Bassey & Iwobi Start, Chukwueze Subbed Off — Fulham Fall 2–1 to Crystal Palace

Fulham couldn’t turn home support into points on Sunday, as Crystal Palace edged them 2–1 at Craven Cottage. All four of the club’s Nigerian internationals featured in the match Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi started, while Samuel Chukwueze was in the XI but was replaced before the end and Christantus Uche came on for Palace after the break.

The first half belonged to Palace — Eddie Nketiah opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a neat finish from a well-worked move.  Fulham responded just before half-time with a beautiful strike from Harry Wilson, levelling the score at 1–1.

Early in the second half, Fulham briefly thought they had taken the lead Iwobi’s header hit the bar and a rebound was slammed home only for the effort to be ruled out for offside in the build-up involving Chukwueze.

As the match entered its final minutes, it was Palace who had the final word. A corner in the 87th minute found Marc Guéhi, who rose highest to nod in the winner and send Palace up to fourth in the Premier League. The loss leaves Fulham in 15th place, precariously close to the relegation zone, while Palace continue their ascent under their current manager.

Editorial

Football often demands more than intent it demands precision at the edge of uncertainty. Fulham’s defeat to Crystal Palace was less a failure of desire and more a casualty of margins squandered chances, a disallowed goal, and a sucker-punch in the 87th minute.

Bassey’s solidity at the back, Iwobi’s intelligence in midfield, and Chukwueze’s probing on the flank these are not inconsequential details. But in a match balanced on a knife-edge, individual performances rarely carry a team through. When collective cohesion falters, even the best efforts can amount to whispers.

The disallowed goal, in particular, felt symbolic a near-miss that underlined Fulham’s reluctance to seize the moment. In those situations, experience, and sometimes ruthless instinct, decide outcomes. Guéhi’s late header was textbook opportunistic, unhurried, exact. It summed up the contrast between fulfilment and frustration.

For Fulham, this season continues to be a tightrope walk. The squad carries talent, certainly but talent means little without consistency, calm under pressure, and conviction at decisive moments. Until they master those intangibles, nights like this will be remembered not for what might’ve been, but for what failed to materialize. In the Premier League, as ever, hope is earned in inches, not declarations.

Did You Know?

1. Samuel Chukwueze has now made eight appearances for Fulham this season but is still searching for a breakthrough goal since his loan move.
2. The late winner by Marc Guéhi was scored less than three minutes from full-time making it one of the latest goals that decided a London derby this season.
3. Fulham’s disallowed goal early in the second half came after a fine header by Iwobi but the offside call on Chukwueze’s involvement nullified it. That decision proved decisive in the game’s outcome.
4. With this defeat, Fulham become one of only a few mid-table sides in 2025 to have lost at home twice in the same week — underlining their defensive and consistency problems.
5. Despite the loss, all four Nigerian players Bassey, Iwobi, Chukwueze, and Uche remain on course to join the national squad for the upcoming major tournament, with clubs and coaches watching closely their form and fitness.