Match Preview
Fulham vrs Burnley
FA Cup 4th Round 2021 at Craven Cottage
Sunday 24th January 2021 KO: 14:30
Referee:
Andrew Madley (West Yorkshire)
Live on BT Sports
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Fulham and Burnley do battle in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday afternoon looking to build on their recent upturn in results and performances.
While the Cottagers have impressed in recent fixtures against many of the top clubs in the Premier League, Burnley make the trip to West London on the back of a surprise win at Liverpool.
Fulham head coach Scott Parker is also keen to secure silverware at Fulham, the Cottagers boss is aware that he has a group of players who have been pushed to the limit since their return to action.
On the back of a number of coronavirus cases at the club, Fulham were forced to face Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester United in the space of eight days, returning just a point from the first of that triple-header.
Despite the disappointment of now sitting five points adrift of safety, Parker will have nothing but good things to say about the performance levels of his players.
While Burnley boss Sean Dyche, on the back of defeats to Manchester United and West Ham United, would have acknowledged that a trip to Liverpool had not come at an ideal time for his squad.
However, while the Clarets rode their luck on many occasions during Thursday night's fixture at Anfield, few people could begrudge them their famous 1-0 win.
An Ashley Barnes penalty was responsible for ending Liverpool's 68-match unbeaten home record in the Premier League, but the majority of the credit will go to a backline which somehow managed to repel Liverpool's relentless advances in the second half.
Just five goals have been conceded in their last 11 top-flight fixtures, a record which has helped the club move seven points clear of the relegation zone.
A hectic schedule remains for this Burnley squad, although Dyche will want to move a step closer to claiming the club's first FA Cup in 107 years.
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After winning their first FA Cup meeting with Burnley back in January 1912, Fulham have been eliminated from each their subsequent five ties with the Clarets, most recently in February 2003.
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Burnley have won just one of their last 11 away games against Fulham (D2 L8), winning 3-2 in a Championship fixture in March 2016.
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Burnley have only won one of their last 10 FA Cup ties against Premier League opponents, beating Sunderland 2-0 in January 2017.
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Both sides have reached the FA Cup fifth round in just one of the last nine seasons, doing so in the 2016-17 campaign.