Fulham vs Watford - FA Cup 3rd Round

Fulham kicks off their 2025 FA Cup campaign at home against Watford. The match will be available on ESPN+ starting at 2:45pm EST on Thursday.

I have high expectations for Fulham in the FA Cup this year. Fulham have been competitive in every match this season - there is no team out there they can't beat, so why not have some optimism about a cup run?

Watford come into this after three straight losses while Fulham haven't lost since the November loss to Wolverhampton. One reason to be concerned for Fulham is that they haven't done well against teams that have sat back defensively and waited for their chances on a counter attack. All of Fulham's skill has been unable to reliably crack an organized, defensive back five. I imagine Watford manager Tom Cleverley is aware of this and will look to be defensive and patient. Fulham also haven't won against Watford in six matches, so there is a bit of an unfortunate run of form against them. On the plus side, Watford are just three points outside the playoff spots, so there is a good chance they won't play their best squad since they need a rest to stay competitive.

I expect a strong lineup from Fulham, but I have this dream of seeing Josh King unleashed and getting a hat trick!

 

I'm off work for the Jimmy carter holiday, so I'm gonna eat some peanuts and enjoy this one.