Tom Cairney came off the bench to score a stunning late equaliser as Fulham fought back to draw 1-1 with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, a result that prolonged the hosts' winless run while extending the visitors' impressive unbeaten streak. Jean-Philippe Mateta's first-half header had given a tiring Palace side hope of a fresh start to 2026, only for Cairney to strike brilliantly from the edge of the area in the closing stages.
In a match that built slowly before erupting into late drama, Fulham created the clearer chances over the 90 minutes and might easily have left south London with all three points, only for Dean Henderson and some errant finishing to deny them. The draw leaves the London rivals level on points in ninth and tenth place in the Premier League and continues a curious trend in this fixture: the away side has not lost any of the last 10 league meetings between these clubs.
Fulham Threaten First Before Palace Strike Against Ten Men
Both managers named unchanged lineups despite contrasting recent fortunes: Marco Silva's Fulham arrived buoyed by three straight league wins, while Oliver Glasner's Palace were seeking to halt a damaging run without victory. That continuity, coupled with the demands of a hectic festive schedule, contributed to a strangely subdued opening spell in which neither side managed a shot until around the 23rd minute, making it one of the latest first efforts on goal in the Premier League this season.