MATCH SUMMARY
What happened
Crystal Palace recovered from an early deficit to beat Fulham 2-1 in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Motspur Park. Antonee Robinson put the hosts ahead inside three minutes, but Palace remained competitive and gradually settled after Fulham had controlled much of the opening period.
Jørgen Strand Larsen came close twice before the interval, while Ismaïla Sarr eventually equalised from close range after Chris Richards helped direct a corner into his path. Sarr also tested Bernd Leno again before half-time.
Five half-time changes gave Palace fresh impetus. Will Hughes won possession in Fulham's final third, Óscar Mingueza then released Matheus França, and the Brazilian finished over Benjamin Lecomte to put the Eagles ahead. França's goal was his fourth of pre-season.
The match became less fluid after further substitutions, but Palace stayed composed late on. Justin Devenny went close to adding another goal before Joachim Andersen blocked the effort, and the Eagles secured consecutive pre-season victories ahead of their Premier League meeting with Fulham later this month.
KEY MOMENTS
The turning points
Fulham's fast start produced the opening goal, with Oscar Bobb finding Antonee Robinson for a finish past Walter Benítez after three minutes.
Palace's response was led by Strand Larsen, who was denied by Leno and then headed over from the resulting corner. Sarr restored parity when Richards' work at a back-post corner created a close-range opportunity.
The decisive move came after the interval. Hughes recovered the ball in Fulham's third, Mingueza played França through, and França kept his balance before lifting the finish over Lecomte.
Devenny nearly extended Palace's advantage late on, but Andersen's last-ditch block diverted the attempt over the goal.
TACTICAL RADAR
How the game was won
The available report points to Palace improving after Fulham's initial spell of pressure rather than controlling the contest from the outset. The Eagles were vulnerable to an early counter-attack, but they created a response through a set-piece situation, with Richards helping the ball reach Sarr.
The half-time reshuffle had an immediate effect on Palace's attacking threat. Hughes' ball recovery high up the pitch began the move for the second goal, while Mingueza's through pass gave França the opportunity to finish. The involvement of wing-backs Mitchell and Mingueza was also identified as a bright feature of Palace's later attacking play.
Further substitutions disrupted the rhythm, so the match offers limited evidence for broader tactical conclusions. Palace did, however, manage the closing stages sufficiently to preserve the lead.
STANDOUT PLAYERS
Who impressed
Ismaïla Sarr made a decisive contribution, scoring Palace's equaliser and coming close to a second before the break. Matheus França continued his productive pre-season with the winning goal, while Will Hughes supplied the important regain that started the move.
Óscar Mingueza impressed in his return appearance, providing the pass for França and contributing to Palace's attacking threat from the wing-back position. Tyrick Mitchell was also highlighted among the brighter attacking players, while Strand Larsen created two notable first-half opportunities.
THE POSITIVES
What Palace did well
Palace showed resilience after conceding almost immediately and avoided allowing Fulham's strong opening spell to decide the match. The response included several chances for Strand Larsen, Sarr's close-range equaliser and another opportunity for Sarr before half-time.
The changes at the interval brought an immediate attacking reward, with Hughes, Mingueza and França combining for the winning goal. Palace also defended the lead calmly enough in the final minutes to make it back-to-back pre-season wins.
RADAR CHECK
What needs improving
Palace will want to address the vulnerability that allowed Fulham to counter and score inside the opening three minutes. The report also indicates that Fulham had the better of the first quarter, with Bobb posing repeated problems and Josh King going close from distance.
The Eagles could also seek greater continuity after changes, as the game lost rhythm following the second-half substitutions. While the lead was protected, Devenny's late chance was Palace's clearest opportunity to add further security to the result.
Fulham
Crystal Palace