Tom Cairney’s late strike rescued a 1-1 Premier League draw for Fulham against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Thursday.

Palace, looking to bounce back from three successive league defeats, could only manage a draw against fellow European hopefuls Fulham in their first match of 2026.

The opening 20 minutes were cagey, with neither side testing the goalkeeper. The game sprung to life midway through the first half when Fulham nearly took the lead. Harry Wilson’s powerful effort in the box was tipped away by Dean Henderson into the path of Raúl Jiménez, but the Mexican forward blazed the rebound wide.

Palace responded on the half-hour mark, with Marc Guehi’s close-range effort blocked superbly by Fulham keeper Bernd Leno. Fulham then threatened again as Kenny Tete’s ambitious shot flew just over the bar. But Palace finally broke the deadlock just before halftime: Jean-Philippe Mateta headed home from a perfectly placed Nathaniel Clyne cross, marking his eighth league goal of the season.

Clyne could have doubled the lead moments later, but his off-balance shot went wide. Fulham were almost level again right before the break when Maxence Lacroix produced a vital block to deny Wilson.

The second half saw Fulham continue to press. Antonee Robinson’s cross found Jiménez, whose header cannoned off the post. Lacroix then had another chance to snatch victory, but his header from close range was blocked off the line.

With time running out, Marco Silva brought on Tom Cairney, and the decision paid dividends. In the 80th minute, Cairney slotted home a precise finish from Sasa Lukic’s assist, earning Fulham a deserved point.

The visitors nearly snatched all three points in stoppage time, but Henderson pulled off a brilliant save to deny Timothy Castagne. The match ended 1-1, leaving Palace and Fulham as close neighbours in 9th and 10th place in the Premier League table.