Crystal Palace reached the EFL Cup quarter-finals for a second successive season after edging past Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage, with Eddie Nketiah scoring the decisive goal against the run of play.
Fulham controlled much of the opening period and created several opportunities during the first 21 minutes, but Palace struck with their first attempt on goal in the 37th minute. Nketiah adjusted well to turn Oscar Mingueza’s cross beyond Benjamin Lecomte and give Pierre Sage’s side an unexpected lead.
The hosts continued to apply pressure after the interval, yet Dean Henderson proved crucial for Palace. He denied Alex Iwobi from close range before producing another important save to keep out Gonzalo Garcia’s header in stoppage time.
Sage acknowledged that Palace’s performance was built more on resilience than possession. They recorded only 25.6 per cent of the ball, attempted 280 passes and had six touches in Fulham’s penalty area, while their opponents registered 14 shots and four Opta-defined big chances. Palace finished with four attempts and 0.6 expected goals, compared with Fulham’s 1.5.
The victory eased some of the pressure on Sage following Palace’s difficult Premier League run, but the manager stressed that the same determination must now carry into the league. Palace’s next match is against Tottenham on Saturday, which Sage identified as the team’s immediate priority as they look to collect much-needed points.
Palace will face Sunderland in the EFL Cup quarter-finals. The result also extended their winning run in away matches against Fulham to five games in all competitions, while Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa was left frustrated by his team’s failure to convert their dominance and chances into a goal.
