How Fulham break the Crystal Palace curse and make it to Wembley
Written by Charlie Shaw on 27th March 2025
Ladies and gentlemen, we are firmly in the run-up for what I would say is one of Fulham’s bigger games in the last decade. But for now, let’s put the nerves aside and look into how Marco Silva can get the better of Oliver Glasner on Saturday.
Fulham 0-2 Palace: what happened?
Last month this Palace side dispatched this Fulham side in style, with the Whites performance prompting less-than-glowing player ratings from me. Three things stuck out to me in Palace’s victory and the Cottage; what were they?
First, the Eagles put in a typically efficient Oliver Glasner performance, creating six times the Whites’ xG despite having just 38% of the ball, excelling on the break.
Second, Fulham were once again exposed from a set piece, with Joachim Andersen’s own goal opener coming from a Will Hughes corner.
Third, Glasner’s three-at-the-back system stifled Silva’s side’s main method of attack: crosses into the box.
How does Marco learn from his mistakes?
To get to Wembley, Silva has to change the system he deployed last month. Fulham have to try to play with a balance; don’t let yourself be caught out on the break. Don’t overcommit men forward in a bid to keep pressure on Palace.
High up the pitch, the Eagles thrive without the ball, having the fourth least possession across the Premier League, making their loss of possession and high xG performance at the Cottage an unsurprising display.
Fulham should look to play the game through the middle of the park, with the tempo high; don’t lack urgency camped out on the edge of the 18-yard box; that plays perfectly into Oliver Glasner’s hands. Palace will simply pick us off.
A look out wide
A large portion of Saturday’s tie will be decided out wide, with the Whites needing to be mindful of the marauding runs of Daniel Muñoz and Ismaela Sarr on the break. The South Londoners’ right-sided duo did wonders for the Eagles on the break last time out, but could Silva instruct Antonee Robinson to be both disciplined enough to be aware of the attacking threat Munoz and Sarr pose while utilising his blistering speed and awareness to expose Muñoz’s tendency to get forward? The Whites could be cooking on gas.
Last time out, Eberechi Eze made Fulham regret releasing the former QPR man from our academy ranks, with the England international running the show, cutting inside from the left. The reality is, Fulham can lock down Palace’s right side as much as we want; Palace’s main threat lies on the left wing. Could Ryan Sessegnon start on the right, lending his defensive prowess to help Timothy Castagne against the tricky customer that is Eberechi Eze? It could certainly add some much-needed help for Timmy C.
Adding some set-piece solidity
Onw of our biggest attacking deficiencies is set pieces. We’ve scored the fewest goals in the league from dead balls. Conversely, when you look at Palace’s numbers, their set-piece proficiency is one of, if not their strongest, asset as Glasner’s men sit as the second-highest scorers from set pieces across the top flight.
The Eagles placed a focus on crowding out Bernd Leno in our most recent meeting, with Joa’s own goal coming from inside the six-yard box. To counteract Palace from once again identifying crowding out our German number one as a major weakness, Silva has to go man to man physically with the Eagles. Place Berge, Andersen, Bassey, Raul, or Muniz in the six-yard box for corners. Don’t lose a chance to get to Wembley from a cheap set-piece.
Varied methods of attack
As I mentioned previously, Palace’s three at the back caused the Whites to become creatively unstuck last time out. Fulham’s dominant method of creation – crossing – was nullified by the presence of three fast, yet physical, centre-halves. The Whites struggled to get behind all three athletic centre-backs while not exploiting the space Daniel Muñoz leaves when marauding forward. As I stated already, exposing the Colombian’s love to attack is something we have to do, but we saw a few weeks ago what relying on wide creation will do to this Fulham side.
I’ve already outlined reasons why Ryan Sessegnon should start defensively, but Sess adds an eye for a goal that no wingers in this Silva side currently have, and his recent performances show that. Add in Ryan’s versatility to start on the right wing, and we would see Sess coming inside onto his left foot, steering Fulham away from a one-dimensional avenue of attack of crosses.
We saw the wonders that blistering speed can do to this Fulham team last Sunday, and in a game that needed to be played with added tempo and speed, Adama Traore lends himself perfectly to this tactical approach. Starting Adama on the left and Sessegnon on the right, something we have seen increasingly in recent weeks, will only give Oliver Glasner a shock but also the already pinpointed Daniel Muñoz a constant headache defensively, especially when partnered with the Spaniard being able to play off Rodrigo Muniz, like he did against Spurs. Add the possibility for Traore and Sessegnon to swap things throughout the ninety; the duo of Adama and Ryan could cause major confusion for Crystal Palace.
A golden goal match-up
Despite being a football cliché, I think the first goal here will be huge. Eagles have lost just nine points from losing positions this term, compared to our astounding 22. The way Palace play will play right into getting the first goal, and if Fulham aren’t careful, we could see a repeat of what happened in February.
Not to go full Mike Bassett, but keep it tight for the first 20 lads, yeah?
