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Crystal Palace Matchday Preview

Crystal Palace v Fulham | Sunday 28th February 2021 | 12pm | Selhurst Park | #CRYFUL

The opposition

    After back-to-back defeats by Burnley and Leeds United, Palace responded with what will have been a sweet 2-1 victory at Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday. One suspects Roy Hodgson will be very satisfied to have weathered an unrelenting storm throughout the 90 minutes only to nick the three points at the death.
    Monday's win put the Eagles on 32 points, the joint-most they have ever accrued at this stage of a Premier League season, a tally they also reached after 25 matches of the 2015/16 campaign.
    Prior to the trip to the Amex Stadium, Palace had lost 18 of their previous 20 matches when Wilfried Zaha had been absent, so they will have been delighted to prove they can win matches without their influential winger.

Crystal Palace team news

Wilfried Zaha is back in training, but Hodgson does not expect to have his talisman available against Fulham. Jeffrey Schlupp, Connor Wickham, James McArthur, James Tomkins and Mamadou Sakho have all been out for some time, while Nathaniel Clyne is the latest casualty with a minor muscle injury.

Fulham team news

Aleksandar Mitrović is back in contention after finishing his isolation period, but Scott Parker says that Tom Cairney and Terence Kongolo "still need some work."

Coverage

The match will be broadcast live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, while commentary from Gentleman Jim and Jamie Reid is available for FFCtv subscribers.

Player insight

Ademola Lookman knows that Crystal Palace will be a stubborn side to come up against this Sunday lunchtime.

The Eagles were outplayed in their last game in Brighton but ground out a resolute victory, and Lookman says his Fulham side will have to be as ruthless as possible at Selhurst Park.

"Another tough challenge," he told FFCtv. "Palace are a very tough team to play against so we'll need to be at the top of our game, but we'll be going there looking to get the three points, like we are in every game this season.

"Against Sheffield United we created chances but we didn't really take them. Against Crystal Palace we know that we need to be clinical."

Form

Crystal Palace: WWLLW

Fulham: LDWDW

Pre-match quotes




https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/february/Crystal-Palace-Matchday-Preview/

Hodgson's Praise For Parker

In his pre-match press conference, Roy Hodgson spoke fondly of the work Scott Parker is doing at Fulham, and admitted that – Sunday aside – he will be rooting for his former employers this season.

Journalist: What's different about Fulham from when you played them earlier in the season?

Roy: Well, it's not an easy question for me to answer apart from the obvious statement: I think they're playing much better now, they're playing really well.

They have brought some important players into the team. People like [Joachim] Andersen at centre-back, he's doing exceptionally well. I think in particular Ruben Loftus-Cheek as well. Although one or two of the others who are doing so well were there at the start of the season, they certainly weren't in the form they are in today.

I think the coaching staff, the manager Scott, they've obviously done an extremely good job in improving that team that we met at the start of the season. I would quite frankly say that I think there's little comparison between the two teams.

But now you see they're doing all the things that any management or coaching team would want in a group of players.

Seven points from nine, winning matches away to Everton and being unbeaten in so many games. Really and truly, if you look at the form table over the last couple of months, I would think they'd be right up near the top rather than the bottom, but of course they're playing catch up now.

We have enormous respect for them, I have enormous respect for the Club of course as well, and we're getting ready for another very difficult game, and one where we'll have to pull out all the stops if we're going to be smiling at the end.

Scott Parker is now hoping to replicate the job you did at Fulham in seeing them escape relegation. What did it take to get that done?

You need that slice of luck. We didn't play in those last four or five games and dominate our opponents, sort of win the games at a canter. We won really by showing a lot of spirit and the determination that I thought was on show in the Palace team the other night [at Brighton].

Luckily, we scored some goals, especially during that last period. I remember a game in the middle of that which we lost, which was a crucial blow for us.

But I think first of all that he's going to find he'll need to keep that current run of form going because they're not that far behind the rest of us anyway. And then they're going to need to at one stage deal with the blows which they haven't felt over the last weeks. It's been going extremely well and they're getting victories, points, and everyone's speaking extremely highly of them, and so they should.

But there's going to come a time, I fear, between now and the end of the season where they'll come across obstacles and setbacks, and a lot will depend upon the character of the team and how they get over those setbacks.

Because that's certainly happened to us in that year [2007/08] that we survived. We hit a wall and found ourselves plummeting down but luckily found the necessary desire, determination and the luck necessary to pull it off in the end.

On Scott – it will be two years to the day since he was put in caretaker charge when you play on Sunday. A real tough job to keep a side in the Premier League, but it would be a marvellous achievement if he could keep them up.

Oh absolutely. Absolutely. I'm full of admiration for the work he and his coaching staff have done there. Stuart Gray, I know, is an influence at the Club, has done well there as well.

It's a club I have enormous affection for. Alongside Palace, there's no doubt they would be the two clubs where I suppose I would have most affection in England.


And I think, in Scott and his coaching staff, they have the men to do it, and the playing staff too.

Fulham of course face Newcastle on the final day of the season, psychologically their fate is now back in their hands. How much of a lift can that give a team?

I'm expecting to come across a Fulham team very, very confident, especially in their ability because they've got a lot of skilful players. Confident in the fact that they know how to win matches – I certainly didn't win matches at Everton while with Fulham. And what's more, they didn't win in a somewhat fortunate fashion, they won it because they played extremely well and deserved all three points.

We're readying ourselves for a game which we know is going to be very, very difficult. I do hope that we'll be able to continue where we left off on Monday night and I don't want thoughts to enter the players' minds of, 'Well, because you've got those three points, this next game is slightly less important.' I want to go into the game really imagining that we didn't get the points against Brighton, that we really are desperate to get them against Fulham. Because at least that way I hope that we'll get the sort of performance I saw from the players the other night.

When you're at the bottom of the table and pick up some good form, does it feel like you're taking a different type of momentum into matches?

Oh, without a doubt. I'm expecting Fulham to come here with enormous momentum, with enormous confidence. They've been playing so well, even in some of those games they've drawn, they could so easily have won because the quality of their play has been good.

With the quality of their players, when they've been doing as well as they have, they've got to come here to Selhurst Park believing this is a game that they can win if they play in the right way. And we've got to understand that that is a distinct possibility.

We've got to do our level best to make certain they don't produce that form, that we don't allow them to play the good football they have been playing which has given them the points they've been taking.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2021/february/Hodgson-s-Praise-For-Parker/

Southampton made an error selling Harrison Reed

Southampton were perhaps a little too easily convinced into selling Harrison Reed to Fulham in the summer, and it looks to have been a big mistake when you consider the lack of options Ralph Hasenhuttl currently has in central-midfield.

Reed played a key role in Scott Parker's side earning promotion to the top-flight last season, making 28 appearances and averaging a solid 6.73 rating.

He has continued to be a vital cog in the Fulham midfield this season, with 21 Premier League appearances to his name, in which he has averaged a 6.69 rating.

Although Southampton have struggled with a lot of injury issues this season, it would have been sensible to keep Reed at the club, considering they had just James Ward-Prowse, Oriol Romeu and Ibrahima Diallo as senior central-midfield options.

Hasenhuttl has recently lost Diallo to injury, and it was confirmed that Romeu is set to miss the rest of the season with an ankle injury, which has seriously emphasised their lack of squad depth in midfield.

Youngster Will Smallbone was also ruled out for the season with injury, which has led to the Austrian manager turning to academy talent Alexandre Jankewitz on occasion.

However, the 19-year-old was sent off just two minutes into his full Premier League debut, so having a more experienced player such as Reed would definitely have been helpful to Hasenhuttl in the current injury crisis.

During his time at Southampton, he certainly won over some more senior players with his performances, with Shane Long dubbing the youngster "immense" after his performance in a 3-0 win against Everton.

Considering the 26-year-old has plenty of experience in the Premier League and Championship in his career, you could definitely argue that, at the moment, he is a better player than Jankewitz – who has just three senior appearances to his name at Southampton.

Therefore, Hasenhuttl arguably made a mistake by selling him to Fulham for just £8 million during the summer, as he would surely have been a very useful option to have in midfield this season.



https://www.footballfancast.com/southampton-fc-news/southampton-harrison-reed-saints-ralph-hasenhuttl-fulham

Crystal Palace v Fulham: match preview


Fulham have put together an excellent run of eight points from four matches to move within striking distance of safety. Newcastle are three points ahead in 17th but face a resurgent Wolves side, so defeat could be on the cards. Goals are still at a premium for Scott Parker's side, though, and Roy Hodgson will be scheming to keep it tight and hit Fulham on the counter as they go in search of another vital set of three points. Crystal Palace will also be looking for Jean-Philippe Mateta to build on his fine night's work against Brighton on Monday. Graham Searles

Sunday noon BBC One

Venue Selhurst Park

Last season n/a

Referee Anthony Taylor

This season G17 Y46 R3 2.88 cards/season

Odds H 13-5 A 6-4 D 9-4
CRYSTAL PALACE

Subs from Butland, Henderson, McCarthy, Van Aanholt, Benteke, Batshuayi, Clyne, Dann, Kelly

Doubtful None

Injured Schlupp (thigh, unknown), Sakho (thigh, unknown), Ferguson (thigh, unknown), Tomkins (eye, unknown), Zaha (hamstring, unknown), McArthur (match fitness, unknown)

Suspended None

Discipline Y32 R2

Form LWWLLW

Leading scorer Zaha 9
FULHAM

Subs from Rodak, Fabri, Kongolo, Le Marchand, Ream, Hector, Odoi, Christie, Bryan, Onomah, Decordova-Reid, Lemina, Tete, Mitrovic

Doubtful Mitrovic (match fitness)

Injured Cairney (knee, unknown)

Suspended None

Discipline Y46 R3

Form DLDWDW

Leading scorer Decordova-Reid 5



https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/feb/27/crystal-palace-fulham-match-preview-premier-league

 Super Eagles striker Maja gives reasons for rejoining Fulham in winter transfer market

Josh Maja has got instincts of a natural born striker and showed that quality when he bagged a brace on his full Premier League debut against Everton on Valentine's Day.

Since the Super Eagles star made his debut for the Cottagers, they are unbeaten in four matches, winning two and drawing the others while keeping an impressive three clean sheets, and now the fans are confident that the arrival of the attacker on loan from Bordeaux in the winter transfer market could help them beat the drop.

Maja has a past with Fulham, spending three years in the academy before joining Sunderland.

On why he returned to Fulham, Maja told FFCtv : "It's great being back, I've obviously seen a lot of familiar faces and I'm just happy to be back in London as well, close to my family which is obviously a positive.

"I chose Fulham obviously because it's a big opportunity to play for my former club and to get game time especially. The big thing for me is playing football and I'm enjoying my time so far.

"Premier League football is the biggest league in the world and to be part of it now is great."

Nigeria manager Gernot Rohr is keeping tabs on Maja before announcing his roster for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Benin and Lesotho.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=39093

"We clearly got tricked" – Shareholder discusses €17m Newcastle deal, fee was far bigger

As far as transfers go, Aleksandar Mitrovic's from Anderlecht to Newcastle United has caused a lot of drama.

At the heart of a police investigation into the Belgian club's practices with agents, the deal, which was officially said to be around €17m, was actually a lot bigger behind the scenes.

A key player for Anderlecht at that time, the Serbian striker was seen as a great talent, which is why Newcastle decided to gamble on him.

His time on Tyneside ended up being a relative success, and helped the club, at least on paper, make a profit of around €6m when they sold him to Fulham three years later in 2018.

He's been in London ever since, but that original €17m deal was nearly double that, according to one of Anderlecht's minority shareholders, Etienne Davignon, who spoke to La Libre about it, admitting not everyone was aware of extra commissions that were distributed.

He said: "We clearly got tricked on certain transfers at Anderlecht. We [the shareholders] knew what the club was taking in, but not the rest. For example, the transfer of Mitrovic to Anderlecht in 2015, the club received €17m, which isn't that bad, but now we know the  full story and realise the global transaction was really €30m, so €13m went in commissions for agents and others. It's a bit much..."



http://sportwitness.co.uk/clearly-got-tricked-shareholder-discusses-e17m-newcastle-deal-fee-far-bigger/

Maja will make it tough for Mitrovic to win back place – Parker

Fulham boss Scott Parker believes Josh Maja will make it tough for Aleksandar Mitrovic to win back his place.

Mitrovic is back in the squad to face Crystal Palace on Sunday having recovered from Coronavirus – but Maja's start with the Whites has left him in the driving seat.

A debut brace against Everton for a 2-0 away win on Valentine's Day was a dream come true for the Bordeaux loanee.

Parker favours just one main striker in his line-up, so as it stands, it's one or the other.

"I think Josh will stand up to the challenge (from Mitrovic) very well," said Parker.

"Both will have big parts to play in the remaining 13 games this season. I've always said competition is what drives good teams.

"You had only one striker before in Mitro before Josh came in.

"Now we have two in the building; two forwards who can work with each other and that competition battle is very healthy and it's something you need in good football teams."

Parker admits winning 13 out of the remaining 13 games is 'improbable' but insists his squad has what it takes to grab points from unlikely places.

He said: "This is Crystal Palace. This is what we need to do. This is where they're strong. Can we win this game? Yes we can.

"Tottenham at home and Liverpool away – it's going to be the same. Every game we go into we are competitive – and we can get a result."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/maja-will-make-it-tough-for-mitrovic-to-win-back-place-parker

Riedewald praises team spirit pre-Fulham

Jairo Riedewald says a positive Crystal Palace side will "not hold back" against Fulham this weekend.

"You have to be focussed and you want to get as many points as possible," he said in his pre-match interview, "so we're not going to hold back against Fulham. We want the three points.

"There was a very good atmosphere on the training ground [after victory v Brighton] but then we always have a good atmosphere on the training ground. Even when we have lost a game, we have a meeting with each other, look each other in the eyes and then we're back looking at the next game.

"We have a really good group here and that's just the way it goes. We have a very positive group and we try and help each other where we can.

"We can be professional but also have a laugh with each other."

The Dutch midfielder was keen to reiterate that the result against Brighton provides a platform for future results.

"Of course when you win like this," Riedewald said, "1-1 and then a finish from Christian Benteke to win it, it makes you smile. It's even making me smile now while I'm talking about it.

"At the end of the day, the result is what matters. We got the result, 2-1 in an away game against Brighton, that gave us a lot of confidence. We went back on the training pitch, looked at each other in the eye and focussed on the next match at the weekend against Fulham."

After scoring his first Palace goal at Craven Cottage earlier this season, Riedewald discussed his desire to add more goals to his game.

"It was my first Premier League goal," he said, "and I'm still very happy that it happened. It took a long time for me to even shoot on target in the Premier League! I think it was my first shot on target and it was a goal.

"I used to play as a defender back in the Ajax academy, as a centre-back or left-back, but when I'm in front of goal I have got some composure.

"I can look at where the goalkeeper is and find a good spot. It worked out against Fulham and hopefully it can work out again."



https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/2021/february/jairo-riedewald-shares-thoughts-before-crystal-palace-v-fulham/

Fulham boss Parker hails keeper Areola

Scott Parker says he can't recall any other keeper having the same impact in his first Premier League season as Alphonse Areola.

The Fulham head coach also believes a call-up to the France national team is merited for his shot-stopper, especially as Hugo Lloris has suffered an indifferent spell with Spurs.

Areola won his side two extra points at the very end of the 1-0 win over Sheffield United last Saturday with a point-blank save from Jayden Bogle.

He's been in much the same superb form since his loan move from Paris St-Germain in September.

Parker said: "Can I recall any keeper having such an impact in the first season. No, I can't, to be honest with you.

"His first season here in English football was always a challenge, especially for a keeper.

"It's a difficult position to come into joining a new league and he has played fantastic.

"My main aim, my focus for Alphonse, is to keep improving, and if France come calling then it will be unbelievable for Alphonse and nothing short of what he deserves."

Parker agreed foreign players, especially keepers, often need a bedding-in period. But he insists the 6ft 5ins Frenchman came ready-made.

"Before he came to the club, we looked at it and thought .what do we need'?" Parker said.

"Alphonse's physicality, presence, bravery as a keeper was something that me and Rob (Burch, Fulham goalkeeping coach) highlighted.

"He's a very aggressive keeper, a front-foot keeper, who wants to come and command his box, come and collect. Physically, he's big and very, very agile.

"They were all the areas we looked at and they were the areas he ticked those boxes. And we've not been shocked in any way by that.

"He commands his box, he's comfortable with bodies around him, and he's a good shot stopper."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-star-deserves-international-call-says-parker

Warburton defends Johansen after QPR defeat

QPR boss Mark Warburton defended Stefan Johansen after the Norwegian missed a glorious chance to probably seal victory in the 2-1 defeat at Birmingham.

Rangers looked to be easing to a fifth win in six games after Charlie Austin's first-half strike.

Johansen should have wrapped up the game early in the second half when he was put clear by Chris Willock but blazed over the bar.

Birmingham then hit back with two quickfire goals in the final 10 minutes, leaving Warburton frustrated at his side not closing out a win on a poor and rutted playing surface which saw little quality football played by either team.

"The pitch is really, really poor, which is why you didn't see a good game of football," Warburton said.

"You saw too many balls lumped forward from both teams and it was so hard for players to make good decisions.

"Defenders just had to put their foot through it because it was hard to get the ball under control.

"We just had to get in behind them and turn them and we managed to do that but didn't finish our chances.

"In the one bit of quality in the first half we scored through Charlie and we looked in control but we didn't do the ugly side well enough in the final five to 10 minutes.

"Stefan had a huge chance. He's done so well to get in there, but it's taken a bobble on the pitch and if it doesn't, he finishes those nine times out of 10.

"I thought we were in control of the game up until the final 10 minutes and dealing with them. But you just have to bury that chance. You are then 2-0 up and you win the game.

"But we didn't defend intelligently and let ourselves down."

Warburton made three changes to the side from the one that drew at Preston and defended his decision to withdraw Austin 10 minutes into the second half for Lyndon Dykes and leave Ilias Chair on the bench for the whole game.

"We have to look after them. Ilias is a young player who has had a lot of loading. We just have to take care of him, look after Charlie too," he said.

"I wasn't sure if we would get 45 out of him or 60. We got 55.

"Some of these are guys that have not played a full 90 minutes and we have another game midweek/

"It's about getting them fit and also keeping them fresh."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/qpr/qpr-boss-defends-johansen-and-explains-decisions-to-sub-austin-and-not-bring-chair-on

Cottage Talk Preview: Crystal Palace vs. Fulham

Take a listen to a podcast that focuses on Fulham Football Club.

This is our preview of Crystal Palace vs. Fulham.


You can also listen to the show by following this link...
https://cottagersconfidential.sbnation.com/2021/2/27/22304907/cottage-talk-preview-crystal-palace-vs-fulham

"Unplayable" – Fulham boss praises midfielder as he gears up for Crystal Palace return


Ruben Loftus-Cheek has got his self-belief and confidence back during his loan spell with Fulham – with the midfielder set to face another of his former clubs tomorrow.

That is the verdict of Whites manager Scott Parker, who was glowing in his praise of the Chelsea man, who has previously been capped by England.

Whites manager Scott Parker agreed that Loftus-Cheek, capped by England, took time to deliver big performances after his temporary switch across west London.

"Yeah, I see it exactly like that. I was speaking to him yesterday about it. When he first came into the building I sensed someone a little bit weary, someone who was doubting a little bit and had concerns – he'd been out an extremely long time and had not played a lot of football.

"I've just seen someone grow and grow and grow, probably into the player we could all see. Still loads to come but this is a player can give you moments in a game and take it by the scruff of the neck – and be that powerful, technical, gifted midfield player.

"He's grown in confidence. The environment, how hard he has worked in a short space of time has been credit to him.

"I've been very, very pleased with him. He's going in the right direction.

"Yeah, for sure [Loftus-Cheek] he believes he can get back to that level [where he was representing his country]. His self belief has to be there, he is playing in the best league in the world and at times he is unplayable against teams and players who are world class.

"For sure, his self belief is there. He's probably had bit-parts at Chelsea – never that sustained run of games. That's helped as well [getting that at Fulham].

"Unbelievable kid and an unbelievable professional. He has that hunger every game to work hard. He has got the attributes to do any sort of position in the midfield. He's very open-minded to take that on board."



https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/unplayable-fulham-boss-praises-midfielder-as-he-gears-up-for-crystal-palace-return/

Eze vs Lookman: The battle of Nigeria's future

The on-loan Fulham attacker's strengths are enhanced in West London, while Crystal Palace's approach limits the enthralling attacking midfielder

If anyone needed proof of the dissimilar styles of Crystal Palace and Fulham, both sides' last Premier League games were the perfect representation.

Roy Hodgson's Eagles made more blocks (18) than they had attempts (three) but somehow managed to nick a 2-1 win at Brighton & Hove Albion via an improvised Jean-Philippe Mateta flick and late Christian Benteke volley.

Contrast this with Fulham's encounter with Sheffield United at Craven Cottage last time out, where Ademola Lookman got the Cottagers a deserved winner having played on the front foot for nearly 90 minutes.

The 1-0 victory over the almost condemned Blades put Scott Parker's men within three points of safety, opening up the possibility of escaping the bottom three this weekend if they win at Selhurst Park and 17th-placed Newcastle United are defeated by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Lookman's involvement in that success by and large typifies his overall influence this term in which he's functioned as one of the side's creative outlets even when results were at a premium. He's created seven big chances (seven), ranking in the top 10 in the entire league and with the highest goal involvements in the side (seven).

Particularly noteworthy has been the importance of his contributions so far, which not only helped to secure maximum points last week but saw him assist in creditable draws vs Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

The RB Leipzig loanee also netted in the huge 2-1 win at Leicester City while he was minutes away from being the match-winner at Bramall Lane before Billy Sharp's 85th-minute equalizer meant the London outfit settled for a point.

While the 23-year-old's season has largely been an individual success, the jury remains out on Eberechi Eze's, despite Palace's higher standing in the competition.

The talented playmaker has had his moments in South London in his maiden campaign in the top flight but has been somewhat limited by Hodgson's conservative tactics. This is a disappointment owing to pre-season expectations to see a Palace side with more ambition to their approach.

The predicted deadly menace of a Wilfried Zaha-Eze double act has been few and far between this term, with the 5-1 defeat of West Bromwich Albion in early December probably one game that highlighted their potential when the shackles are off.

Still, the fact Hodgson needed a first-half red card to the hosts — a side that had conceded 18 times (only Fulham with 19 had a worse defensive record at the time) and scored seven times (third-lowest in the league) — to alter his approach at the Hawthorns was telling.

Even though the 22-year-old's talent has shone through regardless, the level of his productivity could have been higher at a more progressive side than Palace. Queens Park Rangers averaged 52 percent possession in the Championship last season with Eze averaging 60 touches per game.

While the increased competitiveness of the Premier League and the presence of Zaha at Selhurst Park meant this was likely to be lower this term, Crystal Palace's average possession of 41 percent has contributed to a mixed debut campaign in top-tier football.

Only two sides (West Bromwich and Newcastle United) have had less of the ball than Hodgson's team and it'd be a surprise if the Eagles change their approach against a Fulham side whose mean currently reads 49.2 percent.

The experienced English manager may not flinch over the criticism of his side's approach and will point to three wins in their last five which leaves them 10 points above Sunday afternoon's visitors as justification for his generally negative approach.

Regardless, neutrals won't help but think the football shouldn't be so tepid and undesirable owing to the improvement in overall attacking quality in South London.

A whole lot has changed since the reverse fixture at the Cottage in October where the visitors won 2-1 despite having 36 percent of the ball. Parker's team have improved significantly at the back and concede fewer chances, which began after a switch to a three-man defence in the winter.

The young manager has reverted to playing a back four since early February in a bid to increase the attacking potential of the side, though, prompting a four-game unbeaten run with four goals scored and the concession of one.

Andre Zambo Anguissa ran the show in midfield against the Blades but Lookman came up trumps in the final third to steer Fulham closer than ever away from the dreaded dropzone. He was involved in a game-high six shot-creating actions, created the joint-highest chances in the game and was generally positive in possession.

It wasn't the same for Eze, hamstrung by the team's passive approach as his manager sought to prevent a third straight league defeat.

Both exciting attackers face off in South London with the on-loan Fulham man out to invalidate the current standings and demonstrate the Cottagers' obvious superiority.



https://www.goal.com/en/news/eze-vs-lookman-the-battle-of-nigerias-future/1ex9enkr2o4us1ba55lndmruka

Scott Parker hails Ruben Loftus-Cheek for rebuilding his career at Fulham after injury misery at Chelsea as he says midfielder can 'take games by the scruff of the neck' in their battle to avoid relegation from Premier League

    Ruben Loftus-Cheek has impressed as Fulham have boosted survival chances
    Midfielder is spending season on loan from Chelsea after achilles injury setback
    Fulham boss Scott Parker has praised Loftus-Cheek as a gamechanger
    They play Crystal Palace on Sunday and could close the gap on Newcastle 

Scott Parker has paid tribute to Ruben Loftus-Cheek's desire and attitude in rebuilding his career at relegation-threatened Fulham.

The on-loan Chelsea midfielder has played an instrumental role in Fulham's recent revival, which has seen them move to within three points of safety.

Unbeaten in four, Parker's side go to Crystal Palace, one of Loftus-Cheek's former clubs, on Sunday looking to continue their excellent run.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/02/28/07/39857728-9308829-image-a-60_1614498004283.jpg)
On-loan midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has impressed for Fulham in their relegation battle

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/02/28/07/39857742-9308829-image-a-61_1614498048162.jpg)
Fulham boss Scott Parker has hailed the impact of Loftus-Cheek during his time at the club

Loftus-Cheek made 25 appearances in a season-long loan spell at Palace three years ago and earned a World Cup spot off the back of an impressive campaign.

The 25-year-old suffered a devastating achilles injury on his return to Chelsea which kept him out for 10 months.

He fought back to full fitness but struggled for regular game time, before joining Fulham in October.

'From when he first came into the building you could sense someone a little bit weary and someone who was a little bit down,' Parker said.

'He had been out for an extremely long time and had not played a lot of football. I've just seen someone grow, grow and grow into the player who we've all seen.

(https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/02/28/07/39857744-9308829-image-a-62_1614498096499.jpg)
Loftus-Cheek in action during Fulham's game against Sheffield United last weekend

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Fulham will hope to close the gap on Newcastle in 17th with victory over Crystal Palace

'There's still loads to come but this is a player at this moment in time who, given moments in games, can take the game by the scruff of the neck and be that powerful, technically-gifted midfield player.'

Upwardly mobile Fulham have collected eight points from their last four games and Parker believes the recent turnaround has a lot to do with the form of Loftus Cheek.

'I think he's grown in confidence. I think the environment and the work he's done in this short space of time has been a credit to him,' he explained.

'I've been very, very pleased with him and he's going in the right direction.'



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9308829/Scott-Parker-hails-Ruben-Loftus-Cheek-rebuilding-career-Fulham.html

Rejuvenated Loftus-Cheek has outside chance of England place at Euros, says Parker

Ruben Loftus-Cheek arrived at Fulham in October with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

But Scott Parker now thinks Loftus-Cheek could be in with an outside shot of representing England at the summer's European Championships – such is the Chelsea loanee's progress.

Loftus-Cheek returns to Crystal Palace –  where he was on loan in 2017-18 – on Sunday. His impressive stint at Selhurst Park earned him a call-up to Gareth Southgate's 2018 World Cup squad.

But a bad injury derailed his career a year later. Only now is the 25-year-old back on track, according to Parker.

"I was speaking to him yesterday about his progress," the Fulham head coach said.

"When he first came into the building, I sensed someone who was a little bit weary, someone who was down a little bit.

"He probably had a lot of concerns. He had been out for an extremely long amount of time and not played a lot of football.

"I've seen him grow and grow into the player we can all see.

"There's still loads to come but this is a player who can take the game by the scruff of the neck and be that powerful, technically-gifted midfield player.

"I think he's growing in confidence. I think the environment, how hard he's worked in this short space of time have been a credit to him.

"There's still loads to come but I've been very, very pleased with him and he's going in the right direction.

"England-wise, we're coming towards the back end of the season now, and I think England are well-equipped in that position.

"But certainly, he's been in and around it for some time now. And yes, if things were to change with injuries, then I'm sure that he will be on the radar with them,"



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/rejuvenated-loftus-cheek-has-outside-chance-of-england-place-at-euros-says-parker

'You could sense he was weary and down' - Chelsea loanee Loftus-Cheek has rebuilt his career at Fulham, says Parker

The Cottagers boss has singled the midfielder out for praise ahead of his side's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has rebuilt his career at Fulham according to Scott Parker, who says the Chelsea loanee was "weary and down" when he first arrived at Craven Cottage.

Loftus-Cheek is currently playing a key role in Fulham's Premier League survival bid, having been snapped up on a season-long loan in October.

Parker has been delighted with the 25-year-old's contribution and thinks the midfielder has rediscovered his best form after losing his confidence at Stamford Bridge.

What was said?
The Fulham boss talked up Loftus-Cheek's talents ahead of their meeting with Crystal Palace on Sunday, telling reporters: "From when he first came into the building you could sense someone a little bit weary and someone who was a little bit down.

"He had been out for an extremely long time and had not played a lot of football. I've just seen someone grow, grow and grow into the player who we've all seen.

"There's still loads to come but this is a player at this moment in time who, given moments in games, can take the game by the scruff of the neck and be that powerful, technically-gifted midfield player.

"I think he's grown in confidence. I think the environment and the work he's done in this short space of time has been a credit to him. I've been very, very pleased with him and he's going in the right direction."

Loftus-Cheek's record at Fulham
Loftus-Cheek has racked up 22 appearances for Fulham, with 21 of those coming in the Premier League.

The  England international has only scored once for the Cottagers and has yet to provide an assist, but his overall performances have helped the west London club close the gap on 17th place  since the turn of the year.

The bigger picture
Fulham reportedly have the option to buy Loftus-Cheek outright for £9 million ($12.5m) in the summer, with Chelsea willing to sanction their academy graduate's departure despite the fact he is still tied to the Blues until 2024.

If the playmaker continues to perform at a high level between now and the end of the season the Cottagers could bring him into their books, but much could depend on whether or not they end up being relegated.

Fulham will be facing huge financial losses if they drop back down to the Championship, meaning Loftus-Cheek could still end up back at Chelsea later in the year.



https://www.goal.com/en/news/chelsea-loanee-loftus-cheek-rebuilt-career-fulham-parker/1ws32te1d64yl1e5vkd4gb3ion

Palace to make it four in a row against Fulham?

Team news

Wilfried Zaha will not be available, but is closing in on a return, Jeffrey Schlupp, Connor Wickham Nathaniel Clyne remain sidelined.

Fulham report no new injury concerns.

Did you know?

Crystal Palace have won each of their last three Premier League matches against Fulham. Only against Wimbledon have they ever won four or more consecutive top-flight London derby meetings, beating them five times in a row from September 1989 to August 1991.

Christian Benteke netted his fourth PL goal of 2020/21 last time out against Brighton, more than he had in his previous two campaigns in the competition combined (3). That goal against the Seagulls was the Palace striker's fourth winner in the 90th minute or later - no player has scored more in the history of the competition.

Fulham are unbeaten in their last six PL away matches, although five have ended level (W1). They have never gone seven such matches unbeaten in the competition.

All three of Ivan Cavaleiro's PL goals this season have come on the road, scoring more than any Fulham player in away matches. His three goals have been one winner and two equalisers.

Match officials

Referee: Anthony Taylor. Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn. Fourth official: Tim Robinson. VAR: Peter Bankes. Assistant VAR: Andy Halliday.



https://www.premierleague.com/news/2040688

Palace proud to support Level Playing Field v Fulham

Crystal Palace Football Club are proud to support disability charity Level Playing Field in the Premier League game against Fulham.

Level Playing Field is a campaigning and advisory organisation to its membership and other parties across all sports, seeking to remove barriers at all sporting events for supporters with disabilities. They aim to achieve ensure that:

    all fans can enjoy an equal experience at live sports events
    all stadia and sports venues are fully accessible and inclusive
    all customer and/or fan services are equal and inclusive
    disabled people are seen as customers with a commercial value

Crystal Palace have selected their match with Fulham as the dedicated fixture to show support for Level Playing Field and, while restricted by COVID-19 precautions, enacted several steps to show public backing.

CEO Phil Alexander presented Disability Champions awards to:

    Pam Groves: Disability Liaison Officer
    Nicola Gibbons: Supporter Liaison Officer
    Michael Harrington: Disability Manager/Deputy Head of Sports & Wellbeing (Palace for Life Foundation)
    Amanda Stewart: Palace for Life Foundation
    Roger Dickson: fan support

First-team players Cheikhou Kouyate and Nathan Ferguson also spent an evening on a Zoom call with Palace for Life Foundation's Down Syndrome Eagles, offering the lads advice and tips on enjoying football.

Players across the club will show their support for Level Playing Field this weekend – with Crystal Palace Women supporting the organisation in training and the first-team squad wearing their t-shirts pre-match today.

Crystal Palace's Head of HR, Julie Brown, said: "We are immensely proud to support a charity such as Level Playing Fields in continuing their vital work for supporters with disabilities.

"As a club we are proud to be inclusive and want everyone to feel welcome and comfortable at Selhurst Park stadium. We will continue to ensure this happens through our ongoing Equality Diversity and Inclusion work here at the club."



https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/2021/february/crystal-palace-supports-level-playing-field-in-premier-league-match-v-fulham/

Roy Hodgson confirms fresh Crystal Palace injury blow ahead of Fulham showdown

Roy Hodgson has confirmed that Nathaniel Clyne has suffered a fresh muscle injury which means he will play no part in Fulham's visit to Selhurst Park, in what will be a colossal blow for Crystal Palace.

Clyne signed a contract extension keeping him at Palace until the end of the season. The 29-year-old returned to his boyhood club after arriving on a short-term deal in October.

However, his latest setback leaves the Eagles a little light on the right-hand side of the defence ahead of Fulham's visit to Selhurst Park on Sunday.

Joel Ward has admirably filled in at right-back in his absence but barring a coronavirus outbreak, an injury crisis could cause problems.

Hodgson also provided an update on injured stars Jeffrey Schlupp and Connor Wickham, both of whom have been absent due to injury.

"Jeffrey Schlupp and Connor Wickham took part in the early part of training with the team, they've also been with the rehabilitation specialists for a long period of time, so they were at least with us for an early part of the session – but they didn't join in with the more intensive part and I don't think they'll be asked to do more with us until at least next week.

"And unfortunately Nathaniel Clyne has picked up a slight muscle injury as well so I think he'll be out of the game as well. So the injury list is not better, in fact, it's one man worse."

Clyne's fresh setback will come as a colossal blow for the Palace boss, who faces a shortage of defensive options in his position, as new signing Nathan Ferguson is yet to make his first appearance for the south London club.

And, while Ward has been such a loyal servant to Palace over the years, it's a hard task to ask the 31-year-old, who himself has suffered from a fair whack of injuries, to continue to be a consistent and reliable performer for the Eagles against a Fulham side with renewed confidence.

While Clyne has copped a fair amount of criticism at times during his second stint at the club, it's fair to say that he has continued to defy the critics for Hodgson's side, making some great overlapping runs and working well in tandem with Andros Townsend.

The Englishman ranks joint-second for interceptions per 90 in the Premier League for Palace and seventh for tackles, with Ward just ahead of him in both categories.

But with Ferguson still working his way back to fitness, both players have had to share the workload, which is exactly why Hodgson will be concerned about his growing injury crisis.

With the Fulham game coming too soon for Clyne, it will be up to Ward – a player who has made over 250 appearances for Palace – to shoulder the burden alone and step up in his absence.

With the pacy and tricky Ademola Lookman up against Ward, Hodgson will be concerned about Ward's ability to live with the former Everton star, but he has no real choice but to select him and hope that his experience is enough to get him through the game.



https://www.footballfancast.com/crystal-palace-fc-news/crystal-palace-nathaniel-clyne-injury-blow-roy-hodgson-setback-selhurst-park-eagles-cpfc-fulham-showdown-match-preview-premier-league-gossip-rumour-analysis

Team news: Find out Palace lineup as Academy prospect joins squad v Fulham

Roy Hodgson has made two changes to his Crystal Palace lineup to face Fulham at Selhurst Park today

The Palace manager has brought Patrick van Aanholt and Christian Benteke into his starting XI, replacing Tyrick Mitchell and Jean-Philippe Mateta from the side which kicked-off against Brighton & Hove Albion.

After confirming Nathaniel Clyne has sustained a minor muscle injury, Hodgson has named Under-23s defender Reece Hannam in the squad, including him on the bench alongside Martin Kelly, Michy Batshuayi and James McCarthy among others.

Hannam joined Palace from West Ham's Academy in summer 2020 and has been a regular part of Shaun Derry's Development team since.

Fulham have named former Eagle Ruben Loftus-Cheek in their midfield as well as recent signing Josh Maja, who has netted two goals from four games on loan from Bordeaux.

Palace: Guaita, Van Aanholt, Cahill, Kouyate, Ward, Riedewald, Milivojevic, Eze, Townsend, Ayew, Benteke.

Subs: Butland, Dann, Kelly, Hannam, McCarthy, Mateta, Batshuayi.

Fulham: Areola, Tete, Andersen, Aina, Adarabioyo, Reed, Decordova-Reid, Anguissa, Loftus-Cheek, Lookman, Maja.
Subs: Fabri, Ream, Cavaleiro, Lemina, Bryan, Onomah, Kongolo, Robinson, Mitrovic.



https://www.cpfc.co.uk/news/2021/february/team-news-find-out-crystal-palace-v-fulham-lineups/

'We got a job to do' - Fulham's Maja targets three points against his former club Crystal Palace

Fulham have three big games coming up, starting with this afternoon's fixture against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, before facing Tottenham Hotspur and the champions Liverpool.

Nigeria international Josh Maja spent the formative years of his career at the Crystal Palace academy before moving to Fulham and he is targeting a win against his former club.

"It's going to be nice, it's going to a good experience," Maja said to FFCtv.

"Yes, it's my former club but we got a job to do and that's to win the game, and we're going to go into it with energy, with confidence and hoping to come away with three points."

Maja praised the Eagles for their recent win against Brighton & Hove and explained why they are a difficult side to come up against.

"They have good know-how, they know how to weather storms in terms of pressure on them and as you saw in their last game against Brighton they came up with a late winner which is obviously good for them.

"We are just hoping that we can do our job well, score the goals that we need to score and come away with three points."

Maja is one of four players of Nigerian descent picked by manager Scott Parker in his starting XI versus Crystal Palace, the others being Tosin Adarabioyo, Ola Aina and Ademola Lookman.

Igho Kingsley



https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=39104