Former Premier League foes vie for a spot in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon, as Fulham and Wigan Athletic butt heads at the Brick Community Stadium.
Marco Silva's men made light work of Watford in a 4-1 third-round trouncing last time out in the competition, while the Latics conquered Mansfield Town by two goals to nil.
Match preview
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Still waiting for their first taste of FA Cup stardom, Fulham have often fallen victim to the fourth-round curse in the competition, being eliminated from the tournament at this exact stage in four of the last five seasons with the exception of a quarter-final appearance in 2023.
However, the Cottagers have a case to be considered dark horses for glory in this year's edition, where their opening third-round battle with Watford was a routine afternoon's work as Rodrigo Muniz, Raul Jimenez, Joachim Andersen and Timothy Castagne made the net bulge.
The aforementioned Muniz and Jimenez also combined for Fulham's latest high-profile Premier League scalp, cancelling out a Jacob Murphy opener in a 2-1 success away to EFL Cup finalists Newcastle United, thus solidifying their side's position in the top half of the table.
Firmly in contention to crack the continental places in the Premier League, a route to Europe is also available via the FA Cup for Fulham, who have lost just two of their 13 games in all competitions since the beginning of December and have developed an affinity for attacking excellence on away days.
Indeed, the Cottagers have netted at least two goals in each of their last five matches on the road and have not failed to score away from home since their opening 1-0 Premier League loss to Manchester United in August, registering in 13 such contests since.
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Unlike their more esteemed hosts, Wigan do have an FA Cup trophy glistening in the cabinet from their momentous victory over Manchester City in the 2012-13 edition, but recent results in the tournament have been far more modest to say the least.
The Latics are bidding to reach the fifth round of the prestigious competition for the first time since the 2017-18 edition but have already flexed their muscles away from home in the competition, defeating all of Carlisle United, Cambridge United and Mansfield Town so far this term.
Shaun Maloney's men were indebted to a quickfire Thelo Aasgaard brace in a 2-0 win over the latter in round three, but they have blown hot and cold in League One since then, taking seven points from their last 15 on offer to languish in the bottom half of the table.
Wigan were on the cusp of edging out mid-table Lincoln City on February 1, only for James Collins to score a penalty rebound after Sam Tickle stopped his first attempt, meaning that only one of their last six matches at the Brick Community Stadium has ended in success.
Furthermore, the Latics' head-to-head record with Fulham makes for incredibly difficult reading for the home faithful, as Wigan have failed to win any of their last 19 matches against the Cottagers, who have never had a longer run without defeat against a single opponent in their history.
Team News
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It was a quiet January as far as transfers go for Fulham, but the Cottagers confirmed the re-signing of former attacker Willian on Thursday morning; whether he receives international clearance in time for the trip to Wigan remains to be seen.
Silva will definitely be making do without Harry Wilson (foot) and Kenny Tete (knee) for the fourth-round clash, but Arsenal loanee Reiss Nelson is in the final stages of his recovery from a thigh problem and has a chance of making his comeback on Saturday.
Changes will undoubtedly be afoot for the Cottagers, as the likes of Muniz, Tom Cairney, Harrison Reed and Ryan Sessegnon seek rare starts, while Bernd Leno should enjoy a day off in goal as Steven Benda acts as the last line of defence.
Wigan were more active on the transfer front during the winter window, where third-round hero Aasgaard was sold to Luton Town, but new arrivals Oliver Norburn and Jon Mellish are both cup-tied for this fixture.
Maloney's side also lost Silko Thomas to injury after just 25 minutes of their clash with Lincoln City, and the Leicester City-owned attacker has now returned to his parent club to undergo treatment on that serious knee problem.
However, Oxford United loanee Owen Dale - a deadline-day signing - is a like-for-like replacement out wide, while Ronan Darcy, who also joined in the last window from Crawley Town, is a candidate to fill Aasgaard's boots.
Wigan Athletic possible starting lineup:
Tickle; Sibbick, Kerr, Carragher, L. Robinson; S. Smith, Weir; J. Smith, Darcy, Dale; Taylor
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Benda; Castagne, Cuenca, Diop, Sessegnon; Cairney, Reed; Traore, Pereira, Iwobi; Muniz
We say: Wigan Athletic 0-2 Fulham
Home has not been where the heart is for Wigan of late, whereas Fulham possess a taste for goals on rival territory, having not drawn a blank away from home in almost six months.
Even with a much-changed team, Silva's side should run into few obstacles against an inconsistent Latics side en route to round five.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Ben Knapton
