September 23 2023

Ayew battling for the ball

In a battle of two mid-table Premier League sides, Crystal Palace and Fulham played out a goalless draw at Selhurst Park.

The match, which saw Marc Guéhi return in defence after missing the 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa, lacked the attacking flair that both teams had hoped for, resulting in a drab stalemate.

The visitors, Fulham, enjoyed the better opportunities in a first half that lacked creativity. Andreas Pereira tested Palace goalkeeper Sam Johnstone with an angled drive, but Johnstone parried it to safety. Moments later, Johnstone again showcased his reflexes, diving low to his left to deny Willian's effort.

Raul Jimenez, still searching for his first competitive goal for Fulham since his transfer from Wolverhampton Wanderers, had a powerful shot saved by Johnstone after taking Pereira's long ball in stride.

On the other side, Eberechi Eze proved to be Palace's biggest threat. Eze fired a long-range free-kick straight at Bernd Leno and later drilled narrowly wide from the edge of the penalty area. However, chances were few and far between in the disjointed second half.

Palace manager Roy Hodgson returned to the dugout after missing the previous weekend's match against Aston Villa due to illness. Despite his return, there was little to cheer about for Palace fans as their team failed to score for the second time in three home matches. Eze came closest when he drilled narrowly past Leno's left-hand post, but his penalty claim in the second half was waved off.

Fulham, on the other hand, continued to struggle to find a clinical edge in front of goal. Raul Jimenez, who had impressed in the international break, was denied by Johnstone, and Willian squandered a late opportunity to secure the win.

With the draw, both teams climbed one place in the Premier League table, with Palace rising to eighth and Fulham moving up to ninth. While neither side managed to secure all three points, they remain firmly in mid-table as the season progresses.

Roy Hodgson: "I can't attack the Carabao Cup as I intended to do because I don't have any players! I'm worried about Edouard's hamstring. At the moment when I find out a player is out for three weeks, I'm relieved it's not three months." #CPFC

— Gary Taphouse (@garytaphouse) September 23, 2023

Palace: Johnstone, Ward, Andersen, Guéhi, Mitchell, Doucouré, Hughes, Ayew, Schlupp (Mateta, 70), Eze, Édouard (Rak-Sakyi, 90)

Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Diop, Ream, Robinson, Reed, João Palhinha, Pereira (Iwobi, 75), De Cordova-Reid (Wilson, 79), Jiménez (Carlos Vinícius, 79), Willian

2023/24 match reports

2023/24 squad stats

Premier League table

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