Match Preview
Fulham vrs Watford
F.A. Cup Round Three 24-25 Craven Cottage
Thursday 9th January 2025 KO: 19:45pm
Referee:
Matt Donohue (Manchester)
|
Fulham will put Premier League duties to one side when they welcome Championship outfit Watford to Craven Cottage for a third-round tie in the FA Cup on Thursday night.
The two teams meet for the first time since April 2019 when the Hornets secured a 4-1 victory at Vicarage Road in the top flight.
Fulham have put together an eight-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, but they have drawn six of those matches and most recently salvaged a solitary point in a 2-2 draw with Ipswich Town last Sunday.
Only Brighton & Hove Albion (10) have shared the spoils on more occasions in this season's top flight than Fulham (nine), who had Raul Jimenez to thank against the Tractor Boys as he converted two second-half penalties to help the Cottagers come from behind twice and avoid defeat.
Marco Silva vented his frustration post-match and said that the performance of referee Darren Bond "was not at the level the Premier League demands" after Ipswich's Leif Davis avoided a red card for a last-man foul in the first half. Nevertheless, Fulham sit ninth in the table and are only six points behind the top four.
Before preparing for favourable-looking league fixtures against West Ham United and Leicester City, Fulham will endeavour to progress from the third round of the FA Cup for the sixth successive season when they face Watford on home soil.
The 1975 runners-up have advanced from 13 of their last 16 third-round ties and have progressed from each of their previous four FA Cup ties against lower-league opposition, but they have failed to win any of their last six competitive meetings with Watford (D3 L3), conceding 14 goals in the process.
After making a promising start to their third consecutive season in the Championship, Watford have fallen out of the playoff spots and down to ninth place following a run of four defeats in their last five matches.
The Hornets have been beaten by Cardiff City, Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield United in their last three games, losing 2-1 at home to the latter last weekend, while they have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last seven fixtures.
Head coach Tom Cleverley has acknowledged that his team have shown their "fragilities" in recent weeks and has admitted that turning the club's fortunes around is both a "big ask" and "probably the biggest challenge I've ever faced in this industry".
Encounters with Cardiff, Derby County and Preston North End are on the horizon later this month, but they will first shift their attention to the FA Cup, a competition they have been runners-up in twice in 1984 and 2019.
Watford may have progressed from only one of their last five FA Cup third-round ties - a 2-1 win over Chesterfield last season - but there is reason to be optimistic of success on Thursday, as they have won three of their last four meetings with Fulham and have not lost any of their previous three visits to Craven Cottage.
|
-
This will be the fourth FA Cup tie between Watford and Fulham, with each of the prior three meetings in 1932, 1983 and 2005 needing a replay to determine a winner. Both sides have won one of the two prior meetings to come at the third round stage.
-
Fulham have failed to win any of their last six competitive games against Watford (D3 L3), conceding 14 goals in total during that time.
-
Fulham have progressed from 13 of their last 16 FA Cup third round ties, including each of the last five in a row.
-
Fulham have progressed from each of their last four FA Cup ties against sides from a lower division, since a 2-1 home defeat to Oldham Athletic in January 2019.
-
Watford have progressed from just one of their last five FA Cup round three ties, though that came courtesy of a 2-1 win over Chesterfield last season.
`
`
Source Oliver Thomas at SportsMole/BBCSports