Fulham 1 - 2 FT Crystal Palace

Guehi's Late Hammer Shatters Fulham's Grip at Craven Cottage

Worth Watching Futmetrix Score: 66/100. Crystal Palace's refusal to surrender—embodied in Marc Guehi's brutal 87th-minute strike—transforms what looked like Fulham's redemption into another chapter of near-misses and heartbreak.

The Pendulum Swings Three Times

From the first whistle at Craven Cottage, this was a match obsessed with momentum. Eddie Nketiah opened the floodgates in the 20th minute—a clinical finish off Adam Wharton's assist that sent Palace into the lead. Fulham, though, refused to fold. Harry Wilson's leveller just before half-time, courtesy of Raúl Jiménez's assist, restored equilibrium and signalled the hosts' intensity. The lead changed hands three times across ninety minutes—a brutal rhythm that exposed both sides' defensive fragility and attacking ambition.

VAR Intervenes; Drama Escalates

The 53rd-minute VAR intervention—Emile Smith Rowe's disallowed goal for offside—felt like a watershed moment. Fulham's possession dominance (63%) and 87% pass accuracy suggested control, yet Palace's clinical edge (1.65 xG vs. Fulham's 0.67) hinted at something darker lurking beneath the surface. The hosts peppered 11 shots; Palace matched that with five on target and lethal precision.

The Turning Point: 87 Minutes of Agony

Then came the knife twist. Guehi, a centre-back, rose to meet Yeremy Pino's delivery in the 87th minute and planted a header that bypassed every Fulham defender's worst nightmare. Not a scrambled equaliser. Not a deflection. A pure, unanswerable punch from the back line. Palace's counter-attacking balance had been compromised all match—they surrendered 37% possession—yet their ruthlessness in transition proved the difference. Fulham's fourth disallowed goal, their VAR nightmare, their inability to convert dominance into points: all converged in that single moment.

What This Means

For Palace (4th, 26 points), this is a statement. For Fulham (15th, 17 points), it's another cruel reminder that possession and territory mean nothing without the clinical edge. The stakes of a mid-table battle just shifted dramatically—Palace solidify their European credentials; Fulham sink deeper into relegation anxiety. At Craven Cottage, the home crowd's roar turned to silence in ninety seconds.

Palace's Precision Punishes Fulham's Fragility

Worth Watching Futmetrix Score: 68/100. A gulf in form and league position makes this predictable rather than compelling.

The Setup

Fulham sit 15th with 17 points from 13 matches—their Form reads WWLWL, a stuttering run that masks deeper structural issues. A -2 goal difference tells the story: they're leaking chances they can't convert. Crystal Palace arrive as the league's surprise package at 6th place, +7 goal difference, with form WDWLD. Their Balance is sharper; their Stakes are higher—this is a six-pointer for Palace's European push, a potential lifeline for Fulham's survival hopes.

Key Battle

The decisive duel: Bernd Leno vs Jean-Philippe Mateta. Leno has made 12 saves across five matches (2.4 per game) with two clean sheets, but he'll face Palace's sharpest finisher. Mateta has 4 goals in 5 matches, averaging a 7.4 rating—he's the catalyst for Palace's attacking efficiency. If Leno's distribution and command of his box break down, Mateta punishes ruthlessly.

Our Prediction

Palace control possession and territory, pressing Fulham into submission. Fulham absorb pressure, attempt sporadic counters that lack precision. Mateta converts one of Palace's two clear chances; Dean Henderson (10 saves, 3 clean sheets in five) remains untroubled in Palace's goal. Palace win 2-0, securing three points that cement their top-six credentials while Fulham's relegation fears deepen.