Wilson stunner goes in vain as Guehi late winner sends Eagles soaring into fourth!

0:28This is the Sky Sports Premier League podcast. the top four a fabulous win at Craven Cottage another win at Craven Cottage where they won twice last season and they courtesy of Mark Gehey's header have won again this far from straightforward even when they took the lead in the first half on the occasion of his first start of the season Eddie Nketiah with a lovely finish after Adam Wharton was heavily involved in the build-up it's a goal that's unfortunately going to be an irrelevance because it was a goal of rare quality from Harry Wilson to level things up Fulham thought they were ahead but a narrow offside denied Emil Smith-Rowe but Palace late on from a corner Mark Gehi's second Premier League goal of the season and Crystal Palace are breathing rarefied air 15 games into a Premier League season they sit in the top four they've won at Fulham by two goals to one They've gone above Chelsea, they are fourth in the Premier League this evening.

1:29Crystal Palace just about deserved, did you say Jamie? I would say so Mark, just a little bit more know-how. I thought Adam Warton in midfield was magnificent, he was a masterclass, never gave the ball away, such an understanding where his team makes up, and obviously you've got the captain that comes up with a really important header. I just felt they were a bit more dangerous. In the wide areas they had some good delivery into the box, just couldn't get that cutting edge. but then a massive goal from that man in front of you right there. I think from Oliver Glass's point of view as well, Clinton, obviously we'll hear from him a bit later.

2:00The fact that he's had to mix and match a little bit this afternoon and still come away with the three points would be very pleasing for him. Yeah, brilliant. But that's the sign of him. He's a top manager. He's brilliant. And everyone that comes in knows their role. I thought, client done ever so well. Maybe not getting forward, but defensive duties, we didn't have to speak about him. But Jamie, we were saying it earlier, I thought Mitchell was outstanding. He had to do a lot down that left-hand side because Klein wasn't going to do it down his side. I thought he's brilliant. If Tuchel's watching that, he has to be in the England squad.

2:30I don't care. I'll keep banging that drum. But when you keep performing like that, you've got to be in with a chance of that. I thought he was outstanding. We'll talk more about him as well before we go off air. Fulham had more of the chances in the first half, Steve. And yet, apart from the disallowed goal in the second half, It didn't feel like they created as much. Just lack that cutting edge that it takes to dissect, like we see with the first goal. It has to be a bit of brilliance to get through this Palace, not back line, this Palace team. And, yeah, they just lack that real clinical spark in the final third.

3:04Obviously, you got the goal in the second half, but was disallowed. But Palace, for me, I'm exactly the same as Jamie. They edged it. They had that sort of bit of a know-how, and they're riding that wave at the moment that they just get the job done. They get it over the line. it seems like a great culture, great environment. The fans behind us cheer them on all the way as well. So, yeah, I think from a Palace point of view, they'd be delighted with that, and from Glasner. You'd kind of, then, from what you're saying, praise Palace for their defensive efforts rather than be too critical of Fulham, would you?

3:34Yeah, again, that's the basis from what Crystal Palace set their stall out, week in, week out, defend first, clean sheets. We've seen that with the stats and the goals that they conceded or not conceded in recent games. but to shut anyone out in this division is a tough ask but they do it at the moment with a bit of ease and a bit of comfort, Palace. Such a connection as well, isn't there, between these fans below us and the players? Yeah, it's always been like that at Palace, though, for years but even more so now since they've been in the Premier League and you can see Eddie giving his shirt.

4:06I love all of that but there is a good connection. But it's fantastic at the moment. The group of players are performing. As I said, the squad's not the biggest but these players, they got our identity and they know and he loves it by the way, the goalkeeper Dean Anderson who's been outstanding for them this season. Well, I can't remember one of the managers today I think it might have been Fabian Herzl earlier said you need a strong spine and Palace have a strong spine. Yeah, absolutely and they had a few players out as well into today, no Saru who's obviously important but didn't matter because you bring in Eddie Nketiah scores a really important goal for them.

4:39He needed that, he loves playing against Fulham you know, took his goal extremely well and they also, when they got back into the game for that beautiful Harry Wilson goal, you start to think okay, is this going to peter up, maybe be a point, and when you can get that little bit of an edge and get those three points and get yourself back up to South London, huge result And now they've finished celebrating with their fans, the two goal scorers are with Pieden Merlin's team Mark, Eddie, congratulations, Crystal Palace into the top four, how does that feel? It's good, it's good keep our feet on the ground We know it's only one win against a really good side.

5:12So the most important is to just keep going and focus on the next game now. Let's start with your goal. It was a brilliant goal as well. A lovely assist as well by Adam Wharton. Just talk us through it. Yeah, obviously we know Adam's got that sort of quality. And, you know, I like to find myself free in the box. And, yeah, obviously it was a lovely pass, a good touch and, yeah, nice finish. So I'm happy with it. When you saw the space opening up, did you think there's only one thing for me to do here? Yeah, I mean, I didn't figure anything else. So it was a lovely pass. And I think once I had the good first touch, I knew I was going to hopefully score and thankfully I did.

5:44There were lots of chances from both teams. Fulham, of course, had a lot of opportunities too. So what was it like playing in this game today? It was tough. Fulham are very good sides. They create, you know, many, many chances with the rotation that they have out wide. So, you know, it was important that we stayed in the game. We said that at the beginning, the most important was to stay together. And, you know, thank God that we did. You absolutely did because you came up with the winning moment. Talk us through that because it seemed to be very crowded in that area, but you got the important header.

6:11No, no, no. It's not credit to me. It's credit to the whole team. I think when everyone does their job, it makes it easy. It's a great cross and, you know, it's just important for me just to get a touch on it, which I did. I can tell that both of you have been very humble about the position that Crystal Palace are in at the moment, but just talk us through what it is like to play in this Crystal Palace team right now. Yeah, it's enjoyable. I think, you know, we fight for each other. We work hard for each other and we're full of confidence. So like Mark said, it's just one game, but we want to take it step by step and I think the sky's the limit for this team.

6:39If we keep working how we are and keep progressing how we are, then we've got a big chance in the future. It's a really busy fixture schedule, of course, coming up. You've got lots of games in December. For players, how do you manage that? Yeah, I can't lie. It's tough. It's tough, but it's what we get paid to do. We enjoy it. We want to play as many games as possible. So we've just got to recover and go again. We've got no choice, to be honest. I know it's still early days, but in terms of ambitions for Crystal Palace, where are you reaching? Yeah, one step at a time, we just recover. I'm knocking on show markets, we just want to enjoy the win, enjoy the goals and focus on Thursday.

7:14Guys, congratulations today, thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Two away fixtures this week and six points for Crystal Palace, Burnley, midweek and now the win here at Fulham and we can show you that that does take them into fourth and that's their best ever return at this stage of a Premier League season. Earlier on, on Super Sunday, Brighton got a late equaliser at home to West Ham. So they are in seventh.

7:53At the bottom, Fulham still in a bit of a scrap at the moment. Leeds have closed the gap on them through their performances during the week. Leeds picking up four points from six since Wednesday night. West Ham after the draw with Brighton. Stay in the bottom three. Wolves in action tomorrow on Monday Night Football when they meet Manchester United. And there will be a special guest in the studio. Crystal Palace. I thought he should have been in front. And Crystal Palace win it. Margetti gets his head to it. Three minutes of normal time left to play and given their defensive record, you have to feel that Mark Gehy has won this London derby.

8:45And he had won that London derby with that late header, although Clinton, both he and Eddie Nketiah were just trying to play everything down and be quite calm post-match with Pien, weren't they? Sometimes you have to stay humble and they're two humble lads to be fair, very humble lads. But yeah, you have to play it down. Where Palace are at the moment, it's exciting. Everyone's going to be talking about them, but they won't get above their stations there. The manager won't let them. They'll take game by game and just keep on going. Yeah, that game could have gone either way. If the Fulham goes disallowed, Fulham could have gone on and won that game.

9:15So yeah, it's a different game. But yeah, they have to stay humble because it's been a great season so far, but only so far, Chappers. Yeah, and it is a tight Premier League, so you can very easily drop down, can't you, within a couple of games. but they've had a good week winning at Burnley and winning here. Great week. It just seems like it's a good environment, a good culture. I know the interview after when they said how they're tired, but when you're winning games, you want to play the next one. And the hard yards become a little bit easier because I've been on the other side again when you're down the bottom end of the league, then the hard yards, the 10 yards become eight yards.

9:49You know, you don't put the shift in, whereas when things are going well and you're playing and it's going well week in, week out and game in, game out, you can't wait for the next one. you get your recovery done, you eat well, the nutrition's done, it's all for you, you prepare right and then you can't wait to go again. They've had to change it a little bit today, so Eddie Nketiah had to come in and he got the opening goal and there was plenty to admire about the move in general. Yeah, absolutely. The quiet starts it, you can see him in a good area there, plays it in to Kamada there, and no, sorry, that was Pino, but then lovely pass out wide, and you mentioned him earlier on, I thought he was brilliant today, the left back, he looks excellent, Great movement by Nketiah.

10:26I love what Adam Wharton does here. Just reverses that ball in. And Nketiah stays on the move and just smashes that into the corner. Really good team goal. So important. You get those passes right through the lines. You're looking forward, outside of the foot pass there. But then we kept a line on Nketiah here because he doesn't get it the first time. But then he keeps on the move. Then he checks again. And he stays alive. And then what you want in these positions is to come alive again, Clinton. Yeah, and it's a brilliant finish. And he needed that goal, Eddie Nketiah. We talked about him at the start.

10:54hasn't really hit the ground run, he's had a lot of injuries, but he looks like he needs a run of games now. I said to Sid, he needs a run of games to get his confidence back, but he looked really sharp and confident. And I like that Jamie said it, he keeps moving. Sometimes you stand still, Chap, it's easy to mark, but he's on the move, pull from Wharton, and it's the touch that makes, the finish is outstanding, but the touch makes it, and he just drills it into the bottom corner. It's like an Ian Wright, sort of Jermaine Defoe, that sort of, he knows exactly where he wants to put it, the back of the net, in the corner, low and hard.

11:23But do you like him in that role? I mean, pretty much it's about how Mateta really is going to be the focal point for this Palace team. So it's where Nketiah finds his role within that. I think when you're a player, you want to play anywhere at the moment. He knows Mateta's got that number nine role because when Palace want to play it up to him, when he's back to goal, Mateta's very good. And Ketiah's got great movement. Sometimes it's not saying it's easier, but to play in that number 10 role, a fullback or a centre-half won't know which one to go pick you up. So all the centre-halves are trying to deal with Mateta.

11:52That's where he gets the space there to get his goal. For the time being, I think playing in that number 10 role would suit Eddie Nketiah. As a former number nine, you're saying playing 10 is easier than... No, no, what I'm saying is that's good for Nketiah. Oh, right. For Clinton Morrison, no chance. I'm a number nine. I work hard to get into that number nine. I'm about the goals, Jay. I'm about the goals as well. Adam Waters' involvement in that as well was key. He plays a beautiful pass out of his left foot. And then the other one, I think, it's not just a great pass, but the little subtle movement that he makes away from Emile Smith-Rowe just to get that pass available is so clever.

12:26The Fulham goal is individual brilliance from Harry Wilson, but there's also a real team feeling to this in that nine of the ten outfield players all touch the ball here, Steve. Well, you'll get this week in, week out from Fulham, especially at Craven Cottage. They use the pitch really well. They're really patient in their build-up and their play, and they normally get to this final third and they just lack a little bit of cutting edge or ideas. Whereas here they're patient. Look, Palace get all their bodies back behind the ball. And it's a case of, right, we're not just going to throw it in the box.

12:56We're going to wait, wait for an opening. Harry Wilson there in the middle of your screen trying to get on the ball. No, recycle it around the other way. Then all of a sudden they just wait, wait for that one bit of brilliance. And that is just world class. Honestly, he was waxing lyrical when it happened at halftime. But he's just always on the move. He looks once, looks twice. Always knows where he is, who's in and around him. knows where Jimenez is, so as soon as it comes in, bang, bang. It's unstoppable, that. It really is. What it is, it's a training ground goal. But it's a training ground goal when you're doing it against no possession, normally, against a team that is nobody there.

13:31So you've just got the ball and you're trying to do little patterns of play without any defenders against you. It is that good. And he just wafts his left foot at it beautifully, just guides that into the corner. It is such a great team goal. And it's almost like they're playing under no duress. It's like they're passing it. but it's such a beautiful pass because that's what he tries to do do you think it's unstoppable from a defensive point of view yeah because Laquire comes to get him he just plays it round the corner look Laquire jumps he thinks he can get it off him now plays it round the corner little one two Jimenez works his feet out really quickly and he just flicks that into the corner it's such a wonderful team goal but as I say normally you're doing that you know against like possession the Premier League to keep it at that tight area and then that left foot is just so exquisite it's so nonchalant it's just beautiful And that's someone from a player that's thriving in confidence at the moment.

14:18I mean, that's his fourth goal. We're on a bit of a goal-scoring record a bit. Fulham's top goal-scorer this season. But that's where they've lacked. They've lacked that final for. They've lacked someone that's putting the ball in the back of the net. They've got that at the moment in Harry Wilson. Yeah, top goal-scorer, fourth of the season. Goal of the season so far? Yeah. Yeah, for me. The outside of the boot and a little flip round the corner, definitely. Would you say, yeah? Yeah, I would say. I mean, it's a team goal as well, but as you mentioned perfectly, he's got that individuality about it as well.

14:45it's beautiful great goal and the left footers just always do it better yeah they do they had a few chances in the second half in the first half did Fulham not as many in the second this ruled out originally we wondered what Raul Jimenez was doing with his hand here but it's ruled out for offside there's no debate here Clint no and you know what it's a pet hate of mine you should not be offside obviously I won't be he follows it up follows it with the header hits his shoulder not even his head and Smith Rowe does well but he's wet be patient there Chappers You don't need to go. You don't need to go.

15:17Timing of your run. I see it so many times where wingers are so eager to get there. Just stay there. And the fans are literally five yards away from you. And then, obviously, it's a great ball into the box. Good run from a Wolby. And Smith-Rowe reacts ever so well. But Waze should not be offside. And even though it's a toe nail, I don't care if it's a toe nail, Jamie. You know why? Because he should not be offside. You're seeing right across the line there. Exactly. And especially for Emile Smith-Rowe. He's so heavily involved in that. He does brilliant originally. Gets hold of it. plays a little 1-2, then gets it again, plays it wide, follows in the header, and you feel this could be a big moment for him, scored in midweek, and all of a sudden the goals start to come.

15:52It's very unfortunate for him. As far as Palace's winner was concerned, it was the third of three chances in the space of 90 seconds or two minutes, wasn't it? Yeah, it was, to be fair. Mitchell, who we highlighted, was brilliant here. I think Uche, could he get there quicker? Instead of sliding, I think he could have done. And then from that corner, you see it's well worked here, and it's Gahey who makes that run and Pino and it's good defending. It's a good block from Bassi. It's a good corner, that. It is good. It's well worked. You can see he put his hands up for the signal and it was really...

16:24And then from that result in corner, look at this. Great ball from Pino and it's a brilliant header from Gahey. I know Jamie wants to pick up on something, but it's a brilliant header. If you just pause it there a sec, if you just take that back a little bit, then we'll get it next time. So Josh King is... I don't know the size of Josh, but he's not the biggest. Why are set-pieces coaches get a lot of plundits now? Who on earth thinks that's a good idea to put Gay, who's probably the best at attacking the ball, and get Josh King to try and block him, mark him, whatever he's trying to do. I know there's an element of zonal, but it's a mismatch.

16:53He can't handle him. He's too physical for him. Completely wrong idea to get him to mark him. I'm guessing... Do you agree with that, Steve? Yeah, I do, but I'm looking at that replay there. I'm looking at the sizes of all the other players there, and they're probably all a little bit taller than... So is the thinking, then, is the thinking, we'll put King on Gay to try and block him, and that's all he has to do, and if he moves, then our big players are on that near post. The other thing as well is there, if we can see it, you've got Lerma there as well that's unmarked. So Josh King has got two.

17:22He's been assigned, it looks like, Gahey. He gets away from him and then it's about desire, getting your head on the ball. First of all, it's about the delivery, which is absolutely on the button. But I'm looking at the bodies and the size of the bodies there, but still, Mark Gahey is probably your go-to one in terms of someone that's used to getting in there, going in where he gets hurt, putting your body on the line to then go bang, I'll put it in the back of the... You're exactly right. But there is a reason why when people do the high jump, they do it with a run-up. So if you've got a run on somebody, you're going to jump much higher.

17:50Which is why by the time he gets to Anderson, he's a problem. He's got that extra elevation. I just don't see that that has to be a mismatch. I know you've got Jimenez at the back post, and he's doing zonal, and they're an element of zonal and blocking. And I'm not saying they put him in to stop to mark him, but to block him. But it's just a physical mismatch. And once Gai gets that run on him, he's probably stood there thinking, he can't handle me. I've got a great chance to score here. So I think that's where they've got it wrong, to be honest, that detail. And I know you're making substitutions all the time, and he probably looks at him, and he's probably gone, really?

18:20I've got to pick up him. I can't handle him. He's too physical for me. And unfortunately, that was the consequence. And he's a threat, Mark Gay. He's one of the best headers of the ball. So surely you get one of your bigger players to stop his run. Not a little, small king, because he's small. He's small in stature. And as Jamie alluded to and says, he's just going to move him out of the way. And once you get Jamie's spot, and I've always said this, And I know they do it nowadays with the zonal market, but once you get a run on someone, if you're standing still and trying to jump, you've got no chance and I've got to run on you.

18:49Even if I'm not the biggest, I've got to run on you. I can just flick it in and it's a great... And they are a big side. They're a big side. Lacroix, Richards, they're a big side. But I think sometimes when you've got that, it's just, you're almost better not having him there because it's just, it's pointless. And the warming, I suppose, was there on the previous corner and the fact that Gaye got free to do the dummy. so he was on his own there for the previous year. In general, your principles are your man doesn't score. If you're marking someone from a corner, my man doesn't score. If he's going to get in front of me, I'm going to make sure he doesn't get a clean head.

19:21I'll try and get a nudge on him. I'll just try and put him off. But as I said, the physicality was a mismatch. Let's get some Fulham reaction. It comes from the man who these three think have scored the goal of the season so far, Harry Wilson with Pete. Harry, I can imagine that's really frustrating to lose that right at the end. What did you make of the game? Yeah, it's definitely a tough one for us to take. I thought the game was pretty even until they score. And then naturally, I think we start having more of the ball. I think just the way they play with that back five, they were quite deep at times.

19:56We had a lot of the ball without really creating a lot. And then we have a great chance with Emil. I think their keeper makes an amazing save and I think we get a bit of momentum from that. And we managed to get the goal. in the first half. And then I felt it was maybe there for us to kind of go on and win it, but couldn't quite get that momentum going to go and get the win. I think the disallowed goal in the second half, I don't think we kind of recovered from that. I think if that counts, we maybe go on and win the game. But when that gets disallowed, I think, yeah, we didn't quite recover from that.

20:26But from our point of view in end games, if you're not able to win it, then you can't lose it. So, yeah, we're really disappointed to concede from a set play. When you go into that dressing room now, after a defeat like this, what's the emotions like around the players? Yeah, we're down naturally after every loss. No player likes to lose, but I feel like when it's in a game like that, a few big chances really, like I said before, I think they're the games that if you can't win them, you definitely can't lose them. So I think that's what hurts us. I would say we take pride in our defending set play, so to be undone by one, yeah, it's a tough one to take.

21:02There was a huge positive though for you in the sense of your goal which seems to be a goal of the season contender I know it won't mean much to you now because of the result but just talk us through it because it was a magnificent goal Yeah it would have meant a lot more if we got the three points but still for me personally it was a nice goal I think when you play against a team like Palace who hit five at the back and defend really well it takes a move like that, quick in-truck at passing one-twos to try and open them up and I think when Alex played the ball in to me, I knew Raul was there and he gave me a perfect setback and I was able to just use the outside of my left foot and find that far corner.

21:38So, yeah, obviously it felt really nice to score. I'm just disappointed it didn't lead to the three points. Going forward then, obviously lots of positives to take from this performance, as there was in that defeat against Manchester City as well. How confident are you and the rest of the Fulham players of moving up that table? Yeah, I think from choosing the next game to score four against City, we have to take positives from that and we wanted to bring that into this game. So, yeah, obviously really, really disappointing to not do that. But, yeah, so we've got a tough game away at Burnley next week and I think we've got the quarterfinal of the Carabao Cup.

22:11So the games are coming, the tough away from home. So, yeah, we've got to regroup, make sure we work out on the training pitch and be ready for them games. Thank you very much for your time today. Thank you. Must be quite hard for him that, really, in that he's scored a worldie and probably wants to be beaming about it. but understandably it has to downplay it because of the result. Yeah, definitely. I think I'd be beaming inside. I'd be happy, but I'd be disappointed that we've lost the game. But I'd be telling everyone, did you see the goal? He's not wrong. I mean, you're gutted about the result, but it's Sky Sports News on repeat.