Preview
So it comes down to this. After a rollercoaster campaign starting way back in August, Palace take to the field for the final time at Selhurst Park.
It will be an emotional occasion too – both James McArthur and Luka Milivojevic will be bidding farewell to south London as they prepare to move on to pastures new.
Palace will be hoping to end the season on a high after a remarkable period since the return of Roy Hodgson. The fiery encounter at Fulham certainly had no ‘end of season’ feel about it.
“[Physicality] is crucial in a game of football,” Hodgson said in his post-match press conference. “It is about winning matches, and players will always like to win matches in a way that suits their style and play.
“In the game last week we had the ball for virtually all the time, and we played some quite interesting football and put together some passing moves.
“That was one week; this was different. It was a more physical game, because Fulham are a more physical team with strong and powerful players. You have to learn to cope with that and show resilience to make sure you don’t crumble in those moments.
“We believe that if we can keep going, even though we are not playing the football we dreamt of playing, we can stay in it. As the game wears on, there are moments it becomes easier for us to play the football we want to play. That was very much the case in the last 20 minutes when we got the equaliser.”