Fulham and Crystal Palace met under the lights at Craven Cottage, with an 8:30 PM start on December 7, 2025, in a Premier League fixture that swung late and finished 2–1 to Palace.
In front of 27,283 supporters in London, Fulham had long spells of the ball and pushed for a home win, only for Marc Guéhi’s 87th-minute header to turn the night in the visitors’ favour.
The result left Fulham on 17 points from a 5-2-8 record, while Palace climbed into the top four on 26 points and a 7-5-3 record.
Fulham’s Harry Wilson cancelled out Eddie Nketiah’s opener, and the match appeared to be heading for a draw before Palace’s late set-piece strike settled it.
Section notes
- Palace won 2–1 with a decisive late header
- Fulham had more possession but could not convert control into points
- The key moments clustered around the 20th, 38th, and 87th minutes
First Half Timeline: Early Palace punch, Fulham response
The match began at a brisk tempo, with both teams trading corners in the opening 15 minutes.
Crystal Palace struck first in the 20th minute when Eddie Nketiah finished a move from the centre of the box after an assist by Adam Wharton.
Fulham responded with growing pressure, forcing saves from Dean Henderson and winning a string of corners.
After a brief stoppage for a Calvin Bassey injury, Fulham levelled in the 38th minute through Harry Wilson, who swept a left-footed finish into the bottom-left corner after Raúl Jiménez set him up.
The half closed with the score 1–1 and the game finely balanced.
| Minute | Team | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20′ | Crystal Palace | Goal | Nketiah finished low after Wharton assist |
| 36′ | Fulham | Injury delay | Bassey down, play paused briefly |
| 38′ | Fulham | Goal | Wilson scored from central area, assisted by Jiménez |
| 45+3′ | — | Half-time | Fulham 1, Palace 1 |
First half notes
- Palace were clinical with their first clear opening
- Fulham’s equaliser came after sustained pressure
- Henderson and Leno were both tested before the break
Second Half Timeline: VAR twist, substitutions, rising tension
Fulham thought they had taken the lead early in the second half when Emile Smith Rowe scored in the 53rd minute.
VAR intervened and ruled the goal out, keeping the match level and shifting the atmosphere in the stadium.
Palace then enjoyed a strong spell around the hour mark, forcing Leno into saves and generating corners.
Both managers turned to their benches, with Palace changing their forward line and Fulham refreshing midfield and wide options to chase control.
The closing stages built toward a late turning point as Palace increased set-piece pressure.
| Minute | Team | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53′ | Fulham | Goal disallowed | Smith Rowe effort overturned by VAR |
| 64′ | Crystal Palace | Chance | Nketiah close-range shot saved by Leno |
| 65′ | Crystal Palace | Substitution | Lerma on for Nketiah |
| 66′ | Crystal Palace | Substitution | Uche on for Mateta |
| 68′ | Fulham | Substitution | Kevin on for Smith Rowe |
| 76′ | Fulham | Substitution | King on for Chukwueze |
| 76′ | Fulham | Substitution | Lukic on for Berge |
Second half notes
- VAR changed the momentum and mood at Craven Cottage
- Palace’s best spell included repeated shots and corners
- Substitutions signalled both sides were pushing for a winner
Final Stretch Timeline: Palace corner routine delivers the winner
The decisive sequence arrived in the 86th and 87th minutes as Palace forced back-to-back corners.
Leno made an important save to concede one of them, and Fulham struggled to clear the danger as pressure mounted.
From the ensuing corner at 87 minutes, Marc Guéhi rose from close range to head home, with Yéremy Pino credited for the delivery.
Fulham immediately tried to respond, making late substitutions and pushing Jiménez forward for one final surge.
In stoppage time, Jiménez had a clear sight of goal from close range but dragged his effort wide, and Palace saw out the remaining seconds to secure the points.
| Minute | Team | Event | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 86′ | Crystal Palace | Save leads to corner | Leno stops Uche, Palace keep pressure |
| 87′ | Crystal Palace | Goal | Guéhi header from a corner, Pino assist |
| 88′ | Fulham | Substitution | Cairney on for Wilson |
| 89′ | Fulham | Substitution | Traoré on for Iwobi |
| 90′ | — | Added time | Six minutes signalled |
| 90+4′ | Fulham | Big chance missed | Jiménez shot wide from right side of six-yard area |
| 90+7′ | — | Full-time | Fulham 1, Crystal Palace 2 |
Final stretch notes
- Palace’s winner came from sustained corner pressure
- Fulham had a late chance to equalise but could not finish
- Set pieces ultimately decided a match of fine margins
Match Stats Snapshot: Control vs cutting edge
Fulham finished with 63.1 percent possession and six corners, reflecting long periods in the Palace half.
Crystal Palace, however, were sharper at the key moments, registering five shots on goal to Fulham’s four and converting two of their best chances.
Neither side received a yellow card in a contest that stayed largely disciplined despite a tense finish.
| Stat | Fulham | Crystal Palace |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 63.1% | 36.9% |
| Shots on goal | 4 | 5 |
| Shot attempts | 12 | 11 |
| Corners | 6 | 4 |
| Saves | 3 | 3 |
| Yellow cards | 0 | 0 |
Stats notes
- Fulham controlled the ball but lacked the final punch late
- Palace were more clinical and more dangerous from dead balls
- The shot-on-target edge matched the final scoreline