Crystal Palace’s first game of the season is drawing ever closer, with a trip to Craven Cottage to face Fulham coming up on 11th August. Roy Hodgson will want to be as well prepared as possible going into the clash with the fellow London side.
Fulham will be buoyant after winning promotion from the Championship to the top tier, having beaten Aston Villa in the play-off final. Spirits will be high in the Fulham camp, and Palace will certainly need to be at their best to take anything away from Craven Cottage.
The Cottagers will be bringing more than just spirit to this encounter. They have a genuinely talented team with plentiful Premier League quality. Players such as the on-loan Andre Schurrle will be sure to cause the Eagles problems at the back. Palace will also need to be up for the battle in midfield, and stop Fulham’s star man getting too much time on the ball. Given too much time, Tom Cairney is a dangerous player in the middle of the park who will be relishing the chance to prove himself at the top level.
Alfie Mawson will be another player making it hard for Palace to get a result. Fulham have swooped for the centre-back in a £20m deal. Palace will need a dynamic attack to get past the talented defender.
With that in mind, Hodgson needs to make sure these two deals are over the line before the Fulham encounter…
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