Bobby Decordova-Reid nodded home Aleksander Mitrovic's superb cross in the thirty-second minute before Crystal Palace's first player of the afternoon was sent off two minutes later.
From the thirty-fourth minute, the visitors had the numerical advantage, with the young full-back Tyrick Mitchell lunging recklessly for a loose ball in midfield, he studded fellow full-back Kenny Tete, leaving the referee to give anything but a yellow card.
Crystal Palace had hope after the break despite being a goal and a man down, but their afternoon continued to unravel. James Tomkins was also dismissed after receiving two yellow cards, the second for a wayward elbow that struck Mitrovic in the face.
For Fulham's second goal, the striker was embroiled in yet another dispute. Mitrovic had nodded down Andreas Pereira's corner for Tim Ream to score, but the goal was called back due to handball. VAR eventually decided the goal stood.
Mitrovic rounded off a strong afternoon with his own late goal contribution. He headed home Willian's scooped pass from the left to give Fulham a convincing three points.
Marco Silva's team moves up to ninth place with twenty-two points after the remaining games this week. Crystal Palace are in eleventh place with nineteen points following a difficult return to play.
Four things we learnt
Mitrovic continues to be magical
Since being promoted, many naysayers regarded Mitrovic as a ‘Championship striker’ who would be unable to prove himself in the Premier League.
That accusation could be further from the truth, as Mitrovic piloted his team to a win against Crystal Palace, getting one goal, two assists, and a player-of-the-match performance. Since joining Fulham, Mitrovic has scored 105 goals in the top four tiers of English football.
There is no doubt the Serbian is in the form of his life - he currently has 10 goals in 13 games this season. His role is essential for Fulham as he is heavily involved with play, demanding the ball, pushing into space, and setting up his teammates whilst also staying on the pitch for the near the whole ninety minutes.
Mitrovic currently sits fourth in the top-scoring leaderboard for the premier league, and with the form he is in, there is no reason why he could not break into the second or third spot by the end of the season.
Fulham are establishing themselves in the Premier League
The Cottagers could potentially see their highest finish in the Premier League since the 2003-04 season when they placed ninth in the table. Currently, Marco Silva’s team are sitting in eighth at the end of the year, subject to Chelsea’s performances.
Their next game consists of a duel against a struggling Southampton, and a win here could see them pushing higher up the table into the European competition places.
From their recent performance, it seems that Fulham have hit the right balance under Silva, mixing the right amount of veterans with young talent. The pairing of the Americans Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson feels secure at the back, Joao Palhinha keeping the centre of the back clear, Pereira in midfield creating chances, and ultimately Mitrovic acting as the provider gives Fulham a clear sense of clarity on the pitch.
As there is no ceiling for Fulham, it is pretty certain that they won’t be in the relegation zone this season, and it'll be entertaining to see just how high they can finish.
Are the Eagles facing discipline issues?
Palace will need to ease their card counting - after losing Marc Guehi to suspension, they have now lost two more starting XI defenders, and look thin going into the start of the new year.
The Eagles were left with a mountain to climb and had to sacrifice more of their attacking players after the second yellow card which put them at a higher disadvantage against the threat of Fulham, not far into the second half.
Crystal Palace will face Bournemouth, Tottenham and Chelsea in their next three Premier League games. This run of fixtures will prove difficult for Palace as the quality of their back line is reduced, as Mitchell and Tomkins are suspended, they will have to rely on the back pairing of Guehi and Joachim Andersen and will have to avoid more injuries or suspensions.
Palace should look to take advantage of the transfer window
With the transfer window opening soon, Palace should look to fortify their defence. They have plenty of players providing attacking flair, but their backline should require some updates. Their most recent defensive signing, ten million Chris Richards from Bayern Munich, has barely seen game time.
Reoccurring slow start to matches, and looking rusty from the off against Fulham, Palace should look to hire the services of an experienced and well-mannered centre-back and a fullback who can inject some life into their back four.
Hopefully, with some new additions to the squad, Patrick Viera’s team should look to rescue their form in the Premier League. Going into the New Year, this team should aim for a strong mid-table finish.
