Fulham will play Watford at Craven Cottage in the third round of the FA Cup on Thursday.
Marco Silva’s side are in the top half of the Premier League table behind the halfway point, but they are left with nothing but frustration picking up a point against Ipswich Town last time out.
However, the Cottagers have proved difficult for the division’s best this term, with Liverpool and Arsenal among the teams to drop points to the west Londoners.
In recent years, they have usually bowed out in the fourth round of the competition, with their previous defeat at this earlier stage occurring in 2019.
Watford have an excellent record against their upcoming opponents, but head into Thursday’s cup tie in rather poor form, having initially made a strong start to the Championship season. The Hornets have dropped to ninth place after losing four of their previous five games.
They have also had plenty of trouble in the third round since losing to Manchester City in the final in 2019.
Here 90 minutes a guide to Fulham against Watford in the third round of the FA Cup.
Fulham vs Watford H2H results (last five matches)
Current form (all competitions)
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Fulham |
Watford |
|---|---|
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Fulham 2-2 Ipswich – 01.05.25 |
Watford 1-2 Sheffield Utd – 01.04.25 |
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Fulham 2-2 Bournemouth – 29.12.24 |
QPR 3-1 Watford – 1.1.25 |
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Chelsea 1-2 Fulham – 26.12.24 |
Watford 1-2 Cardiff – 29.12.24 |
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Fulham 0-0 Southampton – 22.12.24 |
Watford 2-1 Portsmouth – 26.12.24 |
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Liverpool 2-2 Fulham – 14.12.24 |
Burnley 2-1 Watford- 21.12.24 |
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Earth |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
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Great Britain |
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra – not on TV |
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United States |
ESPN+, the ESPN app |
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Canada |
Sportsnet NowSportsnet EastSportsnet OntarioSportsnet PacificSportsnet WestSportsnet Now Plus |
Silva will certainly shuffle his pack after Sunday’s draw with Ipswich. Raul Jimenez, who rescued a point for the Cottagers, is among those expected to earn a rest.
Silva has Rodrigo Muniz in reserve, who has so far failed to build on his successful 2023/24 campaign. They will be happy to join the archers here.
Reiss Nelson and Kenny Tete won’t be back until February at the earliest with hamstring and knee injuries, but Sander Berge has a chance to return after Thursday’s ankle problem. Harrison Reed remains on the sidelines.
Predicted line-up of Fulham against Watford (4-2-3-1): lazy; Castagne, Diop, Cuenca, Sessegnon; Pereira, Lukić; Traore, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Muniz.
Watford are without starting goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann for a long time due to an ankle ligament injury, so Jonathan Bond should be backed up in due course.
There will likely be less rotation from the visitors compared to their hosts, but there will certainly be some changes from manager Tom Cleverley. Experienced trio Moussa Sissoko, Ryan Porteous and Tom Ince could come into Watford’s 3-5-2 formation, while Vakoun Issouf Bayo could be up top.
Kevin Keben is out, but Tom Dele-Bashiru could be in contention after recovering from a knee injury.
Predicted line-up of Watford against Fulham (3-5-2): Bond; Porteous, Pollock, Sierralta; Andrews, Kayembe, Sissoko, Louza, Ngakia; Bayo, Baah.
Watford’s poor form does not bode well going into Thursday’s game, with Fulham having lost just twice at the Cottage in the Premier League this term. Although European football is a possibility, Silva will no doubt take this competition seriously.
The FA Cup gives the Hornets some respite from the relentless action in the Championship, and they should be competitive here. Fulham’s reshuffle is likely to open the door, and the return of Watford’s seasoned professionals should help them against a superior opponent.
This can be a back and forth tie that is Premier League side runs away from.
Prediction: Fulham 2-1 Watford
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