Match ends, Fulham 1, Crystal Palace 2.
Wilfried Zaha "deserves all the praise he is going to get", said Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson after the winger scored and made another goal to inspire a victory and inflict more misery on 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.
Hodgson said of Zaha: "He reminds us that when he's on top of his game he's a very hard player to stop.
"He's an excellent player and that's what he's capable of doing. He deserves all the praise he's going to get."
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.
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 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.
Hodgson said: "If ever I sound mildly critical he thinks I'm picking on him, but every press conference I go to he's the only player they want to talk to me about."
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.
Zaha added: "I love football so there's no day I don't enjoy it really. I've set myself personal goals and that's what I'm attacking every day."
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
Fulham
Avg
- Squad 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 nameTosinAverage 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 Palace
Avg
- Squad number11Player nameZahaAverage rating
8.14
- Squad number44Player nameRiedewaldAverage rating
7.72
- Squad number10Player nameTownsendAverage rating
7.55
- Squad number25Player nameEzeAverage rating
7.30
- Squad number8Player nameKouyatéAverage rating
7.21
- Squad number27Player nameMitchellAverage rating
7.14
- Squad number23Player nameBatshuayiAverage rating
6.90
- Squad number15Player nameSchluppAverage rating
6.86
- Squad number6Player nameDannAverage rating
6.84
- Squad number31Player nameGuaitaAverage rating
6.75
- 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-ups
Fulham
Formation 4-3-2-1
- 1Areola
- 34Aina
- 16Tosin
- 13Ream
- 33Robinson
- 29Zambo AnguissaSubstituted forKamaraat 66'minutesBooked at 88mins
- 18LeminaSubstituted forReedat 79'minutes
- 10Cairney
- 15Loftus-CheekSubstituted forDe Cordova-Reidat 73'minutes
- 19Lookman
- 9Mitrovic
Substitutes
- 4Odoi
- 12Rodák
- 14De Cordova-Reid
- 20Le Marchand
- 21Reed
- 23Bryan
- 47Kamara
Crystal Palace
Formation 4-4-2
- 31GuaitaBooked at 90mins
- 17ClyneSubstituted forvan Aanholtat 72'minutes
- 8Kouyaté
- 6Dann
- 27Mitchell
- 10Townsend
- 4Milivojevic
- 44RiedewaldSubstituted forSakhoat 85'minutes
- 15SchluppSubstituted forEzeat 76'minutes
- 23Batshuayi
- 11Zaha
Substitutes
- 3van Aanholt
- 7Meyer
- 12Sakho
- 19Henderson
- 20Benteke
- 25Eze
- 34Kelly
- Referee:
- Graham Scott
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home64%
- Away36%
- Shots
- Home16
- Away14
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away10
- Corners
- Home4
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home11
- Away11
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Fulham 1, Crystal Palace 2.
Booking
Vicente Guaita (Crystal Palace) is shown the yellow card.
Goal!
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.
Post update
Foul by Ola Aina (Fulham).
Post update
Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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.
Post update
Attempt saved. Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from very close range is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Wilfried Zaha.
Post update
Offside, Crystal Palace. Eberechi Eze tries a through ball, but Patrick van Aanholt is caught offside.
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.
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.
Post update
Ola Aina (Fulham) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace).
Dismissal
Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham) is shown the red card.
Post update
VAR Decision: Card upgraded Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham).
Post update
Foul by Aboubakar Kamara (Fulham).
Post update
Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Crystal Palace. Mamadou Sakho replaces Jairo Riedewald because of an injury.
Post update
Corner, Crystal Palace. Conceded by Ola Aina.
Substitution
Substitution, Fulham. Harrison Reed replaces Mario Lemina.
- Cillian Murphy: Peaky Blinders star shares a chill playlist
- The Yungblud Podcast: Fun, chaos and modern-day dilemmas
Comments
Join the conversation
Still early days but looking like an agonising season ahead.
As for Palace; Good to see Zaha putting regular shifts in for the club that pays him, whether he want's to be there or not. Big improvement on his attitude of last season.
All rather predictable.
It won't be long before McNulty has Parker in his telescopic sights either.
Here's hoping both manager and club can turn this around.
Roy obviously recognises that in Andros.
As for Shelvey, he was good enough for Liverpool, but was a bit of a hothead when he was younger.
Fulham: Hold my beer
Zaha the main man - he makes Palace click.
I don't actually think Fulham's attacking options are bad at all but the defence is so lightweight that it's affecting them all over the pitch.