Monday Fulham Stuff - 08/12/25...

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Results

Sunday 07/12
Brighton	1-1	West Ham
Fulham	1-2	Palace
Wilson

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Fulham 1-2 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi scored a dramatic late header to secure victory over Fulham and lift the Eagles into the Premier League's top four.

It had looked like the points would be shared after an entertaining but even match at Craven Cottage.

But the Palace captain popped up to fire home from a corner with three minutes remaining of normal time remaining to make it back-to-back wins on the road for Oliver Glasner's side.

Harry Wilson's sumptuous curled finish seven minutes before the break had cancelled out Eddie Nketiah's confident 20th-minute strike for Palace.

Both sides pressed for a winner in the second half but neither were able to apply the final piece of quality before Guehi's impressive winner.

The Cottagers thought they had won the game themselves when Emile Smith Rowe tapped in the rebound after Alex Iwobi's header came back off the bar but it was chalked off with Samuel Chukwueze narrowly offside in the build-up.

Instead, defeat is Fulham's second this week following a nine-goal thriller with Manchester City on Tuesday and leaves them 15th in the table, four points above the drop zone.

Palace have struggled this season to meet the demands of juggling Premier League and European football but Glasner's side once again found a way and could be rewarded further for their efforts with Champions League football a genuine possibility.

Crystal Palace analysis: Guehi finds a way for Eagles
Glasner has not kept his opinions to himself this season when it comes to the club's spending and failure to reinvest the club-record £60m received from the sale of Eberechi Eze.

Without Ismaila Sarr at his disposal because of an ankle injury, not for the first time this season it was Daniel Munoz who stepped up for Palace in a narrow 1-0 win over Burnley in midweek, scoring his third league goal of the season.

But the full-back was absent from Glasner's squad on Sunday because of a minor knee injury with Nketiah handed a first top-flight start of the season.

The 26-year-old took his opportunity when it came but for much of the second half it looked like Palace would be heading back across London with only one point as they created chances but were unable to find a goal.

Palace have failed to win all four of their league matches after a European game and this looked like it could be a familiar tale following a league trip up north in midweek.

Jean Philippe Mateta dragged an effort wide before Yeremy Pino and Christantus Uche both went close, the latter sliding in but being denied by Bernd Leno moments before Guehi's header.

The England defender's future at the club has been a topic of discussion for some time with persistent interest from Liverpool and Newcastle and, with mere months left on the 25-year-old's contract, that interest will surely remain in January.

Not only is his sturdiness at the back a large part of why Palace's defence has been near impenetrable this season - they have the best defensive record in the league behind only Arsenal - but he has now contributed to goals in back-to-back matches.

He provided the assist for Munoz earlier in the week before netting his second goal of the season here and while Glasner has bemoaned the lack of signings, keeping hold of Guehi in the summer is proving to be a key piece of business.

Fulham analysis: Wilson strike highlight in disappointing defeat
Marco Silva's side showed they are capable of scoring goals and hanging in games no matter the deficit when they almost came back from four goals down on Tuesday but ultimately lost 5-4.

But scoring goals against a defence as compact as Palace's was always going to be tough and it required a moment of magic from Wilson to find the equaliser.

The Welsh winger played a lovely one-two with Alex Iwobi before unleashing a delicious curled effort with the outside of his boot and that looked like it would be the moment of the match before Palace found the winner.

The Cottagers had clearly taken confidence from their display in midweek, Calvin Bassey was a bright spark in the middle of the park and they created no shortage of opportunities.

But another narrow loss will serve as a disappointing result for Silva's side, who are at risk of being dragged into a relegation battle if consistency does not improve.

What's next for these sides?
Fulham will aim to bounce back from back-to-back defeats when they travel to struggling Burnley on Saturday, 13 December (17:30 GMT).

Crystal Palace have a tough week with a trip to Shelbourne on Thursday, 11 December (20:00 GMT) in the Europa Conference League before hosting Manchester City on Sunday, 14 December (14:00 GMT) in the Premier League.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cyvgqd7jn08t

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Post-Crystal Palace Press Conference
Marco Silva says that if Fulham cannot win matches like the one against Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon, then we have to make sure we don't lose them.

The Whites were the more positive of the teams at Craven Cottage and were frustrated by the tightest of VAR offside calls, only to then go down to Marc Guehi's 87th minute winner at a corner.

"We knew that we are going to have this type of Palace approach in the game, most of the times trying to block everything from ourselves, deep on the pitch with that line of five, four players in front, and sometimes [Jean-Philippe] Mateta very deep trying to block the lines.

"We knew that it's going to be a game that we have to be patient, but at the same time it's important for us to move quicker the ball. And that was one of the reasons, because in some moments we didn't find more solutions, sometimes the possession at the back was a little bit slower than it should be.

"Even so, I think we were the team more dominant in the game, definitely. Of course, sometimes in terms of chances, the dominance doesn't reflect it, but I think we did create.

"We started well, and the first two/three corners were good – a chance for Emile, well blocked from them, and the chance from Kenny.

"After, when they scored, they hadn't done anything to score a goal in that moment, [but] a good goal from them.

"The reaction was good – great chance from Emile to equalise, good save from [Dean] Henderson. And, after, we scored from a great combination through the middle, what a finish from Harry Wilson.

"And I really believe that in that moment, we deserved to equalise the game, because we were trying to create chances, even against a side that is always very compact, very deep.

"We spoke at half-time, things to adjust on and off the ball, and the main thing was for us to try to start with a bit more energy, going forward quicker, and to not give them the chance to organise quickly at the back again.

"And we started well, that is true. We scored the goal – the way it was disallowed has to be a big frustration for us, probably the nail of Chukwueze is too big right now. It is what it is. Was difficult for us, because a great goal from ourselves was disallowed.

"We kept the control of the game, but not with that intensity, that energy that we spoke about last game, for example, to create from one side to the other.

"And one of the reasons, I believe, was because from the back, we should have started to move quicker the ball and to make the ball arrive in offensive areas quicker. And we haven't done, and the game started to be very balanced.

"They were waiting, they were speculating a little bit with the game, trying to go from our mistake. It is the type of game, that if you can't win, we cannot lose in the way we lost.

"Moments that we have to be resilient, we have to keep trying to win the game, and I think we were trying, but the same time to keep the focus and organisation and to be resilient in all the moments of the game, because they are going to be crucial in the end to get a good result.

"We cannot concede the goal that we conceded last minute of the game."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2025/december/07/post-crystal-palace-press-conference/

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Palace up to fourth as they edge out Fulham in another one for the visitors in the 'away win derby'
Premier League

Fulham (1) 1 Wilson 38

Crystal Palace (1) 2 Nketiah 20, Guehi 87

The fixture that refuses to end in home wins once again saw the away side make off with the spoils.

For the 10th head-to-head running, it was visitors who enjoyed the better of it when games have not ended in draws.

The Eagles scored a cracking opener through Eddie Nketiah and were pegged back by an even more outstanding goal from Harry Wilson. But Marc Guehi's late header settled the outcome to lift Palace up to fourth in the table.

It means the wait for a home win goes on for Fulham when it comes to clashes with Palace. It's now 20 years since they beat them at the Cottage.

The Whites looked eager to recreate their goalscoring feats from the crazy midweek Man City game and early pressing brought a corner, with Emile Smith Rowe seeing his deflected volley whistle just wide.

But the Eagles came up with the first really slick move and it got them in front. Guehi nipped a pass in to Adam Wharton and the midfielder's silky-smooth ball invited Nketiah to advance to the edge of the box and rifle a low shot past Bernd Leno.

It was the ex-Arsenal man's first league goal since the 90th minute winner against Liverpool in September.

It could easily have been all square not long after when Smith Rowe latched onto a pass from Sander Berge with what looked like a perfect strike - only for Dean Henderson to make an excellent one-handed reflex save. Alex Iwobi also blasted at the keeper from just outside the area.

The goal they had been threatened came through the sheer brilliance of Harry Wilson, who flicked Iwobi's pass to Raul Jimenez and from the return ball, executed a delightful first-time chip with the outside of his left boot which sailed above and beyond Henderson.

There was a spring in the step now. Smith Rowe looked as though he had put the Whites ahead when an Iwobi header crashed back off a post for him but his pass to Samuel Chukwueze in the build-up was flagged up as offside by millimetres, according to VAR.

It seemed a tough one to call in terms of predicting a winner, but the Eagles grew in stature rather than fade, as they had noticeably done in their last home fixture against Man United.

Nathaniel Clyne came close before the break. A low Tyrick Mitchell cross almost opened up the Whites twice - on the second occasion, sub Chris Uche almost put it away, but Leno came out to block.

Then, moments after Yeremy Pino had almost poked home at the far post, he curled in a corner which Marc Guehi headed in from three yards. It proved to be enough to settle it.

Whites: (4-2-3-1) Leno - Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Castagne - Berge (Lukic 76), Iwobi (Traore 89) - Wilson (Cairney 89), Smith Rowe (Kevin 68), Chukwueze (King 76) - Jimenez

Eagles: (3-4-2-1) Henderson - Richards, Lacroix, Guehi - Clyne (Canvot 77), Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell - Nketiah (Lerma 65), Pino (Devenney 92) - Mateta (Uche 65)

Attendance: 27,283



https://www.capitalfootball.co.uk/single-post/palace-up-to-fourth-as-they-edge-out-fulham-in-another-one-for-the-visitors-in-the-away-win-derby

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Palace score late winner at Fulham
Marc Guehi scored a late goal to snatch victory for Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage.

The England centre-back rose highest to head in Yeremy Pino's corner, making it back-to-back home defeats for Fulham.

Eddie Nketiah finished off a superb team move to put the Eagles ahead after 20 minutes. His pinpoint finish was too much for Bernd Leno in goal.

Harry Wilson levelled the game with a stunning effort with the outside of his left foot. Raul Jimenez laid it on a plate for him, and the Welshman did the rest.

Emile Smith Rowe had come close to equalising when he was found inside the box. His powerful strike was brilliantly saved by keeper Dean Henderson.

Smith Rowe had the ball in the net a little after half-time, but Samuel Chukwueze was found to be offside, and the goal was disallowed after a VAR check.
Fulham: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Castagne, Berge (Lukic 76), Iwobi (Traore 89), Smith Rowe (Kevin 67), Wilson (Cairney 89), Jimenez, Chukwueze (King 76)

Subs not used: Lecomte, Diop, Cuenca, Kusi-Asare.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/fulham-v-crystal-palace-late-winner

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Fulham 1-2 Crystal Palace: Adam Wharton's artistry shines through in big win - and why Cottagers could be in deep trouble after AFCON

Marc Guehi sank to his knees and offered a prayer as the final whistle pierced the sky above Craven Cottage and Crystal Palace clambered into the top four.

Before the game, England centre half Guehi had told Sky Sports that he trusts God has a plan for his future after his summer transfer to Liverpool fell through at the last minute and left him for a little longer in the Palace defence.

Perhaps, too, there is divinity guiding Oliver Glasner's team because they were second best for long spells at Fulham. Often on the back foot, still learning to cope with fatigue from a congested schedule and a debut European campaign.

But they continue to collect points because when their talent is not enough, they can rely upon their brilliant organisation and fierce competitive courage.

Guehi and his defensive unit restricted their hosts to one goal with the help of tight VAR decision in their favour and the contest appeared to be drifting towards a draw when Palace dug into their reserves to summon one last flurry.

Christantus Uche came on for the ineffective Jean-Phillipe Mateta and made life uncomfortable for the Fulham centre halves.

Inside three minutes of later pressure, Uche forced a save from Bernd Leno, then Yeremy Pino had a shot deflected wide and from the corner Guehi rose at the near post, ahead of Joachim Andersen and headed in the winning goal.

Three points lifted them above Chelsea and into fourth. Glasner played it down. 'Fourth in December is nice but not important,' he said.

Nevertheless, the Eagles are soaring like never before.

English connection at the Palace
The first Palace goal was a crisp and clinical finish by Eddie Nketiah, featuring the vision and sublime passing range of Adam Wharton, who thrives in this system, playing on the counter-attack because he sees the pass early.

Wharton launched the move by spraying a long ball with the outside of his left foot from the centre of the pitch to wing back Tyrick Mitchell on the left.

Mitchell waited and worked the ball inside to Guehi and he found Wharton, who drifted away from his marker and turned a first time pass forward into the feet of Nketiah. On the move, inside the penalty area, Nketiah took a touch before driving the ball in low for his third goal of the season, his first for more than two months.

Four England internationals involved in the goal. Guehi and Wharton are already in Thomas Tuchel's plans and Glasner thinks Mitchell should be, too.

'If he continues like this, I am sure will be in consideration for World Cup with England,' said Glasner but the Palace boss hailed Nathaniel Clyne, 34-year-old veteran called in for his first Premier League start since April when Daniel Munoz was forced out by a knee injury.

Glasner hopes to have Munoz back to face Manchester City on Sunday.
 
Another magical Wilson goal...
If Palace have Wharton with his wand of a left peg in central midfield, then Fulham have Harry Wilson casting his own spells from wide on the right. At Tottenham, eight days earlier, he had swept a sublime curling shot into an open goal from close to the touchline.

Here, he linked up with Raul Jimenez deftly with Raul Jimenez on the fringes of the penalty area. The pass came into his feet from Alex Iwobi and Wilson shaped it first time around his marker to Jimenez, and spun for the return.

Jimenez played the ball back into his path and again Wilson hit it with the outside of his left foot, this time with the power and shape to beat Dean Henderson's dive. 'Everybody who loves football loved those first two goals,' said Glasner.

Fulham were level at 1-1, reward for a strong response to going behind. Silva's team controlled long spells of possession. They were foiled in the first half when trailing 1-0 by Dean Henderson, who made a fabulous save from Emile Smith Rowe.

And again at 1-1 by a VAR intervention when Smith Rowe volleyed in the rebound after Alex Iwobi had headed a cross by Samuel Chukwueze against the bar. Chukwueze was ruled to have a toe offside in the build up.

'Probably the nail of Chukwueze is too big for the sport that we are playing,' said Marco Silva. 'A toenail is enough to disallow a goal. Now, it's another decision from the VAR against ourselves.'

Fulham hit by AFCON
Fulham were sunk by the late goal. Craven Cottage shuddered with injustice and the fear that despite a recent uptick in form and a decent display here, they are perilously close to the relegation mire and Silva will lose three of his most influential players to the Africa Cup of Nations.

Calvin Bassey, Iwobi and Chukwueze will all be in the Nigeria squad for the tournament in Morocco, which starts in the days before Christmas. 'Crucial players for us,' said Silva.

Chukwueze has sparkled since a cameo from the bench against Sunderland, centre half Bassey brings the pace and power to the defensive line and Iwobi has become as important as any other player in this Fulham team since converting to a role in central midfield.

Next up a trip to Burnley, where they will face former boss Scott Parker and the Nigerians will leave for international duty before the Carabao Cup quarter final at Newcastle.



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-15356597/Fulham-1-2-Crystal-Palace-Wharton-edges-battle.html

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Fulham 1-2 Crystal Palace: Marc Guehi grabs late winner as Eagles climb into top four
Eagles were missing a key man for London derby

Marc Guehi's late winner lifted Crystal Palace to fourth in the Premier League after they snatched a 2-1 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

There was little to separate the sides in this London derby, with Harry Wilson's stunning equaliser for the Cottagers cancelling out Eddie Nketiah's well-worked opener on his first league start of the season.

A decision by Eagles boss Oliver Glasner to shore up his midfield led to his side finishing the stronger after Fulham had put them on the backfoot - and had a goal by Emile Smith Rowe ruled out for offside by VAR.

Smith Rowe almost gave Fulham an eighth-minute lead to reward a bright start from the hosts when his shot from Alex Iwobi's low corner was deflected narrowly over the crossbar.

Having seen off the early pressure from the hosts, Palace went ahead in the 20th minute when Adam Wharton's fine pass into the area found Nketiah who had enough time to pick his place and find the bottom corner.

Fulham thought they had levelled four minutes later as Sander Berge put through Smith Rowe, who went for power and his rising shot was impressively turned over by Eagles goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

It was a strong response to going behind from the home side, and they soon had another chance when Iwobi was only able to shoot tamely at Henderson after the visitors struggled to clear Samuel Chukwueze's cross.

An equaliser which Fulham deserved then arrived in the 38th minute when Wilson exchanged passes with Raul Jimenez before finishing sublimely with the outside of his left foot from the edge of the box.

The two sides were level after a very watchable first half, but Palace could have gone back in front within four minutes of the restart when Jean-Philippe Mateta scuffed wide after being played in by Yeremy Pino.

The hosts then thought they had completed the turnaround after 51 minutes when Smith Rowe converted the rebound after Iwobi had headed against a post.

However, VAR ruled out the goal for a marginal offside against Chukwueze, whose cross it was that had caused problems for the Eagles in the first place.

The visitors then almost went 2-1 up themselves when Nketiah tried to bundle in Tyrick Mitchell's cross, but Timothy Castagne cleared off the line for Fulham.

Having been under the cosh for much of the afternoon, Palace came on strong in the closing stages and came close when Christantus Uche stretched to reach Mitchell's ball and was denied by Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

But the Eagles snatched victory in the 87th minute when captain Guehi rose highest to flash in a header from Pino's corner to lift his side into the Champions League places.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-crystal-palace-premier-league-guehi-b1261531.html

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"We'll make the right decision" – Marco Silva cools talk of permanent Chukwueze deal at Fulham

Fulham manager Marco Silva has pushed back against growing excitement about turning Samuel Chukwueze's loan move into a permanent transfer in England, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Portuguese gaffer has urged patience as the Super Eagles winger continues to settle into life at Craven Cottage.

Chukwueze, who arrived from AC Milan on a season-long loan with an option to buy, has impressed the West London fans in recent weeks.

This has sparked speculations that Fulham may be ready to trigger the clause that might see him bid goodbyes to the San Siro Stadium.

Silva on Chukwueze's Permanent Transfer
As reported by SportMediaset, and MilanPress, Silva insisted the club is not ready to make any long-term commitments, stressing that both Fulham and the player remain calm about what happens next.

    "A permanent deal? I don't think it's the right time to talk about it. We have time to make that decision. We're relaxed about it, and so is he. He knows what he has to do, he knows he has to continue helping the team. At the right time, we'll make the right decision."

Marco Silva praises Chukwueze's impact
Silva noted that Chukwueze's experience at a major European club like AC Milan has equipped him to handle expectations.

    "He's mature, has quality, and is a creative player. We want to see more from him, even if he doesn't have to prove his worth every single game, because he's an international player who comes from a big European club and knows what pressure means."

He also commended the Nigerian winger's positive attitude around the squad.

    "Beyond his qualities as a player, he spreads good vibes to everyone. He's a good guy and enjoys battling with us every single day. It's nice to see him always smiling. Then when he has to work, he works."

Chukwueze's revival at Fulham has strengthened the club's attack and revived his confidence, but Silva's comments show the Premier League side is taking a careful approach before deciding on a permanent move.

A final decision is expected later in the season as Fulham assess his performance and long-term fit.



https://soccernet.ng/2025/12/marco-silva-chukwueze-deal-at-fulham.html

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Late Guehi goal gives Fulham another setback
Wilson wondergoal not enough to avoid 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace

Fulham fans may be casting envious aspersions glances across London tonight, as Crystal Palace climb into the top four of the Premier League with a well-fought 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage tonight. Despite several decent passages of football from us, goals from Eddie Nketiah and Marc Guehi in either half highlighted the gap that exists between us and the football teams truly realising their aspirations of taking the next step to Europe. It's a tough result for Marco Silva and his team, who have been handed a second home defeat in a row, and the late winner for Palace leaves Fulham staring awkwardly at the rumbles of the relegation battle still too close to dismiss at this stage of the season.

First Half
Formations with three centre-backs are not my favourite, but you can see why Oliver Glasner enjoys it at Palace so much - his team are resilient and resolute, difficult to break down at any moment and well-equipped to stomach even the most fearsome moments in their own box. This squad in particular have physical, athletic and technical attributes in abundance, demonstrated early on through how confidently they dealt with our possession and the string of corners it won. As is the requirement in the modern Premier League, their distribution from the back was swift in response, playing quick passes through Wharton and Kamada to move the focus of play into their attacking pieces.

We had a warning for this before their opener - Guehi's vision moved the ball to Kamada, who had space away from Iwobi to play a through ball to Mateta, who thankfully couldn't quite evade Bassey enough to turn his shot into a real challenge for Leno. Unsurprisingly Palace stuck to their strategy, and a few minutes later had a lead. Wharton passed a diagonal ball across the pitch to Mitchell, deep on the left. With time away from Tete, he played the ball back to Guehi, who'd moved forward from the back. A quick pass to Wharton, breathing easily away from Smith Rowe, proved fruitful - the England international kicked a sharp pass into the box for Nketiah, bursting away from Wilson's lacklustre marking, to take the ball into the space Andersen had left. A strong finish saw him guide the ball under Leno's dive, and reminded everyone that limp defending would be punished by a team as competent as Palace.

To Fulham's credit, they didn't let the game lull. We'd been decent, though unspectacular, in possession prior to the goal, and the setback seemed to fire up the squad. Castagne tucked into the middle from LB to help Berge build up play - whilst not necessarily as dynamic as Sessegnon's runs, it did help Smith-Rowe fizz around a bit, and produced a smart pass ahead of Lacroix that forced Dean Henderson to tip over Smith Rowe's lofted shot. Our ball retention was good in this passage, forcing Mitchell and Clyne back alongside their backline, which in turn moved Wharton and Kamada back and isolated their three forwards - we were the team in control of the ball.

Palace resisted for what felt like an age - their defending in close moments is superb, and frequently proved the antidote to our offensive play. They, particularly through their quality defenders in Guehi and Lacroix, have a knack for being in the right place at the right time, draining the danger of Chukwueze's speedy crosses or Andersen's long passes. Indeed, they might have extended their lead - another long ball to Mitchell saw him whip a cross into the box. Castagne bolted into the centre to try and cut it out but missed the ball entirely, leaving Clyne completely free on the right. But for a poor first touch, Bassey would have been unable to block the former Liverpool man's effort on goal.

We would need football of a higher calibre to unpiece a confident Palace defence, and thankfully the mercurial talents of Harry Wilson were on the pitch to do just that. A sequence of passes across the team moved play into Palace's half, pinning them into their final third. Iwobi moved the ball to Tete, forcing Palace's backline to move into their box and creating space for himself to receive the ball closer to goal. He spotted Wilson hungry for the ball and played an intelligent pass into the centre, through the midfield. Lacroix, sensing the danger, stepped out to try and deal with him - but he'd fallen into Fulham's trap. The Welshman laid the ball off with the outside of his foot, the newly-liberated Jimenez took a single touch to play it back into Wilson's path, and with the same bodypart curled the ball over Henderson to level the scores. It was a sensational moment, another pearl for Wilson to add to his growing collection, and fired up Fulham for the closing minutes of the half, confident at the Cottage.

Second Half
Level scores at the break, then, with two sides exhibiting decent football on the whole. Fulham, perhaps still energised from being the most recent scorers, started quickly from the restart, using the energy we'd built to try and put their centre-backs under more pressure. A clever Tete overlap let Wilson feed him ahead of Mitchell, dragging Guehi out of position and into an uncharacteristically careless missed slide tackle - our right-back is not left-footed, though, and sliced his effort well off-target. Seemingly this early trouble for the visitors gave them their own energy burst. Following the same pattern as the first half, Richards played the ball swiftly into Pino on the left, who fed Mateta in the box, only for the striker to drag his shot wide of the post. Moments later, another pass from deep let Nketiah and Clyne unpiece Castagne on our left - Kamada needed to be much slicker pulling the trigger though, and put his shot straight into Berge.

It was a frenetic period in the game, and we sought to take advantage of the destablising effect this had on Palace's defence. Lacroix got unnerved again trying to step out to deal with Jimenez, who got the ball to Smith Rowe under pressure. Dribbling forward, he shifted it wide to Chukwueze, who curled a brilliant cross over everyone that Iwobi latched onto, thundering a header off the crossbar. And amongst the chaos, with Palace struggling to work out where the ball was, popped Smith Rowe, perfectly positioned to react quicker than Guehi and tap the ball into the net. Yet VAR quashed our newfound lead - a tight offside for Chukwueze eliminated the goal.

Again though, Palace weren't deterred, continuing to work the ball smartly and ask questions of Fulham's defence. Bassey had a strong phase of the game, fighting off Nketiah and Mateta to keep Palace's through balls from amounting to anything. Wharton, advancing further into Fulham territory, had more of an influence, moving the play out wide really nicely - Mitchell almost assisted another goal, firing the ball into the box so quickly that it caused a difficult bobble off the Nigerian centre-back - Pino flicked the ball towards goal but a block from Bassey prevented it from going in, and Tete was on-hand to clear the loose ball from Nketiah and Leno's collision.

This burst of energy required changes for both sides, and after a Chukwueze cross fizzed narrowly in front of Jimenez at Palace's end, they arrived. They were not what might have been predicted, though. Glasner withdrew forwards Nketiah and Mateta for Lerma and Uche, moving Kamada to the wings and switching into more of a 5-4-1, whilst the impressive Smith Rowe was taken off for Kevin by Silva, putting overt pace on both wings and moving Wilson closer to Jimenez. It proved an advantage for the visitors - with Lerma in, Wharton and Kamada had more license to think offensively, and spread the ball out to the wingbacks, who themselves had a quicker, fresher target in Uche to aim for. Conversely, Smith Rowe's departure removed a key attacking piece from the central areas, for the far less precise Kevin.

The effect was clear - whilst Fulham's chances became fleeting and snatched at, Palace's moves gave us far more headaches and put more pressure on the defence. Wharton found Kamada on the left, who found Mitchell running down the wings, and his cross narrowly travelled away from Uche - it was a taste of things to come, and compared to Fulham pumping long balls that Jimenez didn't have the energy to do enough with, meant Palace crept closer to winning the game. It was worsened with our next changes, King and Lukic for Chukwueze and Berge, which unsettled things further. King is great but Chukwueze was a player whose energy actually caused problems for Palace in a physical contest, and Berge was key in soaking up some of the danger lurking around our defence.

At the same time, Palace's substitutes were shifting the momentum into their hands. Clyne, tired from the pace being thrown at him, was replaced by Canyot, who had the speed to shut down Kevin almost immediately. Our opportunities were now coming through speculative long shots - Wilson couldn't replicate the magic of the first half with one such effort, assisted by Tete, that travelled comfortably into Henderson's hands.

The pieces were in place for Palace to take the game from us, and the players - winners - that Glasner has across his team were sure to capitalise. Another smart ball from Kamada was too quick for Lukic, too slow to cut out the pass - Mitchell, once again, had space to take on Tete and navigate down the wing. His cross was really accurate, curled brilliantly around the defence towards Uche - Leno needed to come off his line to shunt the effort out for a corner. The first one, a low kick from Wharton that, after a Guehi dummy, Pino fired off Bassey for a second set-piece, was one last red alert that Fulham failed to heed. The second, taken from the other side by Pino, curled over everyone into the box; Guehi, too strong for King, too quick for Andersen, leapt highest to head the ball over Leno's flailing arm.

2-1, with minutes to play, and Fulham's best players of the night were largely on the bench. Cairney and Traore trudged on to try and save the game, but it was far too little to seriously threaten Palace - indeed, once they'd seen off the slow, predictable possession-turned-crosses that Fulham defined the closing stages of the game with, they came closer to extending the lead themselves, as Fulham struggled to muster up anything resembling the energy we had for City in the closing stages. It was a mediocre end to a game that could have been much more, and another defeat to add to the list for Fulham this season.

Foolish Fulham
Where do we start with Marco's men? Defensive mistakes have really hurt us at times this season, and whilst individually players like Bassey and Tete can point to some really excellent moments across the game, as a team we were far too timid in far too many moments. Fulham fell behind because they didn't have a grip on what Palace were doing on the ball, and when our possession stopped being as effective, the same areas were causing us problems in the second half. I don't even think we can pin this on Castagne being unsuited to left-back - whilst there were a few nervy moments from him, more of the danger came from Mitchell on Palace's left, supplied by Kamada just behind him, which points to poor tracking back from Wilson and flimsy work in midfield particularly when Iwobi and Lukic were there. It caused several near misses across the second half, and led to the late corners (also defended horribly) that Palace won the game with.

Offensively we undid the good work we saw in the first half with some poor tweaks to the system. Chukwueze had a quiet start and probably didn't benefit from having Berge and Castagne hovering in areas of the pitch Sessegnon would usually be occupying, but he was flying early in the second half and should have been left to continue laying waste to Clyne with Smith Rowe pulling the strings around him. Instead ESR was taken off for Kevin, Chuk was forced to the other wing against the far quicker Mitchell, and shortly afterwards the Nigerian left the game himself.

It massively dented the flow of our game - the obvious change for me was Jimenez, who had worked hard but (understandably) didn't have the energy to challenge Palace any further and could have been swapped out for Kusi-Asare, who looked promising against City and might have done more in the final stage of the game. Certainly more than Lukic, Cairney and Traore, who took Fulham's football back a step or ten and almost shot ourselves in the foot towards the end of the game. King, unsurprisingly, was the only one who seemed to understand the requirements of the situation, with the speed and guile to take the ball forward (infuriatingly, the free kick he helped win was squandered by dithering to put the ball in the box!)

Palace for the Champions League?
Compare this to Palace, who had a coherent game plan, players confident enough to stick to the approach even when they made mistakes, and substitutes that reacted to the state of the game. Nketiah was a little out of position on the right but still worked hard and earnt a goal for the team, with a strong finish. Pino played on the left and the right and put insightful passes into dangerous areas, rewarding him with an assist towards the end of the match. Wharton dominated midfield, outlasting everyone we had in the same areas, and worked brilliantly with Kamada and later Lerma to bolster their defence whilst feeding the ball into dangerous areas.

On the topic of the defence, what a setup to have to try and get around - it took a world class move, assist and finish to score just one goal against them, and whilst we did unnerve them for our (ruled out) second they regrouped, sharpened up and shut out any more chances from that point onwards. I often wonder whether Guehi really is as good as the staggering transfer fees linked with him, but he is a colossus for Palace, and his powerful header at the end is a reward for the defensive acumen he exhibited today. His teammates Lacroix and Richards are not far behind him, and whilst they were a little less polished the three work together very well to ease the intensity of the pressure they face.

Mitchell is the unsung man for me though - a terrific left-back (with somehow only two caps for England, keep your eye on him Tuchel) that cruised down the wing all match, against arguably our best defensive player in Tete, and also shut out Wilson, Chukwueze and Traore late on in the game. I was quietly impressed by Canvot, too - the Frenchman was left a minefield to sort out with Clyne facing the heat, and turned it on its head to put runs and energy down the right for Kevin to have to track back and sort out. It's telling that Fulham's crosses from the left were taken well outside the box, and were subsequently easy to deal with for Henderson and his teammates.

Palace had too strong a spine for us to overcome over 90 minutes, and much like in the FA Cup last season have three points at the Cottage as a reward. It leaves us in a nervous situation - despite some good performances recently, we are four points above the relegation zone, and play the teams in 17th, 18th and 19th over our next three league fixtures. With two of them enjoying bounces under their new managers (and one the club of former Fulham man Scott Parker), there's every reason for Silva to drill the importance of this month's games into the players. It feels unlikely, even now, but you can never take for granted your place in the Premier League, because if the quality present in flashes across the match today doesn't translate into consistent results, the tendrils of relegation are all too eager to drag your season into the abyss.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/late-guehi-goal-gives-fulham-another

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Marco Silva emphasises Fulham 'cannot lose in the way we lost' against Crystal Palace
The Cottagers cannot continue to concede fine margins.

Marco Silva shared his thoughts on a 2-1 defeat for Fulham against Crystal Palace.

The Cottagers conceded a late winner from Marc Guehi after Harry Wilson had cancelled out an Eddie Nketiah opener. Samuel Chukwueze could have scored if he had not been offside by the narrowest of margins, and the head coach has to stomach the feeling from another narrow loss.

"We knew that we are going to have this type of Palace approach in the game, most of the times trying to block everything from ourselves, deep on the pitch with that line of five, four players in front, and sometimes Jean-Philippe Mateta very deep trying to block the lines.

"We knew that it's going to be a game that we have to be patient, but at the same time it's important for us to move quicker the ball. And that was one of the reasons, because in some moments we didn't find more solutions, sometimes the possession at the back was a little bit slower than it should be.

"Even so, I think we were the team more dominant in the game, definitely. Of course, sometimes in terms of chances, the dominance doesn't reflect it, but I think we did create.

"We started well, and the first two/three corners were good – a chance for Emile Smith Rowe, well blocked from them, and the chance from Kenny Tete. After, when they scored, they hadn't done anything to score a goal in that moment, [but] a good goal from them.

"The reaction was good – great chance from Emile to equalise, good save from Dean Henderson. And, after, we scored from a great combination through the middle, what a finish from Harry Wilson.

"And I really believe that in that moment, we deserved to equalise the game, because we were trying to create chances, even against a side that is always very compact, very deep.

"We spoke at half-time, things to adjust on and off the ball, and the main thing was for us to try to start with a bit more energy, going forward quicker, and to not give them the chance to organise quickly at the back again.

"And we started well, that is true. We scored the goal – the way it was disallowed has to be a big frustration for us, probably the nail of Samuel Chukwueze is too big right now. It is what it is.

"It was difficult for us: a great goal from ourselves was disallowed. We kept the control of the game, but not with that intensity, that energy we spoke about last game to create from one side to the other.

"And one of the reason was because from the back, we should have started to move quicker the ball and to make the ball arrive in offensive areas quicker. And we haven't done, and the game started to be very balanced. They were waiting, they were speculating a little bit with the game, trying to go from our mistake. It is the type of game, that if you can't win, we cannot lose in the way we lost.

"Moments that we have to be resilient, we have to keep trying to win the game, and I think we were trying, but the same time to keep the focus and organisation and to be resilient in all the moments of the game, because they are going to be crucial in the end to get a good result.

"We cannot concede the goal that we conceded last minute of the game."



https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2025/12/07/fulham/1243928-marco-silva-emphasises-fulham-cannot-lose-in-the-way-we-lostagainst-crystal-palace.html

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Silva: Fulham should have prevented Palace's winner
Marco Silva admitted Fulham should have prevented Crystal Palace's late winner.

Marc Guehi leapt to head home for the Eagles, whose 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage made it back-to-back home defeats for Fulham.

Whites boss Silva said: "It's a great header. You can talk about the power on the ball, it's a great header, but definitely we should have done better.

"One hundred per cent sure, we knew it, we prepared for it, and we should have done better."

The defeat left Fulham just four points above the relegation zone, with Burnley and Nottingham Forest their next two opponents.

They have now lost seven of their past 10 Premier League games.

Silva said: "We didn't create so many clear-cut chances. We should have started to move the ball quicker and make the ball arrive in offensive areas quicker.

"Unfortunately, we conceded a goal that we shouldn't. If you can't win, you can't lose a game like that. These are the moments we have to be resilient."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/silva-fulham-should-have-prevented-palaces-winner