Match Preview
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Premiership Match Day 26 24/25 at Craven Cottage
Saturday 22nd February 2025 KO: 15:00
Referee:
Robert Jones (Wirral)
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Fulham, still harbouring realistic aspirations of securing European football for next season, welcome top 10 hopefuls Crystal Palace to Craven Cottage for a Premier League clash on Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles will be out for revenge against the Cottagers after they suffered a 2-0 defeat in the reverse fixture at Selhurst Park in November last year.
Fulham have celebrated three victories in three matches in the month of February, all by a 2-1 scoreline including impressive Premier League wins over Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, beating the latter on home soil last weekend.
Emile Smith Rowe's early opener was cancelled out by Forest talisman Chris Wood shortly before half time, but a second-half header from Calvin Bassey was enough to secure maximum points for the Cottagers, who dominated the contest and registered 10 of their 24 shots on target, the joint-most any side has had against third-placed Forest in a PL game so far this season.
Fulham have accumulated 39 points after 25 Premier League games this season (W10 D9 L6), only in 1959-60 (40) have they had more points at this stage of a top flight campaign - and Marco Silva's side currently sit eighth in the table, just five points behind the top four.
Having beaten Newcastle and Forest in their last two games, Fulham have now won back to back Premier League matches on five occasions this season, but they are yet to win more in a row in the top flight since January 2023.
The Cottagers head into Saturday's match boasting a seven game unbeaten home run against fellow London clubs, while they will endeavour to complete their first league double over Crystal Palace since 2000-01 when they were competing in the second tier, after beating the Eagles three months ago.
Across Crystal Palace's last six matches in all competitions, they have won four times on the road by a 2-0 scoreline and have lost twice on home soil by a 2-1 scoreline, most recently losing in front of their own fans against Everton last weekend.
Jean-Philippe Mateta scored his seventh goal in six league games to cancel out Beto's opener, but that proved to be the one and only shot out of 17 that the Eagles converted on the day, and Everton snatched maximum points 10 minutes from time through Carlos Alcaraz, condemning the hosts to their nine league loss of the season.
A "very disappointing result" left Oliver Glasner 'very frustrated' after the match, as his side slipped down to 13th in the Premier League table, seven points behind Brighton & Hove Albion in 10th and 11 points behind the top seven, with their hopes of a late push for the European positions now hanging by the thinnest of threads.
Crystal Palace will welcome a trip away from Selhurst Park as they have collected 18 points over an eight game unbeaten run on the road, winning each of their last three away matches by a 2-0 scoreline against Leicester City, West Ham United and Manchester United.
The Eagles are now bidding to win consecutive top flight London derbies away from home for the first time since beating Wimbledon and Tottenham back in 1997-98. They have failed to win any of their last six meetings with Saturday's opponents Fulham, but they are unbeaten across their last five trips to Craven Cottage (W2 D3).
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Following their 2-0 win at Selhurst Park in November, Fulham are looking to complete the league double over Crystal Palace for the first time since the 2000-01 second tier campaign under Jean Tigana.
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Having won four of their first seven Premier League games against Fulham (D1 L2), Crystal Palace are now winless in their last six against the Cottagers (D4 L2). They are, however, unbeaten in their last five at Craven Cottage (W2 D3).
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After a 10 game unbeaten run in Premier League London derbies, Fulham lost their last such match 3-2 against West Ham. They’re unbeaten in seven London derby matches at home however (W4 D3), having lost five of six at Craven Cottage before this (D1).
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Fulham have won their last two Premier League games, beating both Newcastle and Nottingham Forest by a 2-1 scoreline. It’s the fifth time since the start of last season the Cottagers have won back-to-back league games, but they haven’t won more in a row since a run of four in January 2023.
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Fulham are the only team in the Premier League this season to have had two players play every minute for them so far this season – goalkeeper Bernd Leno and full-back Antonee Robinson.
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Fulham’s Alex Iwobi has created 46 chances in the Premier League this season, all from open play. It’s the most chances a player has created this term without any of them coming from a set piece.
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Having been winless in 13 away London derbies in the Premier League across 2023 and 2024 (D6 L7), Crystal Palace won their last such match 2-0 at West Ham in January. They’ve not won consecutive London derbies on the road in a top-flight campaign since beating Wimbledon and Spurs in 1997-98.
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Crystal Palace have won their last three Premier League away games, all by a 2-0 scoreline – they’ve never won four in a row on the road in the top-flight. They last won four straight away league games in February 2004 in the second tier (5) but have never done so without conceding before.
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Jean-Philippe Mateta has scored in his last three Premier League away games – no Crystal Palace player has ever scored in four in a row on the road in the competition.
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Jean-Philippe Mateta has scored five goals in his last three Premier League away games, netting a brace against West Ham and Manchester United in his last two outings. Only three players have scored multiple goals in three consecutive away appearances before – Dennis Bergkamp in September 1997, Harry Kane in September 2017 and Mohamed Salah in December 2024.
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Source Oliver Thomas at SportsMole/BBCSports