Wilfried Zaha’s late goal against Fulham ensured Crystal Palace secured their first win on the Premier League season’s opening day in three years.

The visitors survived early pressure and saw Jeffrey Schlupp latch onto Patrick van Aanholt’s reverse pass to rifle the ball in four minutes before the break.

Despite attempts to find the equaliser, it was Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s through ball which saw Zaha race in to net the second – putting the nail in the coffin.

Not since their away win over Norwich City in 2015 have Palace won on opening day, while victory over Fulham also ends their opposition’s long-standing unbeaten run.

Ryan Sessegnon’s marauding presence down the left set the match’s tempo but the first real chance came when Aleksandar Mitrovic’s fierce shot forced Wayne Hennessey’s hand.

That was followed up with a header from a corner which narrowly bounced wide of the right post as Slaviska Jokavonic’s men picked up momentum.

It took 30 minutes for Palace to get into the game, but Mitrovic sent another warning shot when he turned Mamadou Sakho to shoot – only to be denied again by Hennessey.

Sustained possession saw van Aanholt play Schlupp in for the opener and stun the Cottagers amid a flurry of opportunities to score.

The second half was less frantic and, indeed, the Eagles got a foothold in the game.

Tomkins and Sakho quelled Fulham’s onslaught well while Townsend and Schlupp helped deliver counter-blows where available.

Before long, Zaha popped up for his first as Palace continued their streak from preseason into their competitive campaign.