Crystal Palace vs Fulham

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On Saturday afternoon, Selhurst Park will play host to an exciting Premier League London derby as Crystal Palace welcomes Fulham to their headquarters.

The Eagles were defeated 3-1 by Aston Villa in their most recent match, while the Cottagers won 1-0 over bottom-of-the-table Luton Town.

Due to a health scare, veteran Palace manager Roy Hodgson was not on the touchline when the Eagles traveled to Aston Villa last week, leaving Paddy McCarthy to oversee operations once again after his brief stay in the dugout last season.

Jean-Philippe Mateta and Odsonne Edouard combined for the latter to score the opener, but a late Lions onslaught saw Jhon Duran's rocket, Douglas Luiz's penalty, and Leon Bailey's finish turn the tide in Villa's favor.

This defeat ended Palace's three-game unbeaten run, which has been boosted by the return of Hodgson to the practice pitches this week, as the Eagles manager seeks to address defensive flaws that have seen his team concede seven goals in their last three games across all competitions.

Nonetheless, a ninth-place finish in the table is reasonable for a team with top-half ambitions, and the setback to Villa was just their fourth in their past 15 Premier League games, three of which came on the road.

Only Manchester City, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur have won all three points at Selhurst Park since the turn of the year, and after failing to win any of their first six home games in 2023, Palace have now won four of their last seven.

The international break has, perhaps, arrived at the perfect moment for Fulham manager Marco Silva. He watched his team get dismantled by Manchester City on September 2 and now has a two-week window to analyze the tough match at the Etihad Stadium.

Upon their return to the Premier League, Fulham didn't quite set the world on fire. Recently promoted Luton Town put up a strong performance at Craven Cottage last weekend, although a second-half goal from Carlos Vinicius secured a victory for the London club.

This 65th-minute strike marked Fulham's first Premier League win since their 1-0 triumph over Everton on the opening weekend, a game in which they were fortunate on several occasions. Despite this win, their start to the season has been inconsistent, and they find themselves level on points with Crystal Palace in 10th place, although they sit one spot lower due to an inferior goal difference.

Inconsistency on the road has also plagued Silva's team, with just three wins in their last ten Premier League away matches. However, they have managed to score in each of their last four away games in the top flight.

Fulham's recent record against Palace has been mixed. They impressed with a 3-0 victory at Selhurst Park on Boxing Day last year, but this win is their sole success in their last six encounters with the Eagles. In May, the two teams played to a 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage.

Injury concerns are adding to the challenges for both teams. Fulham's Marc Guehi picked up a hip injury while on England duty, leading to Chris Richards receiving a rare start in defense. Guehi may recover in time for the upcoming derby match.

Meanwhile, Palace is grappling with defensive woes of their own. Former regulars Tosin Adarabioyo and Antonee Robinson are both nursing muscular injuries and will be unavailable for the capital clash. Midfielder Sasa Lukic is also struggling with a knee injury and has only a slim chance of returning this weekend, but Harrison Reed and Joao Palhinha are expected to form the midfield partnership.

Given that Raul Jimenez has yet to score for Fulham, Silva might contemplate starting Vinicius after his crucial goal against Luton. Additionally, summer signing Alex Iwobi may earn his full debut for the club.

Crystal Palace entered the first international break of the season confident about their start to the new season. The Eagles won two of their first four matches under permanent manager Roy Hodgson, drawing one and losing the other. Crystal Palace lost at home to Arsenal after defeating Sheffield United the previous Saturday. They responded with a draw against Brentford and a victory over Wolves. However, following the international break, Crystal Palace were defeated 3-1 by Aston Villa, conceding two goals deep into second-half stoppage time, one of which was a penalty.

Despite their recent setback, Crystal Palace has been playing well and is presently tenth in the Premier League standings, with expectations of finishing in the top half.

Their recent defensive difficulties, however, may provide a challenge, as they have conceded seven goals in their previous three games across all competitions.

Nonetheless, they have turned Selhurst Park into a fortress, losing only three of their previous 15 home games, with only Manchester City, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur leaving with all three points.

Fulham, on the other hand, is level on points with Crystal Palace but in 10th position due to a lower goal difference.

Jordan Ayew's availability for this game is unknown, after he was forced off early in their previous play due to a thigh injury.

Michael Olise, Matheus Franca, Jefferson Lerma, and James Tomkins are among notable absentees for Palace.

Fulham will be without Tosin Adarabioyo and Antonee Robinson owing to muscular issues, while Sasa Lukic is also questionable.

Crystal Palace will be looking to avenge their 3-1 Premier League setback to Aston Villa in their previous encounter.

Crystal Palace had 33% possession and 6 shots on goal, 3 of which were on target in that encounter. Odsonne Édouard was the only Crystal Palace player to score (47'). Aston Villa had 16 shots on goal, 5 of which were on target. Aston Villa's goals came from Jhon Durán (87'), Douglas Luiz (98'), and Leon Bailey (101').

Crystal Palace's defensive tenacity has been on display only on few occasions in recent games. Crystal Palace's defense has been broken in 5 of their past 6 games, allowing 9 goals in the process, which will be a source of concern for them.

Fulham will enter this game fresh off a 1-0 Premier League victory over Luton Town.

Fulham had 78% possession and 13 shots on goal, with two on target. Carlos Vincius (65') was the only Fulham player to score. Luton Town, on the other hand, had 7 shots on goal, 2 of which were on target.

Fulham's last six encounters saw Marco Silva's side put the ball in the back of the net six times, giving them a goals per game average of one.

In terms of personnel, Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has only one fitness issue to deal with out of an otherwise full roster. Michael Olise (Hamstring Injury) is ruled out.

In our opinion, the Eagles will start the game with Sam Johnstone, Joel Ward, Joachim Andersen, Chris Richards, Tyrick Mitchell, Cheick Doucouré, Will Hughes, Jordan Ayew, Eberechi Eze, Jeffrey Schlupp, and Odsonne Edouard in a 4-2-3-1 configuration.

Fulham manager Marco Silva does not have a full roster to choose from. Steven Benda (Cruciate Ligament Rupture) and Sasa Lukic (Knee Injury) are sidelined.