Crystal Palace produced a dramatic comeback at Craven Cottage, recovering from two Fulham leads to claim a 3-2 Premier League victory and hand manager Pierre Sage his first win in charge.

Fulham twice moved ahead through Joshua King and César Palacios, but Tyrick Mitchell levelled the contest on both occasions before Ben Chilwell came off the bench to score the decisive goal in the 77th minute.

The result continued Palace’s impressive record at Fulham, with the Eagles winning on their fourth successive visit to this part of west London.

For Fulham manager Álvaro Arbeloa, it was another frustrating afternoon as his side remain without a point after three league matches.

Fulham Take the Lead at Craven Cottage

Fulham started brightly and were rewarded when King opened the scoring in the 11th minute.

Adam Wharton failed to clear Oscar Bobb’s cross, allowing the ball to fall to King, whose effort took a significant deflection before finding its way past Dean Henderson.

Palace briefly appeared to have an immediate response when Daichi Kamada volleyed in from Yéremy Pino’s cross. However, the goal was ruled out after Kamada was judged to have strayed marginally offside.

Fulham continued to create opportunities, with Timothy Castagne forcing a save from Henderson as the hosts looked to increase their advantage.

Mitchell Brings Palace Back

Palace eventually found their equaliser in the 35th minute through Mitchell.

Eddie Nketiah provided the opportunity, and Mitchell finished past Bernd Leno at his near post to bring the visitors level.

The comeback did not last long, however, as Fulham regained the lead before half-time.

King's intelligent dummy allowed him to burst into the penalty area before his cross nearly resulted in an own goal from Jaydee Canvot. Henderson produced an excellent save, but Palacios was perfectly positioned to convert the rebound into an empty net.

The goal gave Fulham a 2-1 advantage at the break.

Palace Produce Another Fightback

Palace refused to surrender and Mitchell once again proved crucial.

His second equaliser in the 54th minute came in unusual circumstances. His initial effort was cleared by Gonzalo García, but Mitchell followed up with a volley while falling.

García somehow failed to make contact with the ball as it travelled towards goal, allowing it to trickle over the line.

The goal changed the momentum of the match, with Fulham appearing increasingly unsettled after surrendering their lead for a second time.

Chilwell Completes the Comeback

Palace then took control and completed their turnaround through Chilwell.

The former England left-back had only recently returned to the club permanently after joining from Strasbourg on deadline day, following a loan spell during which he helped Palace win the FA Cup.

He made an immediate impact on his return by volleying home in the 77th minute after Anan Khalaili’s effort had been blocked.

Chilwell’s finish gave Palace their first lead of the afternoon and ultimately proved to be the winner.

Fulham pushed for a late equaliser, but Ryan Sessegnon could only find the sidenetting during stoppage time.

Fulham Left to Regret Missed Chances

Fulham had controlled much of the match statistically, enjoying almost 65% possession and registering 25 shots.

Despite their dominance in possession and chance creation, they were unable to turn that advantage into points.

Arbeloa admitted afterwards that Fulham had been punished for failing to take their opportunities.

“We lost a game that we didn’t deserve to lose. But in football you need to take your chances and they did that better than us,” he said.

The defeat means Fulham remain pointless after their opening three Premier League matches and have conceded seven goals during that run.

They now face a difficult trip to Anfield to meet Liverpool next week.

Sage Celebrates First Palace Victory

The win gave Sage his first victory as Crystal Palace manager and maintained his record of never losing three consecutive matches as a manager.

Sage admitted there were still issues to address despite the result, particularly regarding Palace’s build-up play.

“Today’s lesson was free because we won but we were inefficient in buildup during the first half,” Sage said.

He also expressed frustration with the uncertainty surrounding the squad during the transfer period, saying he wanted greater clarity over which players he would be working with.

For Palace, however, the immediate focus will be on the three points and a memorable comeback secured by Mitchell and Chilwell.

Key Takeaways

• Crystal Palace came from behind twice to beat Fulham 3-2.
• Tyrick Mitchell scored twice for Palace.
• Ben Chilwell came off the bench to score the decisive 77th-minute winner.
• Pierre Sage recorded his first victory as Crystal Palace manager.
• Fulham led through Joshua King and César Palacios.
• Fulham had almost 65% possession and 25 shots but failed to take their chances.
• Fulham remain without a point after three Premier League matches.
• Palace have now won on their last four visits to this part of west London.

SportsLigue