Palace must learn lessons ahead of Fulham test
Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner says things need to improve all over the pitch ahead of their trip to Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday.
Palace were beaten 2-1 at home by Everton last time out, a result that left them 13th in the table.
“It is frustrating. We had a similar game against Brentford where we made the first big mistake," Glasner said.
"It is important for us to learn from these games. It is my job to give the players better solutions in games.
"We need better solutions in the final third. We found our wing-backs quite often, but then the first or second touch was not good enough to pass the ball early enough.
"In both games against Everton, it has been decided by small details. It is hard and tough to accept, but we have to accept it and find better solutions to control these games.
“We should not have lost. It is up to us to learn from it and improve our performances against teams who play in this way.”
Fulham boss Marco Silva, meanwhile, is hoping for more of the same after they beat high-flying Nottingham Forest at Craven Cottage last weekend.
The hosts come into this match eighth in the Premier League table and are four points outside the top six.
Silva has reserved praise for winger Adama Traore following his recent form, after the Spaniard supplied an assist against Forest.
“I’m really pleased for him, it was a great cross and he had chances to score and I like to see the Adama like we saw,” he said.
“He was balanced and I don’t remember one ball he gave away. The assist was great.
“Throughout the game he was much more involved in everything and this is how I want to see him because his capacity is almost unstoppable and we need to give him the tools to play.”
Home calls. #FULCRY pic.twitter.com/b1uP9JWtdf
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) February 20, 2025
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fulham – Alex Iwobi
Iwobi has created 46 chances in the Premier League this season, all from open play – more than any other player this season without any of them coming from a set-piece.
The 28-year-old ranks second in the Fulham squad for goal involvements with 10 (seven goals, three assists). He has had 24 shots in his last 10 matches, scoring two goals.
Crystal Palace – Jean-Philippe Mateta
Jean-Philippe Mateta has scored five goals in his last three Premier League away games, netting braces against West Ham and Manchester United in his last two such 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.
Having scored in his last three away games, Mateta could become the first ever Crystal Palace player to net in four in a row on the road in the Premier League.
MATCH PREDICTION: FULHAM WIN
Prior to their 3-2 defeat to West Ham in mid-January, Fulham had been unbeaten in their previous 10 London derbies. At Craven Cottage, they are unbeaten in seven (W4 D3) against other teams from London.
Palace, meanwhile, have won just one of their last 14 away London derbies (D6 L7) across 2023 and 2024.
Despite beating West Ham in their last such game, they have not won back-to-back away London derbies since 1997-98.
Fulham come into this having won three matches on the spin in all competitions and five of their last seven. They have lost just one of their last eight matches at Craven Cottage.
Palace were beaten 2-1 at home to Everton last weekend, having conceded an 80th-minute Carlos Alcaraz winner.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Fulham – 46.5%
Draw – 25.7%
Crystal Palace – 27.7%