Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi celebrates scoring his team’s second goal. (Getty Images) Crystal Palace’s stunning Premier League surge continued on Sunday as they climbed to fourth with a 2-1 win over Fulham, while Brighton struck in stoppage time to deny West Ham a vital escape from the relegation zone with a 1-1 draw.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!At Craven Cottage, Marc Guehi was the hero for Palace as he headed home in the 87th minute to seal their fourth win in six league games. The late strike lifted Oliver Glasner’s side above Chelsea and Everton and strengthened what has now become a genuine bid for Champions League qualification.
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It is another milestone in a remarkable season for the previously unheralded south London club, who already celebrated a shock FA Cup triumph over Manchester City last season and lifted the Community Shield against Liverpool earlier this term. They are also pushing through the group stage of the UEFA Conference League and could soon be preparing for the coveted European upgrade.Palace struck first in the 20th minute when Adam Wharton’s clever pass found Eddie Nketiah who slotted past Bernd Leno. Fulham equalized in the 38th minute with Harry Wilson’s superb finish from outside the box. Emile Smith Rowe briefly thought he had completed the comeback but his close-range effort was ruled out after VAR spotted Samuel Chukwueze for marginally offside. Palace punished that delay with Guehi’s decisive finish from a corner.“I’m proud of that because the team didn’t want to defend the draw, we wanted to win and that’s why we did it,” Glasner said, praising his side’s belief and resilience.
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Meanwhile at the Amex Stadium, West Ham were seconds away from climbing out of the relegation zone after Jarrod Bowen fired them ahead in the 73rd minute. But Georginio Rutter, trying to stop time, rescued a point for seventh-placed Brighton, keeping them in the European chase and leaving West Ham in 18th.Manager Nuno Espirito Santo was furious after VAR allowed the equalizer to stand. “It’s hard to accept,” Nuno said. “Everyone saw it. We can’t understand how they scored.” Despite the frustration, West Ham’s improved form – one defeat in six – continues to fuel survival hopes.
