English Premier
2026-09-05 - Fulham vs Crystal Palace
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Saturday 5th September 2026 - Kick Off 3pm
Fulham
Alvaro Arbeloa was not very happy with what he saw from his Fulham team in just the second match in charge and the board may also be feeling a little nervy about the appointment made to take over from Marco Silva. One of the big issues around Arbeloa is the lack of coaching experience, even with six months under his belt at Real Madrid, and Fulham cannot seriously entertain relegation from the Premier League.
Narrow defeats in both Premier League games still means no points on the board, although Fulham have progressed in the League Cup. The opening fixture at Craven Cottage ended 2-3 in the West London derby against Chelsea, but Fulham did win 11 out of 19 Premier League games here last season and that is something the majority of this squad should remember.
Fulham have beaten Wimbledon in the League Cup Second Round, but they have now won 1 of the last 6 Premier League games and that is a run that will need to be reversed pretty quickly. The side had concluded last season with 3 wins in 4 home Premier League matches, but Alvaro Arbeloa will be under serious pressure if the team are struggling for points when the September international break comes around.
The squad options were bolstered earlier this week before the transfer window closed and Hugo Larsson, Manuel Angel and David Affengruber could all be available for selection. Only Tom Cairney is unavailable from the senior options.
Crystal Palace
Keeping hold of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr may be the best piece of transfer activity Crystal Palace have managed this summer, although both are currently on the treatment table. Now that the transfer window is closed, Pierre Sage will be hoping the squad can settle and focus in picking up positive results both domestically and in European Football.
The board are clearly confident the new manager will find his feet and they have helped by signing Ben Chilwell, Quinten Timber and Dario Osorio before the deadline passed. Now The Eagles will be looking to see positive results after Crystal Palace suffered defeats in both Premier League games played this season to start this weekend as one of five teams still searching for the first points of the 2026/27 season.
Crystal Palace's opening defeats to Everton and Manchester City means they have not won any of the last 9 Premier League games and been beaten 6 times. The opening weekend loss at Hill Dickinson Stadium means The Eagles have lost 5 of the last 6 away Premier League games and only earned a single point in that run.
The new signings could all be involved this weekend as Pierre Sage continues to manage without Sarr and Mateta.
Head to Head
Crystal Palace picked up four points from this London derby last season and the majority were earned in a 1-2 win at Craven Cottage.
That now makes it 8 home games played by Fulham against Crystal Palace without a victory and they have lost the last 3 when hosting The Eagles.
Prediction
At least one of these teams will conclude the third round of Premier League matches with points on the board after Fulham and Crystal Palace suffered defeats in both League matches played in August.
The closing of the summer transfer window will help squads settle and both Alvaro Arbeloa and Pierre Sage were well backed on deadline day to aid them in their new roles.
Taking over from successful predecessors is always challenging and the pressure will feel considerably ramped up if Fulham and Crystal Palace go into the September international break with little sign of turning things around.
Pierre Sage will particularly feel his Crystal Palace team have been wasteful in the first couple of League games played. Being without Ismaila Sarr and Jean-Philippe Mateta is making things that much tougher in the final third, but those on the pitch cannot make excuses about why they are being left out when those two return if they cannot make a better impact right now.
Crystal Palace will feel they can create chances, but losing Maxence Lacroix months after Marc Guehi's departure means it is a work in progress at the back.
Those issues have been exploited by Everton and Manchester City and Alvaro Arbeloa will note that his team have performed better at Craven Cottage over the last twelve months. In his short time in charge, Fulham did look much more threatening in the final third in the games played here, while the Spaniard is looking for a reaction after criticising the levels produced against Sunderland last weekend.
Both of these teams may feel they are going to look threatening when they get into the final third, but they are also searching for players to step up and show composure in the absence of experience. You may give Fulham the edge in that regard having scored twice against Chelsea, but Crystal Palace have really enjoyed visiting Craven Cottage in recent years and this looks like a fixture that may feature at least three goals on Saturday afternoon.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Fulham 1-2 Crystal Palace
