England international of Ghanaian descent Eddie Nketiah opened his scoring account for the season with the decisive goal as Crystal Palace secured a 1-0 victory over Fulham to book their place in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night.

The enterprising attacker delivered the crucial moment at Craven Cottage, scoring in the 37th minute to hand the visitors a narrow but deserved victory in the London derby.

Nketiah started the encounter and played 71 minutes before being substituted, having made his mark with the only goal of the game.

The former Arsenal striker’s strike proved enough to separate the two sides, with Crystal Palace holding on to their advantage to advance to the last eight of the competition.

The goal represents an important milestone for Nketiah, who had been waiting to get off the mark this season. His breakthrough against Fulham will provide a timely confidence boost as he seeks to establish himself as a regular contributor to Palace’s attacking efforts.

With a place in the quarter-finals secured, Crystal Palace will now turn their attention to the next stage of the competition, while Nketiah will be eager to build on his first goal and maintain his momentum in the coming matches.