Crystal Palace 1-1 Fulham: Cairney's Stunning Late Volley Earns Dramatic Draw.

Crystal Palace 1-1 Fulham: Cairney's Stunning Late Volley Earns Dramatic Draw.

Premier League 2025-26: Crystal Palace 1-1 Fulham – Tom Cairney's Late Stunner Rescues Point for Cottagers.

Crystal Palace 1-1 Fulham Selhurst Park, London – Thursday 1 January 2026 Attendance: 25,487 Referee: Robert Jones.

                    An entertaining London derby at Selhurst Park ended in a 1-1 draw as super-substitute Tom Cairney struck a sensational late equaliser to deny Crystal Palace a much-needed victory in their first game of 2026.

            Jean-Philippe Mateta had given Oliver Glasner's Eagles a deserved half-time lead with a thumping header, but Fulham's persistence paid off in the closing stages, extending Palace's winless run to eight matches while keeping Marco Silva's side unbeaten in five.

The result sees Palace remain in 15th place with 20 points, still nervously looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone. Fulham climb to 10th with 28 points, consolidating their mid-table security and continuing their impressive form away from home.

Pre-Match Build-Up

Both teams entered the New Year's Day fixture desperate for points but for different reasons. Palace, without a win since early November, were feeling the pressure under Glasner, with fans growing restless despite improved performances. Fulham, on a solid run, aimed to build on their festive results and exploit Palace's defensive vulnerabilities.

Glasner made two changes from the draw at Bournemouth, bringing in Will Hughes for the suspended Cheick Doucouré and recalling Ismaila Sarr. Silva opted for a more attacking setup, starting Raúl Jiménez up top alongside Rodrigo Muniz in a 4-4-2 diamond, with Cairney initially on the bench.

The reverse fixture at Craven Cottage earlier in the season had ended 2-0 to Fulham, adding extra spice to this South London-North London crossover derby.

Lineups

Crystal Palace (3-4-2-1): Henderson; Chalobah, Guéhi, Lacroix; Muñoz, Wharton, Hughes, Mitchell; Eze, Nketiah; Mateta. Subs: Turner, Clyne, Riad, Lerma, Kamada, Sarr, Schlupp, Matheus França, Plumain.

Fulham (4-4-2 diamond): Leno; Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Robinson; Reed, Lukic; Traoré, Pereira, Iwobi; Jiménez. Subs: Benda, Diop, Cairney, Berge, Wilson, Muniz, Vinícius, Godo, Sessegnon.

First Half: Mateta Breaks the Deadlock

Selhurst Park was buzzing under floodlights on a crisp evening, with the Holmesdale End in full voice. Palace started brightly, pressing high and forcing early errors from Fulham's backline.

In the 12th minute, Eberechi Eze's clever free-kick found Tyrick Mitchell overlapping, but his cross evaded everyone. Fulham responded with Adama Traoré's pace causing problems down the right – his 18th-minute burst ended with a low cross that Raúl Jiménez poked just wide.

The hosts grew into the game. Eddie Nketiah's movement stretched Fulham's centre-backs, and in the 29th minute, he forced Bernd Leno into a smart save low to his left from a tight angle.

The breakthrough came in the 42nd minute. Daniel Muñoz's pinpoint cross from the right was met by a towering Jean-Philippe Mateta header, powering past Leno into the far corner. It was the French striker's first open-play goal since October, sending Selhurst into raptures and giving Palace a vital lead heading into the break.

Half-time: Crystal Palace 1-0 Fulham. Possession was even at 52%, but Palace had the cutting edge with 6 shots to Fulham's 3.
Second Half: Cairney's Magic Moment

Marco Silva introduced Tom Cairney and Harry Wilson at the interval, switching to a more fluid 4-2-3-1 to inject creativity. The change nearly paid immediate dividends – Cairney's 48th-minute through-ball released Alex Iwobi, but Dean Henderson stood tall to deny the one-on-one.

Palace remained dangerous on the counter. In the 55th minute, Mateta held up play brilliantly before laying off to Eze, whose curling effort whistled inches wide of the top corner.

Fulham dominated possession as the half wore on, camping in Palace's half. Andreas Pereira tested Henderson from distance in the 62nd minute, and substitute Rodrigo Muniz headed over from a corner shortly after.

The pressure told in the 82nd minute. A clearance fell kindly to Tom Cairney 25 yards out, and the Fulham captain took one touch before unleashing a stunning volley that arrowed into the top corner, leaving Henderson with no chance. Craven Cottage's travelling fans erupted as Cairney wheeled away in celebration – a goal worthy of securing a point.





Fulham sensed victory in stoppage time. Muniz's 90+2 minute header forced a superb reflex save from Henderson, and Marc Guéhi's goal-line clearance denied Iwobi moments later. Palace held firm for the draw.


Captain Cairney earns a point at Palace - by Owen Macdonald
Key Moments
12': Mitchell cross evades Mateta – early Palace pressure.
18': Jiménez pokes wide from Traoré cross.
29': Leno saves from Nketiah.
42': GOAL! Mateta powerful header from Muñoz cross (1-0).
48': Henderson denies Iwobi.
55': Eze curls just wide.
82': GOAL! Cairney stunning volley (1-1).
90+2': Henderson saves from Muniz; Guéhi clears off line.
Player Ratings (out of 10)

Crystal Palace
Dean Henderson – 8: Crucial saves in second half, especially from Muniz.
Daniel Muñoz – 8: Excellent assist and solid defensively.
Trevoh Chalobah – 7: Steady alongside Guéhi.
Marc Guéhi – 8: Goal-line clearance and commanding presence.
Maxence Lacroix – 7: Handled Jiménez well.
Tyrick Mitchell – 7: Energetic overlapping.
Adam Wharton – 7: Controlled midfield early on.
Will Hughes – 6: Worked hard but faded.
Eberechi Eze – 7: Threatening with set-pieces and shots.
Eddie Nketiah – 7: Lively movement, unlucky not to score.
Jean-Philippe Mateta – 8 (MOTM contender): Goal and hold-up play superb. Subs: Sarr 6, Lerma 6, Schlupp 5.
Fulham
Bernd Leno – 6: Beaten by strong header, little else to do.
Kenny Tete – 6: Struggled against Mitchell.
Joachim Andersen – 7: Solid but lost Mateta for goal.
Calvin Bassey – 7: Strong in duels.
Antonee Robinson – 7: Good going forward.
Harrison Reed – 6: Tenacious but overrun at times.
Saša Lukić – 6: Decent but substituted.
Adama Traoré – 7: Pace troubled Palace early.
Andreas Pereira – 7: Creative spark.
Alex Iwobi – 7: Constant threat.
Raúl Jiménez – 6: Missed good chance. Subs:Tom Cairney 9 (MOTM): Game-changing goal and influence. Wilson 7, Muniz 7.
Post-Match Reaction

Oliver Glasner: "We played well, created chances, and led deservedly. The goal we conceded was a moment of quality, but we showed character to hold on. It's a point, but we need wins soon."

Marco Silva: "A fantastic point away at a tough place. The reaction after half-time was excellent, and Tom's goal was special. We could have won it at the end – proud of the team."

Tom Cairney: "It sat up nicely, and I just hit it sweetly. Great feeling to score like that and help the team."

Jean-Philippe Mateta: "Happy with the goal, but disappointed not to win. We keep fighting."
Analysis

This draw epitomises both teams' seasons: Palace show flashes of quality under Glasner but lack ruthlessness, while Fulham's resilience and squad depth under Silva make them hard to beat. Cairney's impact off the bench highlights Fulham's options, whereas Palace's reliance on Eze and Mateta remains a concern.

Selhurst Park's atmosphere was electric, with fans from both sides contributing to a classic Premier League encounter.



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Next up: Palace travel to Brentford, while Fulham host Everton – both seeking three points to start 2026 strongly.