Fulham will aim to reach the next round of the EFL Cup as they host Championship side Norwich City at Craven Cottage.
Marco Silva has yet to stabilise his Fulham side, who continue to perform well below their levels in the Premier League ahead of the League Cup clash with Norwich City. Much like the last round, the EFL Cup tie will come as a much-needed distraction for the Cottagers, who are eager to qualify for the next round.
As for their current form, Fulham have endured a difficult time in front of goal. In their six Premier League games so far, the Cottagers have scored only five times, with two coming in one game against Arsenal. Such has been the impact of Aleksandar Mitrovic’s departure that they are lacking in quality in front of goal.
Thank you for your excellent support today. 👏 pic.twitter.com/JKjTfRMmWh
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) September 23, 2023
In the EFL Cup, Fulham did find joy against a big team in the previous round, as they ousted London rivals Tottenham on penalties. Now, they have the opportunity to refresh their confidence with a good performance against Championship side Norwich City.
David Wagner will rue the fixture planning for the EFL Cup. This is the third successive away game Norwich City face in this competition, as they now travel to Craven Cottage for a crunch encounter. They have already faced QPR and Bristol City in the previous rounds but are about to face their toughest draw yet.
Nobody would expect Norwich to come into Craven Cottage as favourites, as facing a Premier League opponent always comes with its downside. Much like their opponents, Wagner’s men are also facing problems scoring goals, as they have progressed in this competition with two 1-0 scorelines.
Even in the Championship, they continue to struggle, as Norwich have lost three of their last four outings. While the Canaries managed a narrow victory over an out-of-sorts Stoke City, they had also shipped eight goals in their previous two defeats. Hence, this clash at Craven Cottage will pin them down as favourites to go out. But stranger things have happened in football before.
Team News & Tactics
Fulham
Marco Silva would like to rotate his Premier League lineups a little and provide some breather to hard-working stars. Alex Iwobi could get his first start for the Cottagers as he could slot into their midfield setup to play against Norwich City.
Marco is here for his pre-#CarabaoCup press conference: 🧵 pic.twitter.com/0jYTTsYxQy
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) September 26, 2023
Similarly, Fode Ballo-Toure and Calvin Bassey could also get spots in the backline, while Silva could choose Marek Rodak in place of Bernd Leno. Tosin Adarabioyo and Adama Traore are definitely out of this contest, while Steven Benda and Sasa Lukic are doubts about this one.
Harrison Reed and Tom Cairney could also come into the midfield alongside Iwobi, which does make Fulham look stronger in that area. Up front, Bobby De Cordova Reid and Harry Wilson could handle the pressure on the flanks, while Carlos Vinicius will likely lead the line for Silva’s side.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Rodak; Castagne, Diop, Bassey, Ballo-Toure; Iwobi, Reed, Cairney; Reid, Vinicius, Wilson
Norwich City
Compared to Fulham, Norwich City have an elongated injury list with as many as seven players out of action. Among those, only Danny Batth is out due to ineligibility to play in this competition, having featured for Sunderland earlier in the season.
💭 "We saw against Plymouth, a lot of players are playing a lot of minutes. We will make some changes."
David Wagner gives an update on the squad ahead of our trip to Craven Cottage 👇
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) September 26, 2023
Despite the raft of absentees, Wagner will continue sticking with his setup of a midfield double picot and four at the back. Jack Stacey and Sam McCallum will feature as full-backs, while Shane Duffy and Ben Gibson will take on the central defensive responsibilities.
In the midfield, Adam Forshaw and Liam Gibbs should feature in a double pivot, while Hwang Ui-jo will take the advanced midfield role in this setup. On the flanks, Onel Hernandez and Przemyslaw Placheta should feature, while Adam Idah will lead the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Long; Stacey, Duffy, Gibson, McCallum; Forshaw, Gibbs; Hernandez, Hwang, Placheta; Idah
Key Stats
- Fulham are undefeated in 19 of their last 20 matches against Norwich in all competitions.
- Fulham have scored just six goals in their last nine League Cup matches.
- Fulham have kept two clean sheets in as many previous games.
- Norwich have won just one of their last 22 meetings with Fulham in all competitions (D6 L15).
- Norwich have not won at Craven Cottage since January 1986.
Player to Watch
Alex Iwobi
+1. pic.twitter.com/WTsQ1QwFnR
— Alexander Iwobi (@alexiwobi) September 23, 2023
Iwobi has yet to make a mark with Fulham since joining them over in the summer from Everton. Over the years, he had proved his worth with the Toffees, and his leaving the side was seen as a blow for the Merseysiders. However, Marco Silva will have been delighted with the acquisition and will now look forward to using the Nigerian in his setup.
Iwobil will have the big chance to showcase his talent, albeit against a Championship side to start with. However, with a big season ahead, the midfielder must put on a show and make himself big on occasions like this one in the cup competition.
Prediction
Fulham 2-0 Norwich City
Norwich City come into this game with a wretched record against this particular opposition. While Wagner will hope it changes, that is unlikely going to be the case this time, as Fulham have a visibly stronger squad to deal with the problems the Canaries can bring to London.
Hence, the Cottagers are overwhelming favourites to take three points and progress into the next round of the EFL Cup. Silva will hope for good attacking performances, but Fulham’s inability to score plenty of goals this season will be put to a stern test.
