Four Nigerian internationals featured prominently as Crystal Palace claimed a 2-1 win against Fulham at Craven Cottage, Soccernet.ng reports.
Fulham, coming off a 5-4 defeat to Manchester City earlier in the week, faced a determined Palace side led by Oliver Glasner, who had recently secured a 1-0 win over Burnley. The opening stages saw both teams jostling for control, with Fulham enjoying more possession. However, it was the visitors who struck first in the 20th minute.
A long ball from Nathaniel Clyne, making his first start for Palace in over six months, found Tyrique Mitchell on the left. Mitchell quickly fed Adam Wharton, who set up former Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah to slot the ball into the bottom corner, giving Palace an early lead.
Defender Calvin Bassey was particularly impressive, frequently challenging French forward Jean-Philippe Mateta and restricting his influence on the game. Meanwhile, Alex Iwobi operated in a deeper midfield role alongside Sander Berge. In the 37th minute, Iwobi produced a moment of brilliance, threading a pass to Raul Jimenez on the edge of the box. Jimenez combined with Harry Wilson, whose curling strike from outside the box beat Dean Henderson to bring Fulham level.
In the second half, Samuel Chukwueze delivered a threatening run down the left flank and delivered a cross that Iwobi headed onto the crossbar. Emile Smith-Rowe tapped in the rebound, but VAR intervened, ruling Chukwueze offside and disallowing the goal.
Crystal Palace introduced Christantus Uche in the 66th minute, giving the Getafe loanee valuable Premier League minutes. Uche nearly scored in the 85th minute, forcing a save from Bernd Leno, but his effort led to a corner that ultimately produced the winning goal. Palace captain Marc Guehi rose to head home Yeremi Pino’s set-piece, sealing the three points.
Despite late pressure from Fulham during six minutes of added time, Palace held firm. The victory moves Crystal Palace to fourth in the Premier League table, while Fulham remain in 15th.
Iwuobi, Chukwueze, Bassey, and Uche are now set to join the Super Eagles squad as preparations intensify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
