Fulham Look for Cup Magic to Topple Middlesbrough | OneFootball

Kickoff: Saturday, Jan. 10 @ 10:00am ET/3:00pm GMT. Streaming on ESPN+

Fulham are the sort of team whose hopes of a special season often hinge on how well they can perform in the cup competitions. 

A True Mid-Table Side

11th, 13th and 10th are the Cottagers’ final positions across the last three Premier League seasons, and their top-flight status again looks secure for a fourth straight campaign under the impressive Marco Silva. 

Their 2-1 win over west London rivals Chelsea moved them up to ninth and level with the Blues on 31 points. They have again had all the hallmarks of a true mid-table side. 30 goals scored, 30 goals conceded. Nine wins, four draws and eight losses. 

In fairness, qualification for Europe is not at all beyond them. They only sit two points behind Brentford in fifth and one behind Newcastle and Manchester United in sixth and seventh respectively. But logic suggests their best chance of giving supporters a memorable season lies in how they perform in the FA Cup. 

Silva’s side have had a strong recent record in the competition too. They reached the quarter-finals last season, when they were beaten by eventual winners Crystal Palace, and in the 2022-23 campaign when they lost out to Manchester United. 

This season could also represent the final chance for Silva to mark his already outstanding legacy at the club by delivering them a first ever major trophy. The Portuguese manager’s contract will expire after the end of this season. He has been tipped to move elsewhere after an impressive spell in west London which has seen him win promotion with the Whites and establish them as a Premier League side once again after years of inconsistency. 

Boro Won’t Make it Easy

But Middlesbrough will not be easy opponents. Boro sit second in the Championship going into the cup clash and are just six points behind league leaders Coventry City. 

It has been a strange season for the north-east side, who started the term with Rob Edwards in charge and were flying high when he strangely decided to leave the club after just five months in charge for Premier League strugglers Wolves. 

Kim Hellberg was the man tasked with replacing Edwards, joining Boro from Swedish side Hammarby. He has overseen a tough run of games of late, going four without a win which included defeats to Bristol City, Hull City and Derby County before thrashing Southampton 4-0 in their most recent outing. 

But with a Championship promotion race on the cards, how much Hellberg will want to risk upsetting his side’s league hopes by pursuing a cup run is questionable. And while it will be a good chance to test themselves against Premier League opposition, the type they are hoping to face off against next season, Fulham will no doubt see this as a prime opportunity to make the first step towards creating long lasting memories for their supporters.