Preview: Crystal Palace vs Fulham - prediction, team news, lineups

Battling history and recent struggles, a Crystal Palace side in freefall will aim to start 2026 on a positive note as they host fellow London club Fulham on New Year’s Day in the Premier League.

The Eagles have found victories hard to come by of late and face the daunting task of ending a winless run against a team they have not beaten at Selhurst Park since February 2019.

Match preview

What had been a largely positive 2025 — climaxed by FA Cup glory — fizzled out for Palace, who closed the year without a win in five consecutive matches across all competitions, including three straight Premier League defeats.

Still reeling from a penalty-shootout exit to Arsenal in the EFL Cup, a weary and depleted Eagles side were then undone by the Gunners’s North London rivals, as Archie Gray’s first senior goal proved decisive in last weekend’s 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.

Head coach Oliver Glasner acknowledged it is “clear” his squad needs reinforcement during the January window as they look to halt a slump that has seen Palace slide to ninth in the Premier League table and six points adrift of the top four.

Before having the chance to act in the winter market, Glasner must make do with what is available for Thursday’s clash and can take some encouragement from his team’s previous meeting with Fulham, having secured a 2-1 victory at the London Stadium three weeks ago.

This means the Eagles have won each of the last three encounters between the sides across all competitions, but Palace have struggled at Selhurst Park, where they are winless in the last four meetings and have failed to score in that sequence.

Recent home form does little to inspire confidence either, with Glasner’s men without a win in their last five games on their own turf, including four in the league (D1, L3), where they have drawn a blank in three and lost the most recent three.

The South London club have also endured little luck on New Year’s Day, having failed to win any of their previous six Premier League fixtures on this date.

Fulham arrive in high spirits following a 1-0 victory over West Ham at the London Stadium at the weekend, courtesy of a late Raul Jimenez header.

Despite key absentees, the Cottagers are enjoying a rich vein of form, having won their last three top-flight matches, including a five-goal thriller at Burnley and a 1-0 success against Nottingham Forest.

Now 10th on 26 points — level with Thursday’s hosts — another victory could see Marco Silva’s men rise as high as seventh, though winning four consecutive Premier League matches would be a first for the club.

The visitors can take heart from their recent away record, having won each of their last three league trips, two of which came against fellow London clubs; another triumph here would also see Fulham secure four straight top-flight victories on the road for the first time.

Crystal Palace Premier League form:

Crystal Palace form (all competitions):

Fulham Premier League form:

Fulham form (all competitions):

Team News

Chris Richards remains a doubt for Palace after sustaining a foot injury against Arsenal, leaving Glasner uncertain over whether his preferred three-man backline can be fielded.

If Richards is unavailable, midfielder Jefferson Lerma could slot in alongside Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guehi like he did in the previous outing.

Daniel Munoz (knee), Daichi Kamada (hamstring), Cheick Doucoure (knee), Chadi Riad (knee), and Caleb Kporha (back) are confirmed absentees, while Ismaila Sarr is on international duty with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Jean-Philippe Mateta will be looking to rediscover his scoring touch, having drawn a blank in his last seven games, with his most recent strike coming from the penalty spot against Manchester United on 30 November 2025.

For Fulham, Raul Jimenez has found the net in consecutive games after a five-match drought, while Harry Wilson has directly contributed to seven goals in his last six league appearances (3G, 4A).

Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, and Samuel Chukwueze remain on international duty with Nigeria at AFCON; Rodrigo Muniz continues his recovery from hamstring surgery, while Ryan Sessegnon could miss a sixth straight outing with a similar problem.

Crystal Palace possible starting lineup:

Henderson; Lemar, Lacroix, Guehi; Clyne, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Pino, Nketiah; Mateta

Fulham possible starting lineup:

Leno; Tete, Andersen, Cuenca, Robinson; Lukic, Berge; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Kevin; Jimenez

We say: Crystal Palace 1-2 Fulham

Palace dominated possession against Spurs but lacked cutting edge in the final third, highlighting their ongoing struggles in attack.

However, the Eagles are expected to find the net against Fulham, but their recent home record and New Year’s Day woes could persist as they face a side high on confidence.

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