Palace kept their Carabao Cup dream alive with a deserved victory over Fulham, earning a place in the Quarter Finals after an evening of commitment, organisation and determination.
With pressure mounting and supporters demanding a response, the Eagles delivered exactly that, combining defensive solidity with a clinical edge to secure an important win and spark scenes of celebration at the final whistle.
MATCH INFORMATION
| 28 October 2026 – 7.45pm |
| Fulham 0-1 Crystal Palace |
| Craven Cottage |
| League Cup |
OFFICIALS
| Referee | Simon HOOPER |
| VAR | – |
| Assistant Referees | Bhupinder GILL, Sam LEWIS |
| Fourth Official | Stuart ATTWELL |
| Assistant VAR | – |
PLAYER RATINGS
Crystal Palace
| 1 | Dean HENDERSON © | 7.5 |
| 30 | Oscar MINGUEZA | 7.4 |
| 33 | Ben CHILWELL | 6.5 |
| 21 | Honest AHANOR | 7.2 |
| 26 | Chris RICHARDS | 7.6 |
| 8 | Jefferson LERMA | 7.3 |
| 19 | Will HUGHES | 6.6 |
| 28 | Cheick DOUCOURE | 6.5 |
| 24 | Dario OSORIO | 6.9 |
| 29 | Evann GUESSAND | 6.5 |
| 9 | Eddie NKETIAH | 7.0 |
| 3 | Tyrick MITCHELL (CHILWELL 61 mins) | 6.5 |
| 5 | Axel DISASI | – |
| 10 | Yeremy PINO (OSORIO 77 mins) | 6.3 |
| 11 | Dwight MCNEIL (NKETIAH (71 mins) | 6.6 |
| 12 | Zavier GOZO | – |
| 18 | Daichi KAMADA (GUESSAND 77 mins) | 6.1 |
| 20 | Adam WHARTON (DOUCOURE 61 mins) | 6.2 |
| 25 | Anan KHALAILI | – |
| 44 | Walter BENITEZ | – |
Fulham
| 23 | Benjamin LECOMTE | 6.3 |
| 33 | Antonee ROBINSON | 6.0 |
| 3 | Calvin BASSEY © | 7.3 |
| 5 | Joachim ANDERSEN | 6.5 |
| 2 | Kenny TETE | 5.9 |
| 15 | Hugo LARSSON | 6.9 |
| 16 | Sander BERGE | 6.3 |
| 17 | Alex IWOBI | 5.9 |
| 8 | Cesar PALACIOS | 6.5 |
| 14 | Oscar BOBB | 7.2 |
| 9 | Rodrigo MUNIZ | 6.2 |
| 1 | Bernd LENO | – |
| 4 | Jorge CUENCA | – |
| 6 | Harrison REED | – |
| 7 | Gonzalo GARCIA (IWOBI 58 mins) | 6.2 |
| 10 | Tom CAIRNEY (LARSSON 58 mins) | 6.2 |
| 11 | KEVIN (BOBB 82 mins) | 6.4 |
| 20 | Manual ANGEL | – |
| 21 | Timothy CATAGNE (TETE 58 mins) | 6.1 |
| 24 | Josh KING (PALACIOS 58 mins) | 6.2 |
POST GAME QUOTES
PIERRE SAGE
“It’s always difficult to play a game like this, especially against this kind of pressure, and they did the job, and that’s really important.
It’s really important for me too because I have more chances now and more problems, but good problems to build the team and to choose the players. I await the effects in the training session because when everybody is ready to play, it’s always better.
The fans are really behind us, and they are happy when the team is like this. The connection between them and us is better when we play like this, when we fight on the pitch.
It’s not only about the result. It’s about what kind of team we are and what kind of play we are able to do. We struggled a lot in the play, because they had the initiative, but we defended the small things.
That was the way to win. It’s not the ideal way. But sometimes it’s good to win, and I’m happy for them too.”
MATCH STATISTICS
| Star Man | Chris RICHARDS (7.6) |
| Goals | Eddie NKETIAH (37) |
| Assists | Oscar MINGUEZA (37) |
| Most shots | Sander BERGE (3) |
| Most tackles | Calvin BASSEY (6) |
| Most dribbles | Oscar BOBB, Cesar PALACIOS (3) |
| Team rating | 6.32 – 6.79 |
| Total shots | 14 – 4 |
| Shots on target | 4 – 3 |
| Yellow cards | Sander BERGE (19), Jefferson LERMA (50), Evann GUESSAND (63) |
| Red cards | None |
| Possession | 74.4% – 25.6% |
| Pass success | 91% – 74% |
| xG | 1.54 – 0.56 |
| Passes | 789 – 280 |
| Dribbles | 9 – 5 |
| Aerials won | 9 – 9 |
| Tackles | 11 – 17 |
| Fouls | 11 – 12 |
| Corners | 9 – 0 |
| Saves | 2 – 4 |
| Dispossessed | 4 – 7 |
TEB VERDICT
Palace may have only won by a single goal, but this was a result that carried significance beyond the score line. Against Premier League opposition, the Eagles showed the organisation, work rate and defensive resilience that have at times been missing this season, limiting Fulham’s opportunities while remaining a threat of their own.
Cup football is often about finding a way to win rather than producing a flawless performance, and Palace did exactly that. Every player understood their role, the defensive unit remained compact throughout, and the team displayed the character needed to protect their advantage when Fulham pushed for an equaliser.
The victory not only secures a place in the last eight of the Carabao Cup but also provides a timely boost in confidence. Supporters will hope this result can act as a springboard for improved league form and ease some of the pressure that has surrounded recent performances.
TEB Rating: 8/10 – A professional cup performance rather than a spectacular one, but objective achieved. Palace defended well, showed composure when it mattered, and progressed to the next round. In knockout football, that is ultimately all that matters.
LEAGUE CUP DRAW – QUARTER FINALS
The Eagles reach the last eight of the competition for the third season in a row and will not face Arsenal again after the Gunners were unceremoniously knocked out by Fleetwood Town.
Palace will face Sunderland at Selhurst Park
The rest of the quarter final draw; Fleetwood Town vs Everton or Newcastle, Manchester City v Bradford City, Liverpool vs Bournemouth
Ties take place week commencing 14 December.
UPCOMING FIXTURES
| DATE | TEAM | LOCATION | COMPETITION | KICK OFF TIME |
| 31/10/2026 | Tottenham Hotspur | Away | Premier League | 5.30pm |
| 05/11/2026 | Hoffenheim | Home | Europa League | 5.45pm |
| 08/11/2026 | Liverpool | Home | Premier League | 2pm |
