Fulham and Crystal Palace will be desperate for their first points in the 2026/27 Premier League season when they face off at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
Gameweek 3 of the 2026/27 Premier League season will continue on Saturday with seven games. The action on Saturday begins with the game between Newcastle United and Bournemouth at St. James’ Park before continuing with five simultaneous ties, including Fulham vs Crystal Palace at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Fulham had to brace for a period of transition after Marco Silva called time on his stint at Craven Cottage to move to SL Benfica during the off-season. Alvaro Arbeloa has since assumed charge, and while the Cottagers have made an impression, they have yet to secure a single point in two Premier League outings after losing 3-2 to Chelsea in Gameweek 1 and Sunderland 1-0 last week.
However, they have one win under Arbeloa, having beaten Wimbledon 3-0 in the EFL Cup second round. Meanwhile, the story is not too dissimilar at Crystal Palace, as Oliver Glasner ended his illustrious stint at Selhurst Park to move across the Premier League by joining Nottingham Forest.
Pierre Sage took over at the helm in the summer, and the squad has started absorbing the French tactician’s methods. However, the Eagles have scored only once in two Premier League games thus far while suffering heavy defeats to Everton and Manchester City. So, Sage has some work to do before Palace can make a bid for European qualification this term.
The corresponding fixture last season ended in a hard-fought 2-1 win for Crystal Palace, with Marc Guehi scoring a late winner. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
Alvaro Arbeloa has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Fulham head coach will be bereft of the services of only two first-team players vs Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Luc De Fougerolles and Tom Cairney remain in the treatment room due to their knee injuries, though the former should return before the international break. Meanwhile, Arbeloa can call up new signings after David Affengruber, Hugo Larsson, and Manuel Angel completed deadline-day moves to Craven Cottage. However, the trio may only make their debuts off the bench.
Bernd Leno is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Fulham lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Crystal Palace on Saturday. The backline will feature Timothy Castagne, Joachim Andersen, Calvin Bassey, and Antonee Robinson.
As for the midfield unit, Shea Charles should line up alongside Sander Berge in the double pivot, with Joshua King reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, the in-form Gonzalo Garcia will lead the line for the home side, with Cesar Palacios and Alex Iwobi completing the numbers in the offensive unit. The wide duo will often take up central positions, creating room for the full-backs to overlap.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Charles; Iwobi, King, Palacios; Garcia
Crystal Palace
Like his counterpart in the Fulham dugout, Pierre Sage has no new issues to worry about ahead of the trip to Craven Cottage. The Crystal Palace head coach should be without three first-team players on Saturday.
The unsettled duo of Ismaila Sarr (match fitness) and Jean-Philippe Mateta (hamstring) are the most notable absentees. While the latter remains in the treatment room alongside Chadi Riad (knee), the former needs to build up fitness before returning as a starter, having not trained regularly during the transfer saga involving Liverpool and, briefly, Galatasaray.
Dean Henderson, another player who invited speculation around his future late in the summer transfer window, is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Crystal Palace lining up in a 3-4-3 formation in front of him vs Fulham on Saturday. The central defensive unit will feature Jaydee Canvot, Chris Richards, and Takehiro Tomiyasu. Meanwhile, Anan Khalaili and Tyrick Mitchell are automatic picks as the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width in the final third and protect the three centre-backs during the defensive phases. As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Daichi Kamada and Adam Wharton in the central areas. Finally, Jorgen Strand Larsen will spearhead the Crystal Palace attack this weekend, with Eddie Nketiah and Yeremy Pino on the wings.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Henderson; Canvot, Richards, Tomiyasu; Khalaili, Kamada, Wharton, Mitchell; Yeremy Pino, Strand Larsen, Nketiah
Key Stats
- Fulham have won just two of their last 13 Premier League matches vs Crystal Palace (D6 L5), with both wins coming at Selhurst Park in 2022/23 and 2024/25. The Eagles lost their first away Premier League game at Fulham in 2004/05 but have since been unbeaten in seven at Craven Cottage (W4 D3).
- Fulham will aim to avoid losing three successive Premier League London derbies for the first time since April 2023, after losing 3-0 to Arsenal in May and 3-2 at home to Chelsea in Gameweek 1 this season.
- Crystal Palace have won six of their last ten away London derby matches in the Premier League (D3 L1), as many as they had in their previous 44 (D15 L23).
- Fulham have lost 3-2 to Chelsea and 1-0 to Sunderland this season. Only in 1951/52 and 2020/21 have they lost each of their first three games in a top-flight campaign, being relegated on both occasions. Meanwhile, after defeat to Manchester City last time out, Crystal Palace are hoping to avoid losing their opening three Premier League matches of a campaign for the first time since 2017/18.
- Pierre Sage has lost both of his opening two Premier League games in charge of the club. Never before in his managerial career has he lost three successive league games.
Player to Watch
Gonzalo Garcia
While Sander Berge, Eddie Nketiah, and Adam Wharton were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Gonzalo Garcia as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Premier League clash between Fulham and Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage.
The Spanish striker has been impressive since arriving from Real Madrid in the summer, scoring twice in three outings thus far. Meanwhile, Garcia has made 29 off-ball runs in behind opponents’ defences in the Premier League this season, with only Bryan Mbeumo (39) and Kai Havertz (31) making more. With such impressive numbers, he has quickly become Alvaro Arbeloa’s go-to player and the key to Fulham’s success in the 2026/27 season.
Prediction
Fulham 2-2 Crystal Palace
Fulham and Crystal Palace may have zero points after two Premier League games thus far, but that is not due to a lack of attacking intent. However, both teams have a soft underbelly, which creates an atmosphere for a closely contested affair ahead of Saturday’s tie at Craven Cottage.
Crystal Palace have conceded at least two goals in their last eight Premier League matches. They have never done so in nine successive matches in their league history, but all signs point towards the setting of a new record. With both teams looking vulnerable at the back while having impressive attacking potential, there may not be much to separate them this weekend.
