close range after Gonzalo’s header from Bobb’s corner was blocked.
We didn’t let Palace out from the goal kick, though, and only a last ditch block from Timber denied King a shot on target.
Despite the Whites’ excellent start to the second half, it was the visitors who struck the game’s fourth goal. Pouncing after winning possession off Iwobi, Palace advanced down the left through Mitchell whose speculative deflected shot was cleared by Gonzalo back into the left-back, trickling agonisingly over the line.
Henderson then denied us twice in quick succession, beating away efforts from Palacios and Bobb, the latter after some nimble footwork from the winger.
There was to be no hat-trick for Mitchell after he picked up an injury, but the Eagles did make it a trio of goals from left-back as his replacement Chilwell lashed in with his first touch after Andersen’s challenge on Kamada had fallen kindly for him.
A couple of Fulham substitutes had our first chance for an equaliser with four minutes to go, with Ryan Sessegnon finding Rodrigo Muniz who stung the palms of Henderson, before Sess rifled his follow-up into the side-netting.
Muniz then fired a difficult chance over the bar from close range after King had dinked the ball into him from the byline, and with that went our hopes of taking a point from the encounter.
Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson (Sessegnon 79), Charles (Smith Rowe 79), Iwobi (Rodrigo Muniz 83), Bobb (Larsson 79), King, Palacios (Berge 62), García
Unused substitutes: Kevin, Manuel Ángel, Affengruber, Lecomte,
Goals:
Josh King 11 (It has been coming, although King's early opener owes a lot to both Bobb for his run to the byline and then a big deflection off the unfortunate Canvot, who hung out a leg to make the block, only to inadvertently divert the shot past a helpless Henderson. And that is a second goal of the season for the exciting 19-year-old.)
César Palacios 42 (The hosts have retaken the lead and the goal owes everything to that man King again after a lovely dummy down the left from the youngster saw him escape Richards's attention.
The midfielder then picked out Garcia in the middle, with Henderson somehow denying the striker with a brilliant reaction stop, only for Palacios to find himself in the right place at the right time to smash home the rebound.)
Yellow Card: 0
Crystal Palace: Henderson, Richards, Disasi, Canvot, Khalaili, Timber (Hughes 74), Wharton, Mitchell (Chilwell 74), Kamada (Osorio 89), Pino (Mingueza 89), Nketiah (Strand Larsen 45)
Unused substitutes: Gozo, Tomiyasu, Doucouré, Benítez
Goals:
Mitchell 35 (The Eagles are level as Nketiah initially does well to hold up the ball, before feeding Mitchell in space down and the full back powers forward before somehow beating Leno at his near post with a drive high into the roof of the net. Game on in this topsy-turvy London derby...)
Mitchell 54 (Palace are level after a barnstorming run down the left by Mitchell, with the ball then rebounding back to the wing back, whose mishit shot somehow evades the covering Garcia on the goal line, who makes a right hash of trying to clear the ball.)
Chilwell 77 (Palace have turned this one around, but boy what a mess that goal was as Fulham failed to clear their lines after it appeared as though Leno had brought down Khalaili in the box, only for the sub and Eagles new boy Chilwell to fire the rebound into an empty net.)
Yellow Card: 0
Referee:
Samuel Barrott (West Riding)
Attendance: 0
Fulham are next in action in thePremier League and travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Saturday 12th September at 15.00.