Crystal Palace down shot-shy Fulham 2-0

A first-half own goal by Fulham defender Joachim Andersen and a second-half rocket from Daniel Muñoz gave Crystal Palace a 2-0 Premier League win away to the Cottagers on Saturday, with the home side failing to register a shot on target.

A lack of precision in their passing was the root of much of Fulham's problems but the Palace defensive effort, marshalled by combative midfielder Will Hughes, rendered their efforts ineffective as the Eagles squeezed them out of the game.

Danish centre-back Andersen, who spent a three-year spell at Palace before joining Fulham for a second spell in August last year, unwittingly headed the ball into his own net from a corner eight minutes before the break.

Fulham enjoyed the lion's share of possession but Palace ruthlessly snuffed out the spaces they wanted to play in, with winger Adama Traoré having to come infield to get on the ball to try to create something for the home side.

With their game plan working perfectly, Palace had a Jean-Philippe Mateta goal ruled out for offside in the 55th minute, but they did not have to wait long to double their lead and the French striker put aside the disappointment of his chalked-off goal to play his part in it.

Daniel Munoz scored Crystal Palace's second goal as they beat Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Molly Darlington/Getty Images

A blocked shot offered the Eagles a chance to break, and Mateta expertly plotted a course through the middle before slipping the ball to Munoz, who surveyed his options before deciding to go it alone and unleashing a rocket of a shot into the top corner in the 66th minute.

The defeat sees Fulham slip to ninth in the table on 39 points, while a fourth successive away win left the Palace fans singing about another three points on their travels as their side moved to 33 points and 13th spot in the standings.

Palace boss Oliver Glasner admitted that his side could do with showing the same kind of form at Selhurst Park, where they have not won so far this year.

"We don't know the reason for winning more away than at home. It is the same approach," he told the BBC. "All of the credit goes to the players again, they worked so hard for this win and they were very disciplined ... we defended as a team, it was a great performance and result."

Fulham coach Marco Silva was disappointed that his side fell away, especially once he began to make substitutions in the second half.

"The moment we made the changes, they scored a goal in transition -- that was our fault clearly, we have to be more aggressive and kill it, within the rules of course. After that everything was more difficult for us," he said.