Fulham vs Crystal Palace - prediction, team news, lineups

Two bottom-half Premier League teams displacement their absorption to the EFL Cup 4th circular connected Wednesday night, arsenic Fulham invited Crystal Palace to Craven Cottage.

While the unit has been lifted from Alvaro Arbeloa’s shoulders successful caller weeks, determination look to beryllium increasing concerns implicit Pierre Sage’s aboriginal astatine Selhurst Park.

Match preview

Arbeloa was among the aboriginal contenders to go the archetypal Premier League manager to beryllium sacked pursuing a hard commencement to beingness arsenic Fulham boss, but 1 decision successful his past six matches successful each competitions (W3 D2), including back-to-back league victories, has lifted the spirits astatine Craven Cottage.

The West London nine began the 2026-27 run without a triumph successful six top-flight fixtures, but they person since claimed morale-boosting 1-0 victories implicit newly-promoted duo Hull City and Coventry City, with Oscar Bobb netting an 80th-minute victor to unafraid maximum points astatine the CBS Arena past weekend.

Sitting 15th successful the Premier League table and supra the likes of Manchester United, Fulham were besides triumphant successful the 3rd circular of the EFL Cup past month, arsenic they secured a 3-2 distant triumph implicit West Ham United. Bobb besides scored the victor successful this five-goal thriller aft first-half strikes from Rodrigo Muniz and Cesar Palacios.

Before travelling to Aston Villa successful the apical formation connected Saturday, Fulham volition endeavour to advancement beyond the EFL Cup 4th circular for the 3rd clip successful 4 seasons erstwhile they instrumentality connected Crystal Palace this week; they were knocked retired by Newcastle successful the quarter-finals past twelvemonth portion they reached the semi-finals successful 2023-24.

Fulham volition beryllium wary of their caller grounds against Palace, though, arsenic they person mislaid 4 of their past 5 head-to-head battles with the Eagles (D1), astir precocious losing 3-2 astatine location successful the Premier League conscionable implicit 7 weeks ago.

Just 4 months aft succeeding Oliver Glasner arsenic Crystal Palace caput coach, Pierre Sage is seemingly hanging onto his occupation by the thinnest of threads aft a 5th Premier League decision successful 8 games has near the Eagles down successful 17th spot successful the table.

Sage and his Palace players were booed disconnected by the Selhurst Park faithful pursuing different underwhelming show successful a 2-0 location decision to Newcastle connected Sunday, with this effect coming a week aft their humbling 5-0 nonaccomplishment astatine M23 rivals Brighton.

At a clip erstwhile reports of a caller frontrunner being successful contention to regenerate Sage person emerged, the Frenchman has insisted that the sound astir his presumption is “normal” and believes helium inactive has religion from the players and club’s hierarchy to crook their fortunes astir quickly.

A tricky tally of fixtures against Tottenham, Hoffenheim (Europa League) and Liverpool are connected the skyline for Palace, but they indispensable archetypal crook their attraction to a favourable midweek travel to Craven Cottage wherever they person not mislaid immoderate of their past 9 visits successful each competitions (W6 D3), winning each of their past 4 by an aggregate people of 10-3.

The 2025 FA Cup winners, who bushed Middlesbrough 3-0 successful the EFL Cup 3rd circular past month, are bidding to advancement beyond the 4th circular for the 3rd consecutive season, having antecedently fallen astatine this signifier oregon earlier for 12 years successful a row.

However, antiaircraft concerns stay a cardinal contented for Palace, who person conceded 24 goals successful each competitions this season, including a Premier League-high 19 goals. They person besides shipped a full of 50 goals successful 2026, the astir of immoderate squad successful the part and already six much than they conceded successful the full of past twelvemonth (44).

Fulham EFL Cup form:

Fulham signifier (all competitions):

Crystal Palace EFL Cup form:

Crystal Palace signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Fulham left-back Ryan Sessegnon volition service the 2nd of a three-match home suspension connected Wednesday, portion out-of-favour Emile Smith Rowe is simply a uncertainty aft missing the triumph astatine Coventry with immoderate unspecified ‘issues’.

Summer signing Hugo Larsson was handed his archetypal Premier League commencement past play aft recovering from injury, but his spot successful centre-midfield whitethorn travel nether menace from Sander Berge.

Arbeloa volition see freshening up his squad successful a fewer different positions, with Benjamin Lecomte, Kenny Tete, ex-Palace antheral Joachim Anderson, Tom Cairney, Kevin and Rodrigo Muniz each pushing for a recall.

As for Crystal Palace, antiaircraft duo Chadi Riad (knee) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf), and midfielder Quinten Timber (thigh) each stay sidelined with injuries.

Jorgen Strand Larsen (knock) and Ismaila Sarr (groin) some missed the decision to Newcastle and volition beryllium assessed up of kickoff on with goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who has missed the past 9 matches with an ankle injury.

Tyrick Mitchell scored doubly successful the Premier League triumph astatine Fulham past month, but Ben Chilwell – who besides recovered the nett successful that lucifer – is apt to regenerate him astatine near wing-back, portion Oscar Mingueza, Honest Ahanor, Jefferson Lerma, Will Hughes and Eddie Nketiah whitethorn besides beryllium handed starts.

Fulham imaginable starting lineup:

Lecomte; Tete, Anderson, Bassey, Robinson; Charles, Berge; Kevin, King, Palacios; Muniz

Crystal Palace imaginable starting lineup:

Benitez; Lerma, Ahanor, Richards; Mingueza, Wharton, Hughes, Chilwell; McNeil, Guessand; Nketiah

We say: Fulham 1-1 Crystal Palace (Fulham to triumph connected penalties) 

While some teams person endured challenging campaigns frankincense far, Fulham look to beryllium turning a country conscionable arsenic a defensively-frail Crystal Palace broadside caput successful the other direction.

A closely-contested conflict successful the superior whitethorn extremity each quadrate aft 90 minutes, but we are backing the Cottagers to clasp their nervus connected penalties and advancement to circular five.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.