Fulham travel to the Brick Community Stadium to take on Wigan Athletic for their FA Cup fourth-round clash on Saturday afternoon.
Fulham have been quite inconsistent in recent weeks, but they are coming into this game vs Wigan Athletic on the back of a morale-boosting victory over Newcastle United away from home. The Cottagers will certainly fancy their chances of picking up a win over the EFL League One side.
Meanwhile, Wigan Athletic have been quite inconsistent in their recent outings as well, and the FA Cup fourth-round tie will be a massive challenge for them. The Latics will need to raise their performance levels to grind out of victory here. It remains to be seen whether they can upset the odds with a strong performance at home.
Fulham have a better team, and they will be expected to dismantle tomorrow’s opposition with ease. It remains to be seen whether the players can step up and deliver. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic will be without Oliver Norburn and Jon Mellish, who are cup-tied. Silko Amari Thomas has suffered a knee injury. Wigan Athletic are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Fulham, with Sam Tickle in goal.
Toby Sibbick and Luke Robinson will start as the full-backs here, and they will look to keep things compact defensively and hit the visitors on the break. Jason Kerr and James Carragher will pair up at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Scott Smith and Jensen Weir will add defensive cover and physicality to the middle of the park. They will look to break up the opposition’s attacking moves.
Ronan Darcy will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities in the final third. Jonny Smith and Owen Dale will start on the flanks and they will add width and pace to the side. Finally, Dale Taylor will lead the line for Wigan Athletic vs Fulham on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Tickle; Sibbick, Kerr, Carragher, Robinson; Smith, Weir; Smith, Darcy, Dale; Taylor
Fulham
Fulham will be without Kenny Tete due to a knee injury, Harry Wilson due to an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Reiss Nelson remains a doubt with a thigh injury. The away side are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bernd Leno in goal.
Timothy Castagne and Antonee Robinson will start as the full-backs. They will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Issa Diop will start alongside Joachim Andersen in the central defensive partnership.
As for the midfield unit, Sasa Lukic will start alongside Andreas Pereira in the double pivot, and they will add defensive cover and creativity to the side. Emile Smith Rowe will start as the attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his teammates.
Adama Traore and Alex Iwobi will start on the flanks, and they will add pace and flair to the side. Finally, Rodrigo Muniz will spearhead the Fulham attack against Wigan Athletic at the Brick Community Stadium on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Diop, Andersen, Robinson; Lukic, Pereira; Traore, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Muniz
Key Stats
- Wigan Athletic have drawn eight of their last ten home matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Fulham are undefeated in their last 19 matches vs Wigan Athletic in all competitions.
- Wigan Athletic have seen under 2.5 goals in ten of their last 12 home matches against Fulham in all competitions.
- Wigan Athletic have picked up three wins from the last six matches in all competitions.
- Fulham have picked up three wins from the last six matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Rodrigo Muniz
The Fulham attacker is our key player to watch out for. The Brazilian striker managed to score an important goal against Newcastle United in his last outing, and he will look to continue his impressive run from here.
Muniz found the back of the net in the last FA Cup outing as well. Wigan Athletic have shown vulnerability at the back, and the player will look to punish them with his creativity and goalscoring ability. Fulham will need him to step up and deliver in front of goal if they want to grind out and away in here.
Prediction
Wigan Athletic 1-2 Fulham
The home side will look to put up a strong performance here, and they will look to make life difficult for the opposition. However, Fulham are the better team, and they should be able to grind out a win away from home.
The gulf in class between the two sides is significant, and the Cottagers should be able to edge this one. Both teams are likely to get on the score sheet here, and this is set to be an open game with a fair few chances for either side. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Marco Silva and his charges.
