🏏 Sun, 8 Mar 2026 12:00 GMT
Fulham FC
vs
Southampton
4-2-3-1 vs 4-2-3-1
Substitutes
Substitutes
Match Preview
- An FA Cup fourth-round tie, as Premier League side Fulham host Championship side Southampton at Craven Cottage. For Fulham, chasing a cup title, it is an important match in which they will want to progress safely against lower-ranked opposition.
- Fulham's Harrison Reed came through Southampton's youth set-up and has experience in their first team. Facing his old club should raise his motivation. Emile Smith Rowe, a signing from Arsenal, is also expected to be central to the attack in this cup tie.
- Southampton goalkeeper Daniel Peretz is on loan from Bayern Munich and has been in good form, with five clean sheets in 12 appearances since joining. His shot-stopping, using his height, will be a threat to Fulham's attack.
- The Japanese player to watch, Kuryu Matsuki, is named on Southampton's bench. The left-footed midfielder, who moved to England via Goztepe from FC Tokyo, combines a strong physique with goalscoring. He is expected to be used off the bench, and watch whether he can take the pitch as a game-changing trump card.
- Fulham line up in a 4-2-3-1 with Rodrigo Muniz as a lone striker, and Samuel Chukwueze, Smith Rowe and Oscar Bobb form the second line. They will want to use home advantage with an attacking set-up. Lecomte is used in goal, with Leno rested on the bench.
- Southampton also adopt a 4-2-3-1, with Cyle Larin stationed up front. Leo Scienza, Finn Azaz and Tom Fellows support the attack. As a Championship side, they look to pull off a giant-killing in the cup.
- Fulham's Alex Iwobi also waits on the bench as an impact option. An Arsenal academy graduate and a versatile attacker with rich Premier League experience, he is the kind of player who can change the flow of a game.
- With both teams in an identical 4-2-3-1, the central midfield duels hold the key. Watch the double-pivot duel between Fulham's Cairney and Reed and Southampton's Yander and Downes.