Report and highlights as Crystal Palace and Fulham play out a goalless draw at Selhurst Park; the draw moves the visitors to within three points of Newcastle and Brighton
Sunday 28 February 2021 21:37, UK
Fulham's Premier League survival hopes took a hit after they were held to a goalless draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Scott Parker's side arrived at Selhurst Park knowing a win would move them to within just a point of Newcastle and Brighton, who both failed to win on Saturday.
However, despite dominating, the visitors failed to find a way past Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita, although the draw did move Fulham to within three points of safety, while Palace stayed 13th in the table.
With results going Fulham's way on Saturday afternoon, the west London side had a huge incentive to claim all three points on Sunday lunchtime and started the contest as such.
The visitors began on the front foot, passing the ball around crisply and confidently, although the closest they actually came to opening the scoring was through captain Joachim Andersen, only for the centre-back to make a mess of two presentable headed openings.
Luckily for Fulham, their hosts produced a lethargic first-half display, with the pattern of the game not changing after half-time as Parker's side sensed their chance to take all three points.
Josh Maja first went close with a shot from the edge of the box that dribbled inches past the post, before Parker opted to introduce Ivan Cavaleiro to proceedings and the Portugal international almost made an immediate impact.
Working some space on the right wing, the forward whipped an inviting ball into the six-yard box for Maja to meet, only for Guaita to keep the scoreline goalless with a brilliant reaction stop to keep out the striker's close-range header.
The visitors created other good openings in the final quarter, but the closes they came to actually making a breakthrough was when the ball dropped invitingly at Andersen's feet six yards out after a corner, only for Palace central defender Gary Cahill to make a vital block.
And come the final reckoning, Fulham may look back on this stalemate as one that got away.
Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson: "It was a very difficult game. We knew Fulham were in excellent form, we knew they had some excellent players so we knew there were times when perhaps we were going to have to dig in and defend very, very well and make certain our shape was very good a all times. We sealed off as many spaces as we possibly could hoping of course that the game would eventually open up, but it did not open up that way.
"And that is credit to Fulham, who sealed off the spaces very well. It was a game between two teams who knew what they were doing, so I have to be very happy that in a game where we did not create enough chances ourselves, that we did well enough defensively to draw the game."
Fulham boss Scott Parker: "I see these players every day and I am confident in what I see. I see the attacking players coming in, trying to improve and get better.
"Of course in match situations and certainly games, the one thing you can aim at us is we have not managed at certain times to kill games off but it is a young team.
"A lot of these players are around the Premier League for the first time and what I constantly want from my group of players is a real honesty that we keep trying to improve and get better.
"Life tells me, and my experiences tell me, if you keep trying to do that, things change. We have unbelievable quality here, I see it and it is now trying to get that to click in the key moments."
What an astute piece of transfer business the acquisition of Andersen has proved to be for Fulham, with the Cottagers' defensive displays having improved out of sight since his arrival on a season-long loan from Lyon back in October.
The Denmark international produced another assured performance at Selhurst Park on Sunday lunchtime, both marshalling his fellow defenders for a vital shutout, as well as being a threat from set plays in the opposition box.
In fact, with a bit more care with his head, the 24-year-old could have left southeast London as the match winner.
Palace take on Man Utd at Selhurst Park on Wednesday night (8.15pm) in a match you can see live on Sky Sports Premier League.
Meanwhile, Fulham face Tottenham at Craven Cottage on Thursday evening, with that game kicking off at 6pm.
