A gorgeous day in west London seemed the perfect setting for a meeting between two teams happy with their situation heading into the final games of the season, well clear of the chaos unfolding beneath them.
Despite Fulham’s early pressure, it was Palace who struck first – and a fine goal it was too. Ebere Eze was at the centre of it all, as we have come to expect in recent weeks, slipping Edouard in behind; the French striker finished with aplomb at the near-post.
Just as Palace looked to be seeing out the first-half in relative comfort, disaster struck. A long ball from Mitrovic picked out Harry Wilson, who was brought down by Tyrick Mitchell. The defender was unfortunate – he slipped as he tried to follow Wilson’s run – but he had no arguments as Mitrovic smashed Fulham level.
The hosts, buoyed by their equaliser, came out and established their authority, and should have been ahead within minutes of the restart as Mitrovic swept wide of an open goal from just six-yards out.
He didn’t have to wait long to avenge his miss, however, as he rose highest to meet a Willian free-kick and powered home a header from close-range.
It would have been three were it not for a stunning stop from Sam Johnstone, as a vintage Willian strike from the edge of the area looked destined for the top-corner before the ‘keeper tipped it over the bar.
As has so often been the way under Roy Hodgson, Palace refused to know when they were beaten. The equaliser came from the unlikeliest of sources, too, as Joel Ward latched on to a loose ball in the penalty and smashed home his first goal since 2019.
The Eagles suddenly had the momentum, and Jean-Philippe Mateta was denied by a crucial challenge before Michael Olise curled narrowly wide.
In the end, the third goal eluded them, but it was another important point for Hodgson's side.
Fulham: Leno (GK), Tete, Adarabioyo, Reed, Wilson (De Cordova-Reid, 80), Mitrovic, Cairney (Solomon, 80), Willian, Palhinha, Diop, Robinson.
Subs: Rodak (GK), Duffy, Kebano, Soares, Lukic, Vinicius, Harris.
Palace: Johnstone (GK), Ward, Guéhi, Andersen, Mitchell, Doucouré, Hughes, Eze, Ayew, Edouard (Mateta, 80), Olise.