Crystal Palace vs Fulham
Fulham have a rare chance to be in contention for a spot in European football, as they’re off to a solid start this season. The Cottagers are ninth in the Premier League standings with 15 points, and a win over the hosting Eagles this weekend could see them go up to as high as fifth.
Marco Silva’s men should’ve been higher in the pecking order if it weren’t for their three-game winless run recently, but they returned to the winning track with a 2-1 win against Brentford in the West London derby last time out.
As for Crystal Palace, Oliver Glasner’s side has shown signs of improvement after an abysmal start to the 2024-25 campaign. However, despite going unbeaten in their last two games, the Eagles are still near the relegation zone because they’re 17th with seven points.
Talking Points
Key absentees dampen Crystal Palace’s momentum
Crystal Palace’s Premier League 2024 results have improved in the past few days. They scored a huge 1-0 win against Tottenham, which was followed by a 2-1 upset victory over Aston Villa in the EFL Cup Round of 16 and a 2-2 draw against Wolves last Sunday.
The Eagles almost won against the Wolves but were denied a late winner by the VAR when Jean Philippe-Mateta’s last-ditch attempt didn’t count because of a foul on goalkeeper Jose Sa.
Against Fulham, head coach Oliver Glasner is dealt a bad hand since he’ll miss up to five key players on Saturday.
Will Hughes is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season, while Eberechi Eze (hamstring), Adam Wharton (groin), Matheus Franca (groin), and Chadi Riad (knee) are recovering from their injuries.
The loss of Eberechi Eze in particular is a huge blow for the Eagles since he is one of the team’s most creative and versatile players.
Chris Richards and Joel Ward are back and could see minutes right away. Nathaniel Clyne, Cheick Doucoure, and Jeffrey Schlupp could contend for spots in the starting XI after coming off the bench against Wolves.
Wilson provides the spark for Fulham
After dropping points against Everton, Fulham almost did the same against Brentford, but Harry Wilson had other plans.
With the game on the balance, Wilson came off the bench and scored a quick-fire brace in added time to snatch a win against Brentford, who led for almost the whole game after Vitaly Janelt’s goal in the 24th minute.
Wilson’s performance was so impactful for Fulham that Dimitar Berbatov, a former Premier League great now turned analyst, complimented the 27-year-old midfielder for his clutch performance.
Harry Wilson has yet to start for head coach Marco Silva this season because there’s competition for places, but he could be in line for more playing time moving forward.
The Cottagers are poised to beat the Eagles because Marco Silva’s absentee list only has one player in it, with midfielder Sasa Lukic still nursing a shoulder injury.
History
Fulham are unbeaten in their last five Premier League meetings against Crystal Palace, although their last three matchups were draws (D4, L1).
Fulham and Crystal Palace shared the spoils in a goalless draw at this exact fixture last season before drawing 1-1 in April 2024.
The Cottagers have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three away league games against the Eagles. Crystal Palace could become the third team that Fulham have recorded four consecutive clean sheets on the road in their league history on Saturday.
Crystal Palace have notched four points from their last two Premier League games (W1, D1), which is one more they’d managed from their first eight matches this season (D3, L5).
Betting Tip
The Premier League 2024 odds expect a tight battle between Crystal Palace and Fulham. The Eagles got a little bit of home cooking because they have the slight edge at 2.50, while the Cottagers are at 2.59 odds, and a draw is at 3.17 in the 1X2 market.
This fixture may have seen three consecutive draws, but Fulham are better equipped to finally take all three points this time, hence our recommended bet above.
However, if you see another stalemate coming, then check out Correct Scores of 0-0, 1-1, and 2-2 – the previous three results – given their offers of 16.50, 6.80, and 11.50, respectively.
As far as the goal count is concerned, SBOTOP bettors can have Total Goals 2-3 at 1.91, Over 2.25 at 1.74, Over 2.50 at 1.98, and Over 2.75 at 2.25 as options.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (
) BETS ARE WORTH:
= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
= €10 (CONFIDENT)
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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