Substitute Jeffrey Schlupp scored a thunderous late equaliser to give Crystal Palace a point as they battled back to draw 1-1 with Fulham in a London derby at Craven Cottage.
Schlupp equalised with just three minutes remaining, firing a long-range strike into the roof of the net to extend Palace’s unbeaten run to four Premier League matches.
Rodrigo Muniz had given Fulham the lead early in the second half, the striker converting Timothy Castagne’s cross to break the deadlock after visitors Palace had controlled the first half.
Fulham and Palace therefore sit 13th and 14th respectively in Premier League table, with just three point separating them.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 |
Brighton
BHA
|
35 | -4 | 47 |
| 12 |
Wolves
WOL
|
36 | -11 | 46 |
| 13 |
Fulham
FUL
|
36 | -4 | 44 |
| 14 |
Crystal Palace
CRY
|
36 | -8 | 43 |
How the match unfolded
Palace started on the front foot and Michael Olise passed up the first chance of the match after Adam Wharton’s defence-splitting pass found the forward inside the penalty area.
Frustratingly for Oliver Glasner’s visitors, they were unable to test Bernd Leno in the Fulham goal early on despite making a strong start to the contest.
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In-form striker Jean-Philippe Mateta swung at Daniel Munoz’s near-post cross but saw his effort fly over the crossbar.
Chris Richards then leapt highest from Olise’s in-swinging free-kick delivery, but the defender could not direct his header on target from close range.
Fulham remained pinned back in their own half, but the hosts were not giving up any clear-cut chances, with Wharton and Olise both trying their luck from 20 yards out.
The Cottagers managed to apply brief pressure to the Palace backline late in the first half and Dean Henderson had to be alert to keep out Muniz’s shot.
Fulham improved after the break and Muniz opened the scoring in the 52nd minute. After winning possession, the hosts quickly broke forward and Muniz headed in Castagne’s delightful delivery.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid lacked the required composure to double Fulham’s lead after a swift counter-attack found the forward free at the back post.
As Palace sought a way back into the encounter at the other end, substitute Odsonne Edouard nearly made an immediate impact, but Leno got down low to keep out his strike.
However, the visitors were not to be denied and it was fellow sub Schlupp who smashed in the equaliser courtesy of a fierce strike that left Leno rooted to the spot, with Wharton getting the assist.
While the late goal came as a blow, Marco Silva’s side continued their recent good form against Palace with this draw, extending their unbeaten run against their London rivals to five league encounters.
It was a frustrating first half for Fulham as they struggled to get out of their own half until the final moments and Henderson was largely a spectator before Muniz’s shot tested him.
Muniz had struggled to get into the conest but it was he who grabbed the match’s first goal in the second half, heading in Castagne’s cross.
It got Muniz back on the scoresheet for the first time since netting against Sheffield United last month.
However, Silva’s side could not hold onto the three points despite a disciplined defensive performance.
It was also a good day for Alex Iwobi, who made his 250th Premier League appearance, becoming only the fourth Nigerian to do so.
Eagles momentum continues
The Eagles saw their three-match winning streak come to an end in west London but grabbed a morale-boosting late point to maintain their momentum.
Schlupp’s strike was the quality moment they required to break down Fulham’s well-drilled defence.
Glasner’s team were the better of the two sides in the first half, with Wharton impressing in the middle of the park and Olise the most likely to be at the heart of any Palace threat.
Mateta had less of an impact, though, and the Eagles only managed one shot on target in the first half.
Not making the most of a positive first half proved costly when they fell behind and they looked to be heading for defeat before Schlupp spectacularly salvaged a point.
Club reports
Final Premier League fixtures
Key facts
Fulham are now unbeaten across their last five Premier League matches against Crystal Palace (W1 D4). It is Fulham’s longest unbeaten league run against the Eagles since a 12-game run in the second division between 1974 and 1985 (W4 D8).
Fulham have now lost just one of their last six London derbies in the Premier League (W4 D1) and are unbeaten in their last three (W2 D1), their longest such run in the competition since winning three in a row between January and April 2013.
Fulham have now avoided defeat in each of their last 14 Premier League matches when scoring the opening goal (W11 D3), having last lost against Manchester United on the final day of last season.
Crystal Palace are now winless across their last 11 Premier League away games against fellow London sides (D5 L6), their joint-longest run in the Premier League alongside another run of 11 between 1997 and 2014 (D2 L9).
