“What a SHAMBOLIC display, Marco must DROP him immediately, he cost Fulham such devastating defeat against Palace”- Fulham star under scrutiny after costly error in Fulham’s 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace
Sports reporter Gail Davis has criticized Fulham defender Calvin Bassey for his role in Crystal Palace’s second goal during their 3-0 FA Cup loss to the Cottagers.
Bassey, who has been one of Fulham’s standout performers this season, was caught out at the near post as Ismaïla Sarr glanced home a cross from Eberechi Eze.
Eze, the England international, opened the scoring for Palace in the 34th minute, and just four minutes later, Sarr doubled their lead. Eddie Nketiah added a third in the second half to seal the victory.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Davis commented that Fulham made it too easy for Palace, describing the goal as almost “scored in slow motion.” She pointed out that while Eze delivered a perfectly weighted cross, Bassey should have done better to prevent Sarr’s easy header.
Davis also noted that Jean-Philippe Mateta was the first to celebrate with Sarr and mentioned it was hard to believe Fulham were 2-0 down after a strong opening 30 minutes.
Despite the criticism, Bassey has been impressive for Fulham this season. The Nigerian international, who was making only his second FA Cup appearance for the club, has played 30 matches across all competitions. He has also scored a goal, notably in the Premier League against Nottingham Forest and in the FA Cup against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Bassey’s performances have earned him a call-up to the Super Eagles ahead of Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda in Kigali and Zimbabwe in Uyo.
— Adeyemi Adewale
