Pierre Sage made 10 changes from the side that lost 2-0 to Newcastle last weekend, with Dean Henderson returning to the side for the first time since his foot injury, which kept him out the previous seven games.

The opening stages didn’t provide much, though Fulham should’ve found themselves ahead after 15 minutes when Kenny Tete fired a free header at the back post into the side netting. Moments later, Dean Henderson denied Antonee Robinson from close range, and Robinson returned to the Palace lineup after seven games out with injury.

Fulham dominated possession in the first half, but Palace were much more resolute defensively compared to previous games.

The Eagles' first real chance didn’t come until nine minutes before half-time, but they were clinical as Óscar Mingueza’s cross was finished off by Nketiah, who seemed to love this competition with his 14th goal overall in the competition.

It ensured that the visitors went in at half-time leading for just the third time all season.

They were a bit fortunate that a defensive error didn’t lead to a Fulham goal seven minutes into the second half, as Honest Ahanor’s pass bounced off Oscar Bobb but was struck with little power by Rodrigo Muniz.

Alvaro Arbeloa’s side continued to dominate the ball but couldn’t really create anything meaningful, although Henderson made a sensational save to keep Palace ahead with just over 20 minutes to go, as he blocked Alex Iwobi’s shot from point-blank range.

Daichi Kamada had a massive chance to seal Palace’s place in the quarter-finals with four minutes to go as he toed poked wide from close range.

The visitors hung on though; Gonzalo Garcia had his close-range header saved by Henderson before a cross almost bounced into the bottom corner. It wasn’t enough for Fulham, whose 21-year wait for a win at Craven Cottage against the Eagles would go on.

For Sage, though, it was a kind of result that would help alleviate the pressure on him, ahead of another big London Derby away at Tottenham on Saturday evening.