Iwobi Creates as Bassey Drives Fulham's Build-Up in Crystal Palace Defeat
Deduction Football Intelligence
Intelligence Dept.
Iwobi Creates as Bassey Drives Fulham's Build-Up in Crystal Palace Defeat
Fulham lost 3–2 to Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage, but the numbers again show how heavily their possession structure ran through Nigerian pair Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi.
Iwobi produced the stronger overall performance, earning a 7.3 rating while generating 0.26 expected assists.
Bassey's 6.5 rating tells a more complicated story.
The defender completed 92% of his passes and generated a remarkable 219.2 metres of total progression, including 110.2 metres of progressive carrying.
Together, Bassey and Iwobi completed:
151/165 passes — 91.5%
while producing:
321.9m of total progression
The difference was where that influence occurred.
Bassey drove Fulham into advanced areas. Iwobi was more capable of turning possession into attacking threat.
Match Information
Competition: Premier League
Round: 3
Date: 5 September 2026
Venue: Craven Cottage, London
Result: Fulham 2–3 Crystal Palace
Nigerian Performance Board
Alex Iwobi 🇳🇬 — Fulham's Creative Connector
Match Rating: 7.3
Iwobi's performance was built around possession security and attacking connection.
He completed:
64/70 passes — 91%
including:
41/46 in the opposition half — 89%
and an impressive:
8/9 long balls — 89%
That distribution was paired with:
0.26 xA
and one key pass.
The expected-assist number is important because it shows Iwobi's passing wasn't simply high-volume circulation.
He was also generating meaningful attacking value.
Progression With a Different Profile
Iwobi recorded:
29 carries
256.6m carrying distance
2 progressive carries
102.7m total progression
28.4m progressive carrying distance
Those numbers reveal an important distinction.
Iwobi carried the ball frequently, but only 28.4 metres came through progressive carrying.
His role was therefore more about connecting possession and moving the ball through combinations than repeatedly breaking lines himself.
That fits his passing profile: 41 completed passes in Palace's half and eight successful long balls.
0.26 xA Was the Difference
Iwobi had only:
0.04 xG
and one blocked shot.
His influence wasn't primarily about finishing.
It was about supplying others.
His 0.26 xA was substantially higher than Bassey's 0.04 and gives important context to his superior 7.3 rating.
Fulham needed players who could turn possession into threat.
Iwobi came closest to doing that.
Calvin Bassey 🇳🇬 — 219 Metres of Progression From Defence
Match Rating: 6.5
Bassey's rating does not immediately suggest a standout performance.
His progression data does.
The Nigerian defender registered:
40 carries
381.8m total carrying distance
4 progressive carries
219.2m total progression
110.2m progressive carrying distance
36.1m longest progressive carry
That is an extraordinary amount of ball advancement for a defender.
Bassey wasn't simply receiving the ball and recycling it across Fulham's back line.
He was repeatedly moving Fulham forward himself.
Bassey Was Fulham's Build-Up Engine
Bassey had:
104 touches
and attempted:
95 passes
He completed:
87 — 92%
Even more significantly, he completed:
45/51 passes in the opposition half — 88%
That is a revealing number for a defender.
Almost half of his completed passes came in Crystal Palace territory.
Combine that with 219.2 metres of progression, and Bassey's role becomes clear.
He was not simply Fulham's defensive distributor.
He was one of their principal mechanisms for moving possession up the pitch.
110.2 Metres of Progressive Carrying
The strongest part of Bassey's possession performance was his carrying.
His four progressive carries generated:
110.2 metres
His longest alone covered:
36.1 metres
Approximately half of Bassey's total progression came through progressive carrying.
That means Palace could not simply sit off and allow him to circulate possession.
When space opened, Bassey was prepared to attack it himself.
Why Only a 6.5?
This is where the performance becomes interesting.
Bassey's possession numbers were excellent.
His defensive numbers were considerably less convincing.
He recorded only:
2 defensive contributions
while Fulham conceded three goals.
He won:
4/6 ground duels — 67%
but lost all three of his aerial contests:
0/3 aerial duels
He also won none of his one attempted tackle.
This helps explain why 219.2 metres of progression and 92% passing did not translate into a higher overall rating.
A centre-back is ultimately evaluated on more than build-up.
Bassey was excellent at advancing Fulham.
He was less influential in preventing Palace from hurting them.
11km and 33 km/h Add Physical Context
Bassey's performance also contained considerable physical output.
He covered:
11.0km
made:
12 sprints
and reached:
33.0 km/h
For a centre-back, that is notable mobility.
Combined with 40 carries and 104 touches, it reinforces how active Bassey was across the full 90 minutes.
Iwobi vs Bassey — Progression Is Not Creation
This is the key statistical story of the match.
Bassey generated more than twice Iwobi's total progression:
219.2m vs 102.7m
and almost four times his progressive carrying:
110.2m vs 28.4m
But Iwobi generated:
0.26 xA vs 0.04
That distinction matters.
Progression gets a team into dangerous territory. Creation determines what happens once it gets there.
Bassey was Fulham's primary ball-progressor.
Iwobi provided more of the attacking connection at the end of that progression.
A Pattern Emerging in Fulham's Nigerian Connection
The numbers also reinforce a pattern in Fulham's build-up.
Against Chelsea, Bassey and Iwobi were both heavily involved in possession and progression.
Against Crystal Palace, that relationship was again prominent.
This time they combined for:
191 touches
151 completed passes
321.9m total progression
and:
138.6m progressive carrying
That suggests the Nigerian pair are becoming central to how Fulham move possession from their defensive structure into attacking areas.
The challenge is converting that territorial control into results.
Fulham have now produced significant progression through the pair in another match — but still conceded three and lost.
Deduction Verdict
🥇 Alex Iwobi 🇳🇬 — 7.3
Iwobi takes Deduction's highest Nigerian rating from the match.
His 91% passing, 89% long-ball accuracy and 0.26 xA combined possession security with genuine creative influence.
But Bassey's 6.5 should not obscure an exceptional progression performance.
219.2 metres of total progression from a centre-back demands attention.
His 40 carries and 110.2 metres of progressive carrying made him Fulham's primary mechanism for advancing possession.
The difference between the two performances is therefore instructive.
Bassey moved Fulham forward.
Iwobi moved Fulham closer to creating chances.
And that distinction is exactly why progression and creation should never be treated as the same thing.
Final Score
Fulham 2–3 Crystal Palace
Nigerian Player Ratings
🥇 🇳🇬 Alex Iwobi — 7.3
🥈 🇳🇬 Calvin Bassey — 6.5
Deduction Nigerian Player of the Match
Alex Iwobi 🇳🇬 — 7.3
Deduction Key Metrics
Iwobi: 0.26 xA | 91% passing | 8/9 long balls | 102.7m progression
Bassey: 219.2m progression | 110.2m progressive carrying | 92% passing | 104 touches
Bassey drove the build-up. Iwobi supplied the greater creative threat. Fulham's challenge remains turning that possession and progression into results.
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