By Freddie Jennings at Craven Cottage
PIERRE Sage hailed the “connection” between his Crystal Palace players and the supporters after the Eagles beat Fulham 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup.
Eddie Nketiah’s smart finish in the 37th minute ensured Palace snatched a fifth consecutive win at Craven Cottage to move a step closer to another Wembley trip.
The pressure remains on the French manager, with Saturday’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur still looking like it could be decisive in determining his fate. But after losing five of their first eight Premier League games, this result will brighten the mood as the prospect of more silverware could become a reality.
Sage made ten changes to the side that had lost 2-0 at home to Newcastle United at the weekend, compared to the hosts who named a stronger starting XI that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a league fixture.
Palace were boosted by the return of goalkeeper Dean Henderson after a month out with an ankle injury. The last time the England international played was at this ground in the league in September, when Palace won 3-2. Henderson marked his return with a clean sheet and a commanding performance when he was forced into some important saves, particularly in the first half.
Chris Richards came away with the man of the match award after anchoring a sturdy defence, with Honest Ahanor and Jefferson Lerma complementing him well. United States international Richards has looked out of sorts lately, and a superb performance against the Cottagers was exactly what he needed to kick his season into gear.
Still, Fulham came out of the traps quickly and arguably should have taken an early lead. Kenny Tete and ex-Palace defender Joachim Andersen went close from inside the box but were off-target, before Antonee Robinson was left free at the far post, only for Henderson to get down low and save the full-back’s effort with his feet.
Despite dominating, the home side fell behind when Oscar Mingueza crossed for Nketiah, who got in front of Anderson to flick a first-time effort beyond goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte.
In the second half, Henderson did well to deny Alex Iwobi from close range.
Palace had a chance to extend their lead but substitute Daichi Kamada fired a left-footed effort wide.
Fulham’s Gonzalo Garcia had a free header saved by Henderson as Palace held on for a morale-boosting win.
Sage looked a relieved figure at full-time, as he was serenaded by the vocal Palace fans, who made it clear about how much they want the manager to succeed.
However, the post-match celebrations were mainly conducted by midfielder Cheick Doucoure, who made his first appearance since January 2025 after surgery on his knee. His return was another positive on a night for Palace when expectations were low pre-match.
Sage acknowledged and appreciated the supporters’ backing.
He said: “The fans are really behind us. 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. I think we struggled a lot in the play, because [Fulham] had the initiative. But we defended the small things we built”.
Sage added “that was the way to win. It’s not the ideal way, but sometimes it’s good to win like this. I’m happy for them.”
Palace have been drawn against Sunderland at Selhurst Park in the quarter-finals in December as the prospect of going to Wembley for the fifth time in five years increases.
