Crystal Palace booked their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory at Fulham on Wednesday. Eddie Nketiah’s 37th-minute goal, his first touch of real note, was enough to see off the hosts at Craven Cottage and provide a welcome boost for manager Pierre Sage. The win, a repeat of the league result from Saturday 28 October, came from Nketiah's 37th-minute finish assisted by Oscar Mingueza.
Pierre Sage said the result "eased some of the growing pressure" after his side secured a third consecutive appearance in the last eight. The win, which lifts some of the scrutiny following a difficult league start, was built on a disciplined defensive performance and key saves from captain Dean Henderson. The team's league form has seen them collect just seven points from eight games, with two wins and a draw, leaving them 17th in the Premier League and 14 points behind the leaders.
Henderson heroics underpin win
Fulham dominated possession and created the clearer chances throughout the match. Henderson was called into action early, saving from Antonee Robinson in the 18th minute. He made a vital point-blank stop from a corner and then denied Gonzalo García’s header deep into stoppage time to preserve the clean sheet. The hosts also saw efforts from Alex Iwobi and Daichi Kamada either saved or go wide. Palace, who made ten changes to their lineup, had just 22% of the ball in the first half and did not register a touch in Fulham's penalty area until after the half-hour mark.
Nketiah’s decisive moment came against the run of play. Oscar Mingueza provided the assist for the striker to score with what was his tenth touch of the game. It was a fifth victory for Palace at Craven Cottage in the last 18 months. This cup success provides a stark contrast to a recent run of one win, one draw and three losses in all competitions, which included a 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle on Wednesday 25 October.
The result offers a positive turn for a team sitting 17th in the Premier League with just seven points from eight games, having scored nine goals and conceded nineteen. Their next challenge is a league trip to face Tottenham, who are 14th in the table, on Saturday 31 October.
The report in full is at Sky Sports Football
