Crystal Palace will look to bring an end to their three-match losing streak when they host in-form Fulham on New Year’s Day.
Fulham will be eyeing a fourth-straight win in the Premier League when they hit the road to square up against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Both teams are level on points, and a win here will help them break into the top half of the table.
The home team are 11th on the table with 26 points in their 18 outings. Oliver Glasner’s team were on a roll a few weeks back, but a run of three straight defeats have stopped them in their tracks.
The Eagles are winless in their last five outings across competitions, and they are heading into this fixture on the back of a defeat at the hands of Tottenham. While they dominated the ball and took more shots at the goal, Crystal Palace were not clinical enough in the final third and paid the price.
The visitors are 12th on the table with 26 points in their 18 outings. Fulham are behind Crystal Palace because of inferior goal difference. While the Eagles have been on a three-match losing streak, the Cottagers have won each of their last three games in the league.
They are heading into this outing on the back of a 1-0 win over West Ham. The West London club dominated the ball, took more shots at the goal and ended up on the right side of the result. Given their recent form, they will be confident about their chances against the Eagles. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Crystal Palace
Chris Richards remains a major doubt for this outing. Meanwhile, Daniel Munoz, Daichi Kamada, Cheick Doucoure, Chadi Riad, and Caleb Kporha are all out injured. Ismaila Sarr is unavailable, as he is on international duty for the AFCON with Senegal.
The Eagles will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Dean Henderson will be in goal. Jefferson Lerma, Marc Guehi, and Maxence Lacroix will form the back three, while Nathaniel Clyne and Tyrick Mitchell will feature as the wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Will Hughes will partner with Adam Wharton in the centre of the park. The duo will look to shield the back three and control the tempo of the game. Eddie Nketiah and Yeremy Pino will be the two creative players behind Jean-Philippe Mateta, who will continue to lead the line for Crystal Palace against Fulham on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Lemar, Lacroix, Guehi; Clyne, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Pino, Nketiah; Mateta
Fulham
Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, and Samuel Chukwueze are on international duty, while Ryan Sessegnon and Rodrigo Muniz are out injured. Apart from the quintet, they do not have any fresh injury concerns to worry about.
The away team will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Bernd Leno will feature in goal. Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson will feature as the full-backs, while Joachim Andersen will start alongside Jorge Cuenca in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Sander Berge and Sasa Lukic will form the double pivot in the middle of the pitch. They will look to shield the backline and ensure Crystal Palace do not dominate the proceedings.
Emile Smith Rowe will feature in the number ten role, while Kevin and Harry Wilson will feature out wide on the flanks. Meanwhile, Raul Jimenez will continue to spearhead the attack for Fulham against Crystal Palace on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Andersen, Cuenca, Robinson; Lukic, Berge; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Kevin; Jimenez
Key Stats
- Crystal Palace have been winless in their last five matches across competitions, and they have lost three on the bounce in the league.
- Meanwhile, the Cottagers are on a three-match winning streak heading into this fixture.
- After a five-match run without a goal, Raul Jimenez has found the back of the net in consecutive outings.
- The two teams met each other three weeks back, and the Eagles managed to secure a 2-1 win away from home.
- While Crystal Palace have not won any of their last four meetings against Fulham at home, they have won their last three outings against the Cottagers across competitions.
Player to Watch
Emile Smith Rowe
The 25-year-old has established himself as an important part of Fulham’s first team since joining them from Arsenal in the summer of 2024. While he only has four goal contributions in his 20 outings, Smith Rowe’s overall game has helped those around him.
Having contributed towards two goals in his last league outings, the English playmaker is certainly in fine form, and he will be eager to add to his tally and help his team make it four straight wins in the Premier League.
Prediction
Crystal Palace 2-2 Fulham
Crystal Palace will see this fixture as an opportunity to halt their recent slide, especially with home advantage on their side. Oliver Glasner’s men are likely to look to dominate possession and press Fulham high up the pitch, but their biggest challenge will be converting chances in the final third after being wasteful in recent outings.
Fulham, meanwhile, arrive full of confidence after three straight league wins and will fancy their chances of extending that run. With a well-balanced midfield and attacking threats capable of hurting Palace on the counter, the visitors should remain competitive throughout. The Hard Tackle predicts a hard-fought 2-2 draw between the two mid-table teams.