Zaha inspires Palace in win over Fulham

Published on: 24 October 2020

Zaha scored his fifth goal of the season for Palace

Wilfried Zaha scored and made another goal to inspire Crystal Palace to victory and inflict more misery on the Premier League's bottom side Fulham.

Palace were on the back foot for much of the encounter, with the hosts having almost 70% possession, but netted twice on the counter-attack.

Zaha's thumping strike was saved by Alphonse Areola but in the next move the Ivorian slipped a sublime reverse ball through to Jairo Riedewald to slot in the opener.

Fulham could have got back into the contest but Ademola Lookman twice hit the woodwork in the opening period, seeing an effort tipped onto the near post by Vicente Guaita and drilling a drive across goal which rattled the other post.

The visitors capitalised in the second half as Michy Batshuayi picked out Zaha for an easy finish at the back post.

Fulham were reduced to 10 men late on when substitute Aboubakar Kamara was shown a red card for raking his studs on the back of Ebere Eze's leg, and skipper Tom Cairney's stunning, long-range strike proved merely a consolation.

Palace made a huge leap up the table, jumping from 14th place to fifth, while Fulham remain rooted and stay in search of their first win.

    Relive Palace's win over Fulham

Zaha causes havoc

Palace conceded late on against Brighton in their previous game and had to be content with a point, but the win over Fulham ends a run of three without victory.

After that home draw against the Seagulls, ex-Fulham manager Roy Hodgson took aim at his star man Zaha suggesting he could have contributed more and expects his player to "cause havoc".

The former Manchester United man responded by doing just that against the Cottagers, showcasing dancing feet and superb skills to lead Palace to their third win of the campaign.

Zaha's step-overs and darts forward often left Fulham full-back Ola Aina floundering, while one 'scorpion kick' pass to a team-mate was particularly outrageous, stretching out his leg and flicking the ball over his head.

And his menace turned into a match-winning contribution too, a delightful 'no-look' pass carved open the Fulham defence for Riedewald's first Palace goal.

Zaha somehow nodded a free header wide from six yards out but did get his fifth goal this term by converting Batshuayi's lay-off, although there was concern when he collided with the post in scoring.

He managed to finish the game and could have been on the scoresheet again in injury-time, but his effort from close range was ruled out for offside.

Problems for Parker everywhere

Where do you even start with Fulham?

Their six games played since returning to the top flight has yielded just a solitary point from a possible 18 available and Scott Parker's side look prime candidates for relegation.

They have netted just five times but Cairney's brilliant, 95th-minute effort avoided the prospect of going their opening three games at Craven Cottage without a goal.

Their problems in defence are even more stark with three of the back four - Aina, Tosin Adarabioyo and Antonee Robinson - all signing this season and Fulham have shipped 14 goals, more than any other team in the top flight.

Fulham enjoy keeping the ball, they had 612 passes to Palace's 331, but badly lack incisiveness in the final third.

Striker Aleksandar Mitrovic was left frustrated with a lack of service and on-loan Lookman looked sharp at times, but did not get on the ball enough in threatening positions.

Had his two shots that struck the posts gone in, it could well have been a different story.

Sub Kamara was sent on to add more attacking threat but ended up being dismissed - referee Graham Scott initially gave a yellow card which seemed fair, but changed his decision after watching the replay on the pitchside monitor.

What next?

Fulham host West Brom on Monday, 2 November (kick-off 17:30 GMT), while Palace travel to Wolves on Friday, 30 November (20:00 GMT).

Zaha king of the Palace - the stats

    Fulham's haul of just one point after their first six games is their worst-ever return at this stage of a top-flight campaign.Crystal Palace have won three consecutive league matches against Fulham for the first time since October 1930.Of managers to oversee at least 15 Premier League games, only Jan Siewert (80%) and Brian Laws (78%) have lost a higher percentage of their games than Fulham boss Scott Parker (75% - 12 losses out of 16). Crystal Palace directed 10 shots on target in the game, the most they've managed in an away Premier League since August 2018, also against Fulham (10).33 years and 65 days separated the ages of Fulham boss Scott Parker and Crystal Palace's Roy Hodgson, the second-biggest gap in age between two English managers in a Premier League game after the 35 years and 38 days difference between Hodgson and Swansea's Leon Britton in December 2017.Crystal Palace midfielder Jairo Riedewald netted his first Premier League goal in his 33rd game in the competition, with what was his first-ever shot on target.Wilfried Zaha has scored five goals in his last six Premier League games for Crystal Palace, as many as in his previous 41 combined.Wilfried Zaha has been directly involved in 65 goals for Crystal Palace in the Premier League (41 goals, 24 assists), over twice as many as the next best tally (32 for both James McArthur and Jason Puncheon).Aboubakar Kamara's sending off was Fulham's first Premier League red card since December 2018, when André-Frank Zambo Anguissa was dismissed against Manchester United.

Player of the match

ZahaWilfried Zaha

with an average of 8.13

    FulhamFulhamFulhamCrystal PalaceCrystal PalaceCrystal Palace

FulhamAvgSquad number19Player nameLookmanAverage rating

5.82

Squad number15Player nameLoftus-CheekAverage rating

5.57

Squad number10Player nameCairneyAverage rating

5.29

Squad number33Player nameRobinsonAverage rating

4.86

Squad number34Player nameAinaAverage rating

4.74

Squad number16Player nameAdarabioyoAverage rating

4.70

Squad number1Player nameAreolaAverage rating

4.68

Squad number21Player nameReedAverage rating

4.63

Squad number29Player nameZambo AnguissaAverage rating

4.57

Squad number18Player nameLeminaAverage rating

4.57

Squad number14Player nameDe Cordova-ReidAverage rating

4.49

Squad number9Player nameMitrovicAverage rating

4.38

Squad number13Player nameReamAverage rating

4.33

Squad number47Player nameKamaraAverage rating

3.50

Crystal PalaceAvgSquad number11Player nameZahaAverage rating

8.13

Squad number44Player nameRiedewaldAverage rating

7.72

Squad number10Player nameTownsendAverage rating

7.55

Squad number25Player nameEzeAverage rating

7.30

Squad number8Player nameKouyatéAverage rating

7.20

Squad number27Player nameMitchellAverage rating

7.14

Squad number23Player nameBatshuayiAverage rating

6.89

Squad number15Player nameSchluppAverage rating

6.85

Squad number6Player nameDannAverage rating

6.84

Squad number31Player nameGuaitaAverage rating

6.74

Squad number17Player nameClyneAverage rating

6.68

Squad number4Player nameMilivojevicAverage rating

6.66

Squad number3Player namevan AanholtAverage rating

6.62

Squad number12Player nameSakhoAverage rating

6.25

    Line-upsMatch StatsLive Text

Line-upsFulham

    1Areola34Aina16Adarabioyo13Ream33Robinson29Zambo AnguissaSubstituted forKamaraat 66'minutesBooked at 88mins18LeminaSubstituted forReedat 79'minutes10Cairney15Loftus-CheekSubstituted forDe Cordova-Reidat 74'minutes9Mitrovic19Lookman

Substitutes

    4Odoi12Rodák14De Cordova-Reid20Le Marchand21Reed23Bryan47Kamara

Crystal Palace

    31GuaitaBooked at 90mins17ClyneSubstituted forvan Aanholtat 72'minutes8Kouyaté6Dann27Mitchell10Townsend4Milivojevic44RiedewaldSubstituted forSakhoat 85'minutes15SchluppSubstituted forEzeat 76'minutes23Batshuayi11Zaha

Substitutes

    3van Aanholt7Meyer12Sakho19Henderson20Benteke25Eze34Kelly

Referee:Graham ScottMatch StatsHome TeamFulhamAway TeamCrystal PalacePossessionHome66%Away34%ShotsHome16Away14Shots on TargetHome3Away10CornersHome4Away4FoulsHome11Away11Live TextPost update

Match ends, Fulham 1, Crystal Palace 2.

90'+7'Full Time

Second Half ends, Fulham 1, Crystal Palace 2.

90'+7'Booking

Vicente Guaita (Crystal Palace) is shown the yellow card.

90'+5'goalGoal!

Goal! Fulham 1, Crystal Palace 2. Tom Cairney (Fulham) left footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Harrison Reed.

90'+4'Post update

Foul by Ola Aina (Fulham).

90'+4'Post update

Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

90'+3'Post update

Attempt missed. Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left.

90'+3'Post update

Attempt saved. Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Wilfried Zaha.

90'+2'Post update

Offside, Crystal Palace. Eberechi Eze tries a through ball, but Patrick van Aanholt is caught offside.

90'+1'Post update

Attempt missed. Tom Cairney (Fulham) left footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Ola Aina.

90'Post update

Attempt saved. Patrick van Aanholt (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Eberechi Eze.

90'Post update

Ola Aina (Fulham) wins a free kick on the right wing.

90'Post update

Foul by Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace).

88'Dismissal

Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham) is shown the red card.

86'Post update

VAR Decision: Card upgraded Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham).

86'Post update

Foul by Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham).

86'Post update

Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

85'Substitution

Substitution, Crystal Palace. Mamadou Sakho replaces Jairo Riedewald because of an injury.

80'Post update

Corner, Crystal Palace. Conceded by Ola Aina.

79'Substitution

Substitution, Fulham. Harrison Reed replaces Mario Lemina.

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Source: bbc.com

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