Two Premier League teams vying to claim all three points and enter the international break on a high meet at Selhurst Park on Saturday, as Crystal Palace play host to Fulham.
Neither side could be separated in home and away encounters last season, with a goalless stalemate played out at Selhurst Park in September 2023 followed by a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage seven months later.
Match preview
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Since losing three Premier League games in a row against Everton, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace have put together a three-game unbeaten run in all competitions, picking up four points in their last two top-flight fixtures.
The Eagles secured their first Premier League win of the season when they beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 on home soil just under a fortnight ago, and they also beat Aston Villa 2-1 in the last 16 of the EFL Cup before sharing the spoils with Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2-2 draw at Molineux last weekend.
Defensive duo Trevoh Chalobah and captain Marc Guehi were both on the scoresheet for Oliver Glasner's side, who currently sit 17th in the Premier League table and are hovering just two points above the relegation zone after 10 matches.
After beating Spurs in their last game at Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace are now bidding to win consecutive London derbies in the top flight for the first time since April 2017 when they beat Chelsea and Arsenal.
However, success on Saturday could prove challenging as the Eagles have failed to win each of their last five Premier League meetings with Fulham, drawing four including each of their last three.
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Fulham looked on course to go four successive Premier League games without a victory as they entered stoppage time of Monday night's West London derby with Brentford 1-0 down, courtesy of a long-range rocket from Vitaly Yanelt.
However, the Cottagers' persistence in the final third paid off and they had super-sub Harry Wilson to thank for securing a dramatic 2-1 victory. Indeed, the Welsh winger came on in the 82nd minute before netting in the 92nd and 97th minutes with Fulham's 25th and 26th shots on goal to spark wild scenes at Craven Cottage.
Marco Silva hailed the mentality of his Fulham players after the match and has claimed that their never-say-die attitude was 'rewarded' with three "deserved" points. Victory helped the Cottagers climb back into the top half of the table and up to ninth spot, just three points behind the top four.
Fulham have picked up 15 points from their opening 10 top-flight fixture this season, but only five of those have been collected on the road. Their 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest in September is one of just four wins in 14 away league games in 2024.
The Cottagers will back themselves to claim a positive result against Crystal Palace this weekend, though, as they have accumulated five points from their last three visits to Selhurst Park and have kept three clean sheets in the process.
Team News
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Crystal Palace will be without Eberechi Eze, Jefferson Lerma, (both hamstring), Adam Wharton (groin), Chadi Riad (knee) and Matheus Franca (groin) due to injury, while Glasner has also confirmed that Eddie Nketiah is ruled out with a hamstring problem. However, Chris Richards and Joel Ward could be ready to return to the matchday squad.
Will Hughes will serve a one-match ban due to an accumulation of yellow cards, so Cheick Doucoure - who recently recovered from a toe injury - may start his first league game since mid-September in midfield.
His potential inclusion could see Daichi Kamada pushed further forward to link up with Ismaila Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta in attack, or Jeffrey Schlupp could be recalled.
As for Fulham, their only injury concern is with midfielder Sasa Lukic, who is still recovering from a shoulder injury and will target a return after the international break.
Timothy Castagne recovered from a hamstring problem to feature as a substitute against Brentford and he will battle with Kenny Tete for a start at right-back.
Wilson will be hoping to force his way into the first XI after his heroics off the bench on Monday, but Silva may opt to stick with Reiss Nelson - who impressed against the Bees on his first league start since joining on loan from Arsenal - and Alex Iwobi on the flanks.
Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:
Henderson; Chalobah, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Doucoure, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Schlupp; Mateta
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Berge, Pereira; Iwobi, Smith Rowe, Nelson; Jimenez
We say: Crystal Palace 1-1 Fulham
There has been little to separate these two teams in recent years and another closely-fought contest could be on the cards at Selhurst Park, potentially a low-scoring one as only 11 goals have been scored across Fulham's five away matches this season.
The Cottagers could arguably be considered as slight favourites for this one considering their early-season form and recent away record against Palace, but we can see the Eagles claiming at least a share of the spoils on this occasion.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Oliver Thomas
