Fulham will aim to turn midweek disappointment into weekend success as they host Crystal Palace in a crucial London derby at Craven Cottage.

Fulham came agonisingly close to completing a tremendous turnaround at Craven Cottage, as Josh King was extremely close to finishing the game 5-5 against Manchester City; the challenge resumes this weekend against Crystal Palace.

Speaking about the game earlier this week, Pep Guardiola’s side were in a 5-1 lead at one stage in the second half, but an inspired performance from substitute Samuel Chukwueze produced a highly entertaining end to that clash.

King could not direct his effort with more power as Josko Gvardiola made a goal-line clearance to allow Manchester City to keep hold of the three points. Marco Silva will have been disappointed to a certain degree, but extremely happy at the way his team performed in the second half.

The loss means the West London outfit continued their inconsistent run of form, following a stellar win away from home at Tottenham. Fulham are still in 15th on the table, and Silva will want a good result to help the team climb up the standings when they will host Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage on Sunday in what could be a crucial London Derby for both teams.

Meanwhile, Crystal Palace managed to turn around a two-game losing streak into a win, as Oliver Glasner’s side were victorious against a struggling Burnley side. A solitary Daniel Munoz strike right before half-time proved enough as the Eagles managed to keep the Clarets at bay.

After showing early promise this season, Crystal Palace have been pushing up and down on the table, as they currently sit in fifth in the standings. The nature of the table from second to 12th puts every team there at risk of losing their spot to another side.

For instance, should results go the way of Glasner’s side, they could potentially climb to the third spot at the end of the weekend, while they could also be tenth with a loss and if others capitalise. Hence, a win seems imperative for Glasner’s side and others around them, and the Austrian will target three points in what could be an entertaining London Derby at Craven Cottage.

Team News & Tactics

Fulham

Fulham came through that thriller against Manchester City without any fresh fitness issues, with only Antonee Robinson and Rodrigo Muniz currently out of the equation. The goalscoring performances from the Cottagers have put a few players in the spotlight, and someone like Samuel Chukwueze will now be pushing for a start.

The same might be said about Emile Smith Rowe, who did score the first goal for the Cottagers, as he too might have a place in the attacking third alongside Alex Iwobi and Chukwueze. Sasa Lukic could keep his place in central midfield alongside Sander Berge, while Joachim Andersen and Calvin Bassey will marshal the central defensive setup.

Depending on match fitness, Silva might have to select Timothy Castagne over Kenny Tete, although the latter remains the first-choice right-back, while Ryan Sessegnon should continue on the other side.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon; Lukic, Berge; Iwobi, Smith-Rowe, Chukwueze; Jimenez

Crystal Palace

Oliver Glasner too does not have fresh fitness concerns with his squad, with Cheick Doucoure, Chadi Riad, Caleb Kporha, and Ismaila Sarr are all out. Sarr, in particular, will be a big miss, as Palace have not managed to stitch together a fluid attack since he hobbled off against Manchester United.

There is no specific timeline for his return, but Glasner has stated the attacker could be fit for Senegal’s AFCON campaign. Glasner is not expected to make too many alterations, although there could be one in midfield, with Jefferson Lerma likely to come in place of Daichi Kamada to play alongside Adam Wharton.

The Japanese international could be used again on the front end alongside Yeremy Pino, while Jean-Philippe Mateta will spearhead the Crystal Palace attack against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.

Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, LErma, Mitchell; Kamada, Pino; Mateta

Key Stats

• Fulham have won four games at home this season in the Premier League.
• Fulham have not defeated Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage since January 2005.
• Crystal Palace have scored at least two goals in five of their last six away matches against Fulham in all competitions.
• Crystal Palace are undefeated in their last six away matches against Fulham in all competitions.
• Jean-Philippe Mateta has never scored a Premier League goal against Fulham in five games against them, his joint most against a side without a goal (also five vs Southampton). He has mustered 10 shots and registered an xG of 1.52 without scoring against the Cottagers.

Player to Watch

Daniel Munoz

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There are two ways this game could go, as both the London clubs could put in an exciting show, or it could be cagey. Either way, this clash needs difference makers, and there are hardly any on the pitch, including Fulham’s Samuel Chukwueze and Crystal Palace’s Daniel Munoz.

Focusing on Munoz, he is probably Palace’s biggest difference maker, as his ability to find space behind defences will be crucial to their chances. With the Eagles suffering a bit in the attacking setup without the formidable Ismaila Sarr, it could be another game where Munoz shines the brightest and turns out to be the difference maker, like he was against Burnley.

Prediction

Fulham 0-2 Crystal Palace

Fulham showed in the Manchester City clash that a strong defence could keep them at bay, while they will hurt the other team if given the opportunity. Manchester City showcased both defensive solidity in the first half and then opened up towards disaster in the second, although the Cottagers may not find joy against this Palace side.

Oliver Glasner is known to have a well-drilled defensive setup, as his charges are thought to sit the deepest among all teams in the division. They will look to keep a clean sheet against Fulham and get the three points owing to their clinical attackers, to potentially climb up the table.