Crystal Palace 1-1 Fulham: Tom Cairney nets first goal of the season to deny Eagles a winning start to 2026
Report and free match highlights as Tom Cairney scored a second-half equaliser to rescue Fulham a point at Crystal Palace; Jean-Philippe Mateta opened the scoring, ending his eight-game run without a goal from open play; Cairney became Fulham's fifth-oldest goalscorer in the Premier League
Thursday 1 January 2026 21:42, UK
Tom Cairney came off the bench to net a stunner to secure Fulham a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park as Crystal Palace's festive rot extended into the new year, extending the Eagles' run without a win to five games.
Having lost three on the bounce to end 2025, Oliver Glasner's side will have thought his new year's resolution to ensure Palace convert their chances came true when Jean-Philippe Mateta opened the scoring.
The France international ended an eight-game run without a goal from open play when he met an inviting Nathaniel Clyne cross to head home. However, Fulham skipper Cairney, a second-half substitute for Sander Berge, fired home from the edge of the box with his first goal of the season.
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A cagey start from both sides ensured the second latest a game had seen a shot in the Premier League this season with 23 minutes on the clock. Both sides being unchanged for the clash perhaps played a part in a slow start.
Fulham, though, looked the more likely in the early exchanges. The away side came closest when Raul Jimenez scuffed an effort in a flurry of Fulham chances that also saw Dean Henderson palm away a venomous Harry Wilson effort.
However, Marc Guehi drawing a stop from Bernd Leno seemed to have lifted the home side who would then find a lead eight minutes later. Fulham were temporarily down to ten men as the goal was scored after Jorge Cuenca was off the field of play following the 30-second protocol despite refusing treatment.
Fulham kept up their pursuit, coming even closer when Jimenez's header bounced off the upright in the second period. However, soon after his introduction, Cairney became the fifth-oldest Fulham goalscorer at 34 years and 346 days old, pulling off his shirt in the 3°C cold as he wheeled off to celebrate.
A point for Fulham very nearly became all three but Henderson reacted at point-blank range to deny Jimenez in added time.
In a result that does very little for both sides with Fulham and Palace still level on points in ninth and tenth, Glasner will be hopeful that an reportedly imminent Brennan Johnson transfer will speedily conclude to help inspire his free-falling side.
Glasner: It's a good point - We are in survival mode
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner to Sky Sports:
"For us, it's a good point. There was a big save at the end from Dean Henderson and it's not a surprise for me that we are a little bit in survival mode.
"As long as we are fresh, it's OK how we play and then the pressure increased and we couldn't release ourselves from the [Fulham's] pressure. Then it was a question of time to concede the equaliser.
"Now, we have another three games in the next nine days and I don't expect players to come back. It's not for us to stick together and make the best and get the most points.
"It's important after three defeats to get this point at home to start breaking this downward spiral. It's credit to the players, I could see they wanted more but they couldn't. We have to protect them and that's why it's a good point today.
"It's not a lack of confidence, we can see the legs are getting fatigued, the mind is getting a little bit fatigued and we know this, but there is no other opportunity.
"I know every single one will give his best so three more games, then we have a little bit to rest. Hopefully, then, one, two or three players are coming back and we have one or two additions to the squad, then it makes it easier to give players a little bit more rest.
"At the moment, it's not brilliant football but it's really to go game-by-game and point-by-point."
On Brennan Johnson: "In the last three or four hours, I was just focused on this game. I'll have to look at my phone and see if I got a message. If this is true, someone will let me know, hopefully."
Silva: There was no reason for us to be a man down for Palace's goal
Fulham head coach Marco Silva to Sky Sports:
"The disappointment is because we felt that we deserved more because we played better and were the team that created more.
"We conceded a goal in the moment that we were controlling the game - A moment that we should not have been playing with ten men.
"We cannot keep taking players from the pitch because they go down. If you feel some moments, because the game is so physical, a hand in your face, it is normal you go down. You complain about your face, but it's not a head injury.
"Something serious or careful, you cannot keep putting ten men every single. There's not a reason for us to have ten men and the referees have to see that.
"It's not just about us. We are seeing much more and it's not a reason for that at all. Teams should be playing 11 vs 11… If it's serious, I agree definitely about these moments, but there's not a reason for us to be with ten.
"Of course, we should be more mature in that moment to control well that situation after the throw-in. We lost a duel and then they score from that moment.
"It's not the rule that should change. I think the referees should manage the game in a completely different way.
"The team reacted well. It [the goal] boosted the confidence of Crystal Palace and afterwards, they had some dangerous moments. The reaction in the second half was good, even before the goal… Tom Cairney had a massive impact as well.
"Overall, the players deserved much more from the game in terms of points, but the reaction, the attitude, the commitment, the ambition to push for a further result was good from us."
