FA Cup: Cottagers Plan to Send Boro Packing Early

Fulham vs Middlesbrough

Fulham will commence their FA Cup campaign with a winnable match against Middlesbrough on Saturday. Marco Silva’s men recently missed out on a viable opportunity to win a trophy after losing to Newcastle United in the EFL Cup quarter-finals last month. But since then, Fulham went unbeaten in their last five Premier League games (W3, D2), and have no plans of letting up anytime soon.

The Cottagers spoiled Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea debut with a 2-1 win last night to improve their tally to 31 points – good for the ninth seed in the English top-flight table – so they head home to Craven Cottage in high spirits.

Meanwhile, Middlesbrough ended their four-game winless run with a much-needed 4-0 result over Southampton in the Championship last Saturday. As a result, Kim Hellberg’s side is second in the Championship table with 46 points.

Continue reading below, as SBOTOP previews this intriguing third-round contest.

 

Talking Points

Wilson has the will to win for Fulham

Despite losing several key players to the Africa Cup of Nations and injuries, Fulham are doing better than expected, with Harry Wilson keeping them afloat. The 28-year-old attacking midfielder has scored two goals in his last two appearances, including Fulham’s second against Chelsea to seal the victory last night. Wilson is the Cottagers’ top scorer and playmaker with six goals and four assists this term.

Chelsea were in trouble when Marc Cucurella received a straight red card for pulling down Wilson in the 22nd minute. However, it took Fulham 55 minutes before scoring the first goal. Raul Jimenez did the honours with a header for his second goal in four games.

Liam Delap scored the equaliser in the 72nd minute when the ball bounced back to him off the left post from a corner after Antonee Robinson almost headed into his own net. With nine minutes left, Wilson beat Jorrel Hato with a deft touch inside the penalty box before firing the ball into the left corner beyond Robert Sanchez.

Since the start of November, only Erling Haaland (12) has had more Premier League goal involvements than Wilson (10 – six goals, four assists). Through his efforts, Fulham have gone from being threatened by relegation to being a viable contender for Europe again.

 

Rollercoaster run for Hellberg’s Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough have been through several ups and downs since Kim Hellberg took over the helm last November. Hellberg opened his Boro stint with four wins on the bounce while scoring 11 goals before going winless in the next four. As mentioned, they recently ended their barren run with a 4-0 rout of the Saints last weekend.

Boro are second in the Championship despite dealing with an injury crisis, which is quite commendable on Hellberg’s part. Veteran defender Alfie Jones is their latest casualty, as he recently underwent ankle surgery.

Morgan Whittaker figures to be Middlesbrough’s danger man, as he leads the team with 10 goals and three assists this term. 

 

History

Believe it or not, Saturday marks the first FA Cup encounter between Fulham and Middlesbrough. The Cottagers are unbeaten in their last seven matches against Boro in all competitions (W4, D3) since losing 2-0 in the Championship back in February 2016.

Fulham have progressed from each of their last six FA Cup third-round ties since losing 2-1 at home to Oldham Athletic in 2018-19. Under manager Marco Silva, the Cottagers have won all seven previous third-round matches by an impressive aggregate score of 15-2.

Boro have lost their last four FA Cup games, scoring only one goal. They’ve never previously lost five in a row in the competition. However, Middlesbrough are winless in their last 22 away FA Cup matches in London (D9, L13) since defeating Charlton in January 1957.

 

Betting Tip

The FA Cup 2026 odds are siding with the Cottagers to advance to the next round this weekend. Fulham are 1.54 favourites to win, whereas Middlesbrough are 4.63 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.63 in the 1X2 market. Fulham should not underestimate Middlesbrough at all, as the Championship side will try to frustrate the hosts as much as possible.

FA Cup 2026 highlights could only come few and far between in this matchup, considering their most recent encounters. Besides having Fulham winning by an odd goal, bettors may also consider adding Under 2.50 at 2.11, Under 2.75 at 1.85, and Total Goals 2-3 at 2.01 to the parlay. On the other hand, check out the Correct Score of 1-0 in Fulham’s favour – the result of their previous meeting – as it offers a robust payday of 7.00 your bet.

   

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