EPL: Palace soar into top four; Brighton deny West Ham with dramatic late twist

Crystal Palace’s stunning Premier League surge continued on Sunday as they climbed into fourth place with a 2-1 win over Fulham, while Brighton struck in stoppage-time to deny West Ham a vital escape from the relegation zone in a 1-1 draw.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!At Craven Cottage, Marc Guehi was the hero for Palace, powering home an 87th-minute header that sealed their fourth win in six league outings. The late strike pushed Oliver Glasner’s side above Chelsea and Everton, strengthening what has now become a genuine bid for Champions League qualification.It marks yet another milestone in a remarkable period for the formerly unfancied south London club, who have 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 UEFA Conference League group phase and could soon be preparing for a dream European upgrade.

Palace struck first in the 20th minute when Adam Wharton’s smart through ball found Eddie Nketiah, who drilled home past Bernd Leno. Fulham levelled in the 38th minute through Harry Wilson’s stunning outside-of-the-boot finish. Emile Smith Rowe briefly thought he had completed the comeback, but his close-range effort was ruled out after VAR spotted a marginal offside by Samuel Chukwueze.

Palace punished that reprieve with Guehi’s decisive finish from a corner.“It makes me proud because the team did not want to defend the draw, we wanted to win and that’s why we got it,” Glasner said, hailing his side’s belief and resilience.

Meanwhile, at the Amex Stadium, West Ham were seconds from climbing out of the relegation zone after Jarrod Bowen fired them ahead in the 73rd minute. But Georginio Rutter’s scrappy stoppage-time effort rescued a point for seventh-placed Brighton, keeping them in the European chase while leaving West Ham in 18th place.Manager Nuno Espirito Santo was furious after VAR allowed the equaliser to stand. “It’s hard to take,” Nuno said. “Everybody saw it. We cannot understand how they gave the goal.” Despite the frustration, West Ham’s improved form — one defeat in six — continues to fuel hope for survival.