- The former Eagles defender’s own goal opened the scoring at Craven Cottage
- Daniel Munoz got Palace’s second after Mateta saw his strike ruled out
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Crystal Palace emerged victorious in the battle of two sides gunning for a spot in their club’s history, making it four top-flight wins in a row for the first time ever.
In doing so they raised serious questions over Fulham’s European ambitions this season.
The hosts were utterly dominant against Nottingham Forest last weekend, mercilessly chopping their opponents down to size on an afternoon where the 2-1 scoreline went no way in reflecting their superiority. The result continued their best start to a league season for 65 years.
Marco Silva’s men looked red hot last weekend, but on an unseasonably warm February afternoon they went off the boil against top travellers Crystal Palace.
Ex-Palace man Joachim Andersen knew little about Will Hughes’ corner as it sailed over a scrum of bodies in the box. The ball thudded into the side of his head but far worse pain was to follow for the Dane as the ball dropped past Bernd Leno in the Fulham goal.
Jean-Philippe Mateta had a second for the visitors ruled out by VAR 10 minutes after the break but laid on Daniel Munoz for the goal that deservedly put the game out of sight in Palace’s favour.
Joachim Andersen headed in an own goal against his former club to break the deadlock
Jean-Philippe Mateta thought he doubled Palace’s lead but the goal was ruled out by VAR
It marked a happy one-year anniversary for Palace boss Oliver Glasner, whose side made amends for the disappointing home defeat against Everton last weekend.
After a quiet start to the game, Eberechi Eze, making his first start in nearly a month, forced the first save after 25 minutes.
His speculative effort from 25 yards was sweetly struck, the ball dipping and swerving as it pierced its way through the turbulence. Leno, though, had it well covered.
Fulham had started sloppily, lacking the verve that helped them pepper the Forest goal with 24 shots.
Soon they were punished when Hughes’ corner was right on the money. A cluster of bodies rose to meet the ball, which somehow made its way into the net. Palace defender Maxence Lacroix claimed it, but replays proved it was actually Andersen – who swapped Palace for Fulham in the summer – who had made the decisive contact.
10 minutes after the break Mateta looked to have extended their advantage. Eze’s brilliant backheel played the Frenchman through on goal and he smashed the ball past Henderson.
Fulham were furious that play continued when Emile Smith Rowe had gone down off the ball and felt reprieved when VAR judged Mateta had strayed off-side.
Marco Silva responded to that warning with a double substitution but his side continued to live dangerously.
Mateta’s strike coincided with an injury blow for Fulham as Emile Smith Rowe was forced off
Daniel Munoz fired high into the goal to give Palace breathing space at Craven Cottage
Lacroix – hunting the goal he cheekily claimed in the first half – met another pin-point Hughes delivery but Leno, sprawled as wide as physically possible, denied him from point-blank range. He had no chance of denying Munoz for Palace’s second.
It all started when Mateta drove with the ball from inside his own half, gliding past the feeble challenges of substitutes Andreas Pereira and Tom Cairney.
He released Munoz, who looked to have spurned the chance after delaying the return ball to Mateta. Instead the buccaneering full-back steadied himself, turning Calvin Bassey inside out in the process, before larruping the ball out of Leno’s reach and the game out of Fulham’s.
