‘Too good to go down’ – Crystal Palace defender tips Fulham for Premier League safety after helping his side to 0-0 draw with the Cottagers

BY SAM SMITH

Crystal Palace defender Gary Cahill believes Fulham are good enough to avoid Premier League relegation after he helped his side to a goalless draw against the Cottagers.

Fulham dominated the chances at Selhurst Park but failed to find the goal that would have taken them within a point of Newcastle United, who sit precariously above the relegation zone.

Cahill made a great block to deny Joachim Andersen after Vicente Guaita’s sensational reflex save kept out Josh Maja.

“It was tough. For me they’re a good side, they’re too good to go down but obviously time will tell with that,” Cahill told Palace TV.

“They’re in good form and had a few good results coming into this game. They’re fighting for their lives. We knew it was going to be tough. It’s an okay point for us.

“We wanted to have more of the ball, we wanted to be more on the front foot in truth, but defensively we were very good. We were very solid as a team and it’s an okay point.”

The block by Cahill and the save by Guaita came inside a period of the game when Fulham were peppering the Palace goal.

The Eagles have had to defend well in their last two matches. They faced 25 shots in their win against Brighton while Fulham had 16 this afternoon.

The 35-year-old says he does not mind having to defend for long periods of the game if it brings rewards.

He continued: “Not [bothered] when you get rewarded for it, when you get a clean sheet. In the first half we played quite high, we managed to push the back four quite high which was good.

“In the second half, they had a 20-minute spell when they were heavily on top and we had to weather that. We did that, which is why I say it was pleasing defensively today.

“It’s a belief that we have that the longer we stay in the game the more we might nick a chance or get an opportunity. But it wasn’t to be. They had spells in that game where they played some good football and made it difficult for us. We take the point and move on.”