Palace 0 Fulham 0

SUMMARY:

• Hodgson makes one change, with Guéhi fit to start in central defence.
• Johnstone denied Pereira and Jiménez – the second a crucial stop.
• A moment of Eze magic comes close to giving Palace the lead.
• HT: Palace 0-0 Fulham
• Jiminez can’t pick out Pereira to tap home with Fulham in on goal.
• Willian wins a free-kick on the edge of the box, but Pereira clips the wall.
• Mateta forces Leno into a vital save late on.
• FT: Palace 0-0 Fulham

With Palace back at Selhurst Park and Roy Hodgson back on the touchline, spirits were high as the game got underway in glorious south London sunshine – and the Eagles rose to meet the atmosphere in the opening exchanges.

While Johnstone saved well to prevent Andreas Pereira and Raul Jiménez finding the back of the net, it was the hosts who looked by far the more confident side on the ball. What made the performance more impressive was their aggression off it, hassling and harrying out of possession and winning the ball back high up-field.

The game needed a moment of magic, and Ebere Eze came close to providing it. It would have been a trademark goal – the kind of move that has earned him international recognition – as he danced past two defenders on the edge of the area and curled narrowly wide.

Fulham grew into the game in the second-half, and created the better opportunities for a spell. They should have been ahead as Bobby De Cordova-Reid slipped Jiménez in, only for the Mexican to fail to pick out the onrushing Pereira, who was waiting to tap home. Minutes later, Willian won a free-kick on the edge of the box but Pereira clipped the wall with his effort.

The introduction of Jean-Philippe Mateta saw Fulham tighten up in defence, and Palace began to see more of the ball – but without any real penetration.

Both sides pushed for a winner but to no avail, and the points were shared.

Palace: Johnstone (GK), Ward, Guéhi, Andersen, Mitchell, Doucouré, Hughes, Eze, Schlupp (Mateta, 70), Ayew, Edouard (Rak-Sakyi, 90).

Subs: Henderson (GK), Matthews (GK), Holding, Clyne, Ebiowei, Richards, Riedewald.

Fulham: Leno (GK), Reed, Jiménez (Vinícius, 79), Ream, De Cordova-Reid (Wilson, 79), Pereira (Iwobi, 75), Willian, Castagne, Palhinha, Diop, Robinson.

Subs: Rodák (GK), Bassey, Cairney, Ballo-Touré, Muniz, Francois.