It’s a strange quirk of this fixture that the away side hasn’t lost for the last 10 Premier League matches, and substitute Tom Cairney’s late equaliser ensured that the streak goes on.
Only a brilliant save in injury-time from Dean Henderson and a glaring miss from former Crystal Palace player Joachim Andersen denied Fulham all three points after they had fallen behind to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s first goal from open play since 1 November. But Oliver Glasner will still be bitterly disappointed that his side couldn’t end a sequence of six games without a victory in all competitions after running out of steam again in their 31st match of the season.
At least Palace supporters can console themselves with the impending arrival of Brennan Johnson for a club record fee of £35m from Tottenham – he completed the first part of his medical while these two teams were slugging out in south London. The Wales forward will add some much needed firepower to Palace’s attack, with the FA Cup winners also believed to be pursuing another striker to provide some back-up for Mateta having registered their interest in 19-year-old Sidiki Cherif from Angers.
The France striker – so often the player who sets the tone for Palace – has been labouring in recent weeks but took his goal brilliantly. However, they couldn’t kill off a spirited Fulham side who were nine points behind their London rivals when they were beaten at Craven Cottage in early December and now find themselves trailing only on goal difference.
