Before The Whistle: Crystal Palace v Fulham

This one is too close to call.

We travel to South London this weekend to take on Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace. The Whites will be hoping for a similar result to the last time we were at Selhurst Park, when we ran our 3-0 winners after the World Cup break thanks in part to the Eagles getting two red cards.

Unfortunately for us that result seems unlikely; Palace have enjoyed a similarly identical start to us, and currently sit on seven points, albeit with a better goal difference.

We’ll find out the answer to the question on many a Fulham fan’s lips: Vini or Raul? Our Mexican striker’s goal drought is well publicised (as Marco put it in his presser: how do you think he feels?), and Carlos put pressure on him this past week, netting just three minutes after coming on as a sub. I suspect Marco will continue with Jimenez, but another goalless performance could mean it’s Vini SZN when Chelsea come to the Cottage a week on Monday.

Elsewhere, expect Antonee Robinson to come back into the fold following his recovery from a knock, while the rest of the back four is expected to remain unchanged.

Willian’s position in the starting XI is under a bit of scrutiny, despite his assist against Luton, with the Brazilian yet to show the form that made us so desperate to keep him this summer. Bobby De Cordova-Reid is waiting in the wings – pun very much intended.

Similarly, Andreas’s return from injury, while very much welcome, has seen him slightly off the boil – Alex Iwobi will be hoping his impressive cameo against the Hatters might see him put more pressure on the number 10 spot. Our lack of chance creation is a concern; it’s up to the boss to figure out when to roll the dice.

A win would transform our solid start into a pretty impressive one, ahead of the SW6 derby. You Whites.

ℹ️ MATCH DETAILS

Kick-Off: Saturday, 3.00PM
Stadium: Selhurst Park
Competition: Premier League
TV Channel (UK): None

🚦 LEAGUE FORM

Palace: ✅ ❌ ⬜ ✅ ❌
Fulham: ✅ ❌ ⬜ ❌ ✅

⚖️ MATCH PROBABILITY

Palace: 37.4%
Draw: 29.9%
Fulham: 32.7%

🥊 MOST RECENT MATCHES

May 23: Fulham 2-2 Palace
Dec 22: Palace 0-3 Fulham
Feb 21: Palace 0-0 Fulham
Oct 20: Fulham 1-2 Palace

🎙 NEW PODCAST: Possession, Palhinha, Palace

We look ahead to Fulham’s trip to Crystal Palace and look back at our possession heavy, but goal shy win over Luton Town.

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