Friends of Fulham

Jack and Loz at the Cottage - Blog 332
Date: 7th February 2026
Opposition: Everton
Score: 1-2
Fulham goal scorer: a return from injury for Own Goal
Weather: damp
Atmosphere: disappointed
MOTM: if we can't give the award to Own Goal, it's got to be Ryan Sessegnon. In a side where every outfield player is fighting for their place, Sess is the only one who made himself undroppable
Moment of the Match: it's the Moment that didn't happen. In about the 50th minute when we were totally overrun, Marco Silva should have made some subs. He didn't.
Lunch: Pret
Post-match sorrow drowning: Riverside Studios
Post-match attempt to cheer ourselves up with dinner: Fabers

There are games of two halves and then there is Fulham v Everton in February 2026.

It's been a good start to the year in SW6. An excellent run of results in January, the return of the Super Eagles after their AFCON semi-final, a shortening injury list — and now the arrival of Oscar Bobb, softly spoken off the pitch and quietly dangerous on it.

So good vibes were returning to Fulham, like spring after a long winter. The starting line-up to face Everton drew almost universal approval. The bench - on which the weakest option was a shoo-in for January's goal of the month - offered a glimpse of how fans of Champions League sides must feel.

There was some consternation that Tom Cairney was absent, slightly injured. In the pre-match excitement, the foreboding was ignored.

Whilst the first half wasn't Fulham at our absolute best, it was an assured performance. ESR set the tone with his pressing, Raúl looked sharp, Samu looked ambitious if a little wild while Iwobi buzzed with intent and creativity. The early goal, as scrappy as it was, felt like a just reward for our efforts and we didn't sit back.

Emile and Samu have both been studying under the master of the long range shot, Harrison Reed, but showed that they haven't quite reached his level yet. More controversially a rare miscommunication between Raúl and Harry led to a big let-off for Everton.

At the back, it was less convincing. Leno looked shaky, Andersen and Cuenca hesitated on the ball too often and while no one can fault Castagne's effort, he bore the brunt of Everton's attention. Even so, there were some Moments of consummate defending - both individual and collective, particularly when Berge stepped in.

At half-time, the lead felt deserved. We'd undoubtedly edged it. And yet the familiar sense of foreboding crept back in. We are Fulham — one goal is never enough. Would those missed chances come back to haunt us?

It's difficult to describe the second half. Partly because almost all the action happened at the Putney End so we couldn't see it properly, but mainly because we don't want to relive the nightmare that the match descended into.

We all expected Everton to be better after the break. Er....no, that's not right. Every Fulham fan expected Everton to be better after the break. The Fulham players and coaching staff, however, didn't see the improvement coming and were totally unprepared for it. The Fulham team didn't just sit back and watch Everton play football - they acted as helpful ballboys, returning the ball to Everton immediately if they lost it.

Leno's flakiness became fragility - playing out from the back was terrifying to watch even from afar. He wasn't helped by his defence - Andersen was slow to react; Cuenca, while keen to drive forward, sometimes struggled to get back. Castagne was being run ragged and whilst Sess was efficient and effective, he's not a miracle worker.

Everyone could see subs were needed. Er...no, that's not right either. Everyone could see that, except the man who mattered.

We can understand Marco's hesitancy to an extent. The two subs he most wanted were missing. This was a match crying out for Tom Cairney to come on and take control. We've seen it so many times over the years, most recently at Man U last weekend. There Aint Nobody else who can change the momentum of a game like Tom. Failing which, you'd want Saša Lukić, with his sharp tackles and sharper cheekbones, to bring a bit of bite to midfield.

Because that's what we lacked. A midfield core of Berge, Iwobi and Emile has style, grace and intelligence but no grit. Sometimes, they almost weren't there. We missed Tom, we missed Saša, we also missed - although it's sacrilege to say it - Andreas, who looked like a playboy and played like a hard man.

That's a debate for another day but the mystery on Saturday was why Marco let so much time - and danger - go by without making any subs at all. And then, why he got the timing of both double subs spectacularly wrong so that each introduction preceded, and precipitated, an Everton goal.

None of the subs made an impact although Kevin tried hard and it was great to have Muniz back. Everton's first goal had been coming since half time and it duly arrived Moments after the Brazilians. As for the second double sub/goal combination, isn't one of the unwritten rules of football management that you don't make a sub when you're defending a corner?

Whilst Oscar is undoubtedly very welcome and we can't wait to see what he can do under different circumstances, we thought how slight he looked while warming up but put that down to him standing next to Calvin Bassey. But, no, he just really is very slight. Possibly not the best choice to deal with Everton's big players.

The second goal was even more disappointing and even more inevitable than the first. We don't blame Leno; it was a ream effort. Fulham's sole assault on the Hammy End goal failed thanks to the decisive goalkeeping and incisive defending we weren't see from our own team and the match slid to a damp end and a dismal defeat.

Time to address the silva-grey elephant in the room.

Marco's strengths as Fulham manager far outweigh his weaknesses but he's not above criticism. And we don't mean about the subs because he gets them right more often than not. The issue is game management in the round. In the second half, as pressure mounted and composure drained away, Fulham continued to play as if nothing had changed, when everything had.

Add to that the lack of physicality to counter a cynically physical team and no wonder we were overwhelmed. Marco doesn't like the dark arts - it's one of the reasons he's such a good fit for Fulham, but other teams take advantage of his decency and he's not prepared to deal with them.

There's a pattern to Marco's seasons - sluggish start (never helped by late arrivals), strong, convincing middle and then whenever we get within touching distance of Europe we can't take the final step. Following the defeat to Everton and with two difficult away games coming up we're at risk of this becoming another What Might Have Been campaign. Yet the answer may lie in the problem itself. Marco thrives on adversity. Give him a threadbare squad with our backs to the wall against the best teams in the league like we had in January and he comes into his own. Paradoxically, it's the Moments of relative comfort — a full, fit squad and a seemingly manageable game — that appear to flummox him.

And yet, none of this diminishes the central truth. Marco Silva remains an outstanding manager for Fulham — ambitious, principled, relentlessly hard-working. He has raised standards, restored belief, and made the club competitive in a way that feels sustainable rather than fleeting. Even his flaws are those of a coach pushing at the edges of what this squad can be. For all the frustration and second-guessing, the idea of Fulham moving forward without him is far less appealing than the prospect of him committing to the future and building for the next level.

Let's hope there's good news soon, as Marco himself would say.

Random musings:-

- As usual, Celebration Day was movingly managed from the wreaths and applause before kick-off to Ivan's sombre half-time roll call

- The brief Hi Bobb graphic racing around the screens was a very nice touch

- Oscar was almost too willing to help. Trying to take the kick-off, to be told off by Iwobi then trying to take a throw-in to be put right by Sess

- Could Harry's purple patch be fading to lilac.....?

The lessons from this match are that a brilliant attacking bench doesn't win you matches if you can't defend set pieces, and football is about scoring goals not creating chances.

But, knowing this team and this manager, those lessons will be learnt. As disappointing as this match was, there's plenty of the season left, and all to play for.



https://werdsmith.com/p/pmjEtZmaTxHsEq

Khusanov, Stones, Doku - Man City injury news and return dates for Fulham
Manchester City earned a huge three points against Liverpool on Sunday to keep the pressure on Arsenal in the Premier League title race

Manchester City kept the heat on Arsenal in the Premier League title race with a dramatic victory at Liverpool. Pep Guardiola's men came from behind to win at Anfield to move six points behind the league leaders.

Dominik Szoboszlai's free-kick put the home side ahead, but City responded in style with Bernardo Silva levelling and Erling Haaland converting from the penalty spot. Rayan Cherki had a goal ruled out later on, as Szoboszlai was sent off.

Alongside the big three points, City received a massive boost as Ruben Dias made his return from injury. However, Abdukodir Khusanov was forced off as a concussion substitute after being caught in the face by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

City are next in action on Wednesday night against Fulham. So with that in mind, here's all the latest injury news and return dates ahead of the clash at the Etihad Stadium...

Abdukodir Khusanov
Injury: Concussion

Khusanov was impressive in City's win over Liverpool, putting his body on the line to stop the Reds from taking the lead. After clearing the ball inside the box, he was caught by Donnarumma's knee before coming off for Dias.

Possible return date: Salford City (H) - February 14 2026.

Jeremy Doku
Injury: Calf.

The 23-year-old was forced off in the first half of the Blues' Champions League tie with Galatasaray at the end of January. With 10 minutes of the half remaining he dropped to the turf.

What Guardiola said: "Ruben started training yesterday and Jeremy not yet."

Possible return date February.

Josko Gvardiol
Injury: Leg.

Gvardiol is recovering from a broken leg he sustained in the draw against Chelsea at the start of the year.

Possible return date: Unknown.

Mateo Kovacic
Injury: Ankle.

The long-term absentee, Kovacic has been out with an ankle injury since November.

John Stones
Injury: Thigh.

The defender has been sidelined with a thigh injury he sustained in December.

Possible return date: February.

Savinho
Injury: Thigh.

The Brazilian picked up the injury in the goalless draw with Sunderland.

Possible return date: February.



https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/man-city-injury-news-fulham-33386828

Fulham implode against Everton again to leave season in the balance
Sammy recaps the weekend's defeat by the Toffees

What a sad little life, Fulham. Two years in a row you gave me false hope of European football only to throw away a lead at home to Everton.

Yes, there was a real sense of déjà vu at the weekend as once again Raul gave us the lead* against the Toffees only to self-implode in the second half.

You have to say we were magnificent in the first half. Sessegnon at left-back was inspired, Smith Rowe found more empty pockets than a new North Face jacket and Samu Chukwueze looked back to his dazzling best.

But, even more excitingly, own goal was back amongst the goals. It had been a bit of a dry spell for OG, but finally he was back and as good as ever. It wasn't quite as breathtaking as Gabriel Gudmundsson, but the Pickord/Mykolenko pinball after Raul's tame shot will certainly makes this season's OG podium.

What Raul was involved in thirteen minutes later however was far less funny. Whilst all great strikers should be a little bit selfish, not squaring the ball to Harry Wilson who had a What.Three.Words code all to himself was pretty unforgivable. A two goal lead would surely have killed this game off, wouldn't it?

The sense of foreboding at half-time amongst Fulham fans was extremely high. Fulhamish stalwart Ben Jarman, now residing in Vancouver actually messaged the WhatsApp group at half-time asking if the second half was waking up for. Please find my response below...

Ok, so it was only 2-1 and not 3-1, but regardless the result was the same. Fulham's second half performance was a slow motion car crash, and even though it took Moyes' team a while to grab the vital goals, nobody could say it was a smash and grab.

So many players were at fault, but the right hand side of our defence felt particularly vulnerable. Lucas Digne probably wins the award for worst defensive moment of the weekend, but Joachim Anderson's feeble attempt to stop Mykolenko from passing him is a comfortable runner-up.

I am constantly concerned when he is partnered alongside Timmy Castagne, the latter of whom surely needs to be moved on from this summer. If Kenny Tete is going to miss half the season every season, then we need a much more competent right-back deputy.

Another player who will continue to spark debate is Bernd Leno, who was equally weak as he punched in Everton's winner. Sadly, own goals are less funny the other way around. As much as Bernd is at fault, why is nobody protecting him?

All in all, it was a shabby half of football and Fulham could have no complaints about the scoreline. We were even humbled on social media, as Everton pulled our pants down after this ill-thought marketing tagline by the club to promote ticket sales for the match.

If there is to be an official enquiry into Saturday's implosion, surely the main fault will lie with Marco Silva, who keeps getting it wrong against Moyes' side.

Whilst he can't be held to account for individual errors his failure to arrest Fulham's second half decline was palpable. Our bench was as strong as it has been all season, yet Marco failed to play any of those aces when he needed to.

The result leaves Fulham 10th in the league. Whilst a few weeks ago we were gazing at the European spots, all of a sudden the mess below us feels a little bit near. With difficult league trips to Manchester City and Sunderland on the horizon, it feels highly likely we'll be well into in the bottom half by the end of the month.

There is plenty more post-match debrief if you're after that sort of self-punishment. Dan and Drew broke down Saturday's collapse on the Quick Take, whilst Owen McDonald's regular column bemoaned our defensive frailties coming to the fore once again.

My favourite part of Dan Cooke's bleak Player Ratings was his line about how Marco made the "worst impact subs of all time" - never has a more accurate assessment been written on the Fulhamish website.

And then to top it all off, we'll have another podcast today before getting set for a trip to the Etihad on Wednesday. We've got a good record there, right?



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/fulham-implode-against-everton-again

'Out of the blue...' - Ex-Premier League chief outlines Sunderland transfer interest in Fulham star
Sunderland have been credited with an interest in Harry Wilson of Fulham

The Wales international is enjoying a stellar season in West London, and has registered 14 goal contributions across 28 outings in all competitions thus far. As things stand, however, his current deal with Fulham expires at the end of the season, and it is within this context that speculation has started to mount over the prospect of him leaving Marco Silva's side on a free transfer.

To that end, Sunderland - alongside Premier League rivals Leeds United, Crystal Palace, and Everton - have been touted as admirers, and in a fresh interview with online outlet Football Insider, ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness has reasserted the Black Cats' interest in Wilson.

What has been said about Sunderland's transfer interest in Harry Wilson?
Wyness said: "He's a very talented kid, but he's getting on, he's 28 now. So this is an important move for him as to where this goes. But I don't see him moving. I'd thought he may have done something in January, but Fulham want to hang on to him just now. With Oscar Bobb coming in, that's going to be competition as well up front. So let's just see how this pans out for the second part of the season.

"But he's another player that if he is going to be agitating for a move, expect him to hit some form as well. He's scored some very good goals before, and he has got talent, and he will fit certain teams' playing styles. Now, the one that came out of the blue for me when I talked to some of my contacts was Sunderland that were thinking about a possibility for Harry Wilson. I think he would fit their style of play very well and that's one I'm not discounting to show some interest in the summer as well."

What has Fulham winger Harry Wilson said about his contract situation amid Sunderland transfer links?
Speaking to Sky Sports in December, Wilson suggested that any decision on his future has to benefit both him and his loved ones. When asked if he could provide an update on his contract negotiations with Fulham, he said: "Yeah, not a lot really. I'm fully focused on playing. I play football because I love the game and wherever I am, it's got to be somewhere where I'm going to play. That's what I played for before, that's what I love doing. If we [Wales] get to the World Cup, I want to be in the best shape going into that. I think what's going to put me in the best position is somewhere where I'm playing, getting the minutes, playing well.

"Hopefully scoring and assisting, I've been able to do that the last couple of months and then whatever happens after that happens. Fulham is somewhere I wanted somewhere to call home. For the last four-and-a-half years, it's somewhere I've been really, really happy here.

"I feel like we've had some amazing times together, we've won the Championship, we've had three solid years in the Premier League and I'm hoping this will be another one. But this next contract has got to be right for me and my family. So yeah, we'll see what happens."

On the secret to his ongoing purple patch, he added: "I wouldn't say I'm doing anything different. I think regular minutes and a rhythm really helps me. When I'm in and out of the team, you can see it disrupts the rhythm, but I feel like I'm getting a really good run in the team. Even before I was at Fulham, I feel like I've played my best football when I've been playing game in, game out. You feel really fit when you're scoring, you're assisting and your confidence is high. You feel like you can just keep going and going."



https://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport/football/sunderland-afc/sunderland-transfer-news-fulham-harry-wilson-5508028

Trio nominated at London Football Awards
Fulham have received nominations in three different categories at the upcoming London Football Awards.

    Harry Wilson (Best Premier League Player)
    Bernd Leno (Best Goalkeeper)
    Josh King (Best Men's Young Player)

Wilson is up against Declan Rice, Igor Thiago, Jurrien Timber and Moises Caicedo, Leno's competition comes from Caoimhin Kelleher, David Raya, Grant Smith and Lize Kop, and King is joined on the Young Player shortlist by Adam Wharton, Estevao, Michael Kayode and Oliver Scarles.

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony at Exhibition White City in West London on the evening of Thursday 5th March – good luck to all our lads!



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/february/09/trio-nominated-at-london-football-awards/

Loan Round-Up: Works wins it for Yeovil
Terrell Works opened his Yeovil account in the National League by netting a late winner away at Altrincham.

The forward pounced on a loose ball in the 87th minute to score the only goal of the game, taking his tally to five following his loan spell with Braintree earlier this season.

Elsewhere in the National League, Chibby Nwoko's Forest Green Rovers were narrowly beaten by promotion rivals York, slipping to a 2-1 defeat.

Goalkeeper Dino Kaiser enjoyed a dream debut for Margate, earning the Man of the Match award after keeping a clean sheet in their 2-0 Isthmian League victory over Sheppey.

Marco Underwood was also in fine form, producing a string of excellent saves to help Uxbridge secure a 2-1 win over Tiverton in the Southern League.

In League One, Luke Harris played 64 minutes for Wycombe as the Chairboys recorded their biggest win of the season, thrashing Doncaster Rovers 4-0.

There were mixed results in League Two. Harvey Araujo's Colchester claimed a 2-0 win over Shrewsbury, while Aaron Loupalo-Bi's Walsall were beaten 3-1 by Barnet.

In Belgium, Luc de Fougerolles came on as a 72nd-minute substitute but was unable to prevent FCV Dender from falling to a 1-0 defeat against Waregem.

Finally, in the Eredivisie, Steven Benda was named on the bench for Feyenoord's 1-0 win over Utrecht.



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/february/09/loan-round-up-works-wins-it-for-yeovil/

City v Fulham: FPL Gameweek 26 Scout Report
Find out who the Scout is championing in Gameweek 26 of Fantasy Premier League as City host Fulham.

Pep Guardiola's side welcome the Cottagers to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday 11 February with kick-off scheduled for 19:30 (UK).

We enter the meeting looking to build on our dramatic 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield last time out where goals from Bernardo and Erling Haaland saw us come from behind to collect three points.

Marco Silva's side, meanwhile, are aiming to bounce back from their defeat to Everton in their previous outing.

As ever, FPL managers will be keeping an eye on proceedings at the Etihad as they aim to boost their points return this midweek.

CITY STAR
Gameweek 26 is the first double gameweek of this Fantasy Premier League (FPL) season with Arsenal and Wolves playing twice. However,  Marc Guehi (£5.2m) is proving popular despite only having one fixture.

The England international has registered defensive contribution points in each of the last two gameweeks, as well as a clean sheet in Gameweek 23, meaning he has returned in each of his Premier League matches since joining City.

Guehi also has great attacking threat. The defender has had 22 shots this season of which five have been classified as big chances. Since arriving at City, he's had seven attempts on goal which only one defender, Wolves' Yerson Mosquera (£4.3m) can better with nine.

ONE TO WATCH
Harry Wilson (£6.1m) is opponents Fulham's highest scoring FPL player. The midfielder has registered 118 points curtesy of 14 attacking returns, six clean sheets and 16 bonus points.

DIFFERENTIALS
Elsewhere, Ismaila Sarr (£6.3m) and Elliot Andersen (£5.3m) are two low-owned gems worth considering.

Sarr returned from AFCON for Gameweek 23 and has now scored in back-to-back matches for Palace who face Burnley in the midweek round.

Andersen has registered defensive contributions in each of the last nine gameweeks and is Nottingham Forest's top points scoring player.



https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/fpl-scout-report-gw26-man-city-fulham-63906241

Pre-Man City Press Conference
Marco Silva is under no illusions regarding Fulham's struggles against Manchester City in recent history, but insists every fixture is an opportunity to reverse our fortunes.

We are pointless in 16 Premier League meetings with Wednesday's opponents, but Silva knows that does not make our next encounter a foregone conclusion by any means.

"It's very bad," our Head Coach admitted. "Not just Fulham, myself as well. It's a bad record, definitely – the facts are there. But, every time you play, is another chance for you to change it, simple as that.

"When the facts are so clear, you cannot say nothing really different than that. Okay, can talk about specific things and moments in games, I can speak about from the moment that I joined the football club until now, but it's not necessary.

"The facts are there, the numbers are there, it's a bad record from ourselves, and every time we play is a chance for us to change it. That is football, football is like that.

"My focus really is to prepare the players and our team well to face City in the best way we can in a tough game."

City will go into the match with their tails up, after a late turnaround on Sunday saw them break a hoodoo of their own away to Liverpool.

It was the first time they'd won in front of fans at Anfield since 2003, and means that another victory on Wednesday would see them close the gap on leaders Arsenal to just three points.

"As they proved yesterday, they are back, they want to fight until the end," Silva said. "You saw the way they reacted, the way they celebrated in the end, showed how much they want to keep fighting until the end of the Premier League.

"But we have our goals as well, and we want to fight. And, of course, it's going to be a game that is going to demand very high standards from ourselves.

"To come back and score at Anfield the way they did, and be able to react last 10 minutes and change the result for them, probably one of the toughest places for City in terms of records, for Pep [Guardiola] as well, at Anfield, and they were able to break that bad record for them, and win a football match that was so important for them.

"It's going to be a City full of motivation to try to get the three points, but we want to bounce back from the last game as well, from the last defeat, and we have to go to match them and to play our game and to have a plan behind the game that can allow us to fight for the three points."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/february/09/pre-man-city-press-conference/

Silva has no doubt about Fulham's firepower
Marco Silva insists he does not doubt Fulham's ability to score goals, despite them missing chances in Saturday's defeat against Everton.

The visitors came from behind to win 2-1 at Craven Cottage after Fulham failed to find an all-important second goal when dominating the first half.

"It's not a concern because of the reality that we have been scoring. I'm pleased with the way we created (chances)," Silva said.

"It was probably the 45 minutes where we created more clear chances to score. Probably, in the future, we are going to talk about how we didn't create or we were not clinical and ruthless – but we should have scored more goals in the first half."

Silva added: "What concerned me was how quickly we changed from a great first half to one of our worst halves in the second half."

Whites boss Silva was speaking ahead of Wednesday's trip to face title-chasing Manchester City.

Sasa Lukic and Tom Cairney will both miss the game.

Oscar Bobb, recently signed from City, is not expected to start against his former club as he is still rebuilding his fitness following a hamstring problem.

"He needs more time. We are working with him behind the scenes," said Silva.

"He came from a hamstring injury, so we have to be careful with him. Sooner or later he's going to be ready."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/silva-has-no-doubt-about-fulhams-firepower

Stoke City: Coach travel waiting list
Coach tickets travelling from Craven Cottage to the bet365 Stadium for Fulham's Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round tie against Stoke City have now sold out.

Should the Club receive any coach ticket returns, please register your interest below by joining our waiting list for this fixture.

Coaches will depart from both Craven Cottage and Motspur Park at 8:15am on Sunday 15th February. Further matchday information can be found here.

Supporters are advised that there are still a limited number of tickets available for the coach departing from Motspur Park for this fixture.

The deadline to sign up to this waiting list is 12pm on Tuesday 10th February.

Follow Fulham away to the bet365 Stadium for Emirates FA Cup action with match tickets for this fixture now on General Sale!

Match tickets start from just £5 for our Fourth Round tie against Stoke City with multiple ticket offers available.

Match and coach tickets can be purchased online at fulhamfc.com/tickets, by calling the Fulham FC Ticket Office on 0203 871 0810 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) or in person from the Fulham FC Ticket Office (Mon-Fri, 9:30am-4:30pm).




https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/february/07/stoke-city-coach-travel-waiting-list/

Man City XI vs Fulham: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup and injury latest for Premier League
Pep Guardiola has lost the services of yet another defender

Pep Guardiola's defensive injury headaches have worsened yet again ahead of Manchester City's Premier League match against Fulham.

City struck late through Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland to win a chaotic meeting with Liverpool on Sunday evening, but a case of friendly fire saw a new name added to the injury list.

That came when Abdukodir Khusanov collided with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. He took a knee to the head and was forced off.

It is not yet clear whether he will be available to face Fulham, which is bad news for Guardiola. The Uzbek prospect joins fellow centre-back Josko Gvardiol on the sidelines, with John Stones also expected to be unavailable despite returning to training last week.

Ruben Dias should get the nod to replace Khusanov at the Etihad, partnering Marc Guehi. Nathan Ake and Max Alleyne are options, too, while Nico O'Reilly could return at full-back opposite Matheus Nunes.

There are question marks over Guardiola's formation. He has tended towards a 4-1-4-1 in recent weeks, but moved instead for a variant of a 4-3-3 against Liverpool, to mixed results.

Should he revert to the old faithful, Nico Gonzalez could get the nod in the holding midfield role. Rodri has been somewhat injury-prone this season, and Guardiola may look to manage his minutes after he played the full 90 on Sunday.

The same is true of Bernardo Silva, who returned from injury to complete the full match against Liverpool. In his stead, Phil Foden and Tijjani Reijnders, both rested against Arne Slot's side, should come back in.

Up ahead, Haaland will resume his role at striker, with Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki on the flanks.

Brazilian winger Savinho is thought to be nearing a return to play, but this match will come too soon for him. Jeremie Doku is sidelined for a number of weeks still, as is Mateo Kovacic.

Man City XI (4-1-4-1): Donnarumma; O'Reilly, Guehi, Dias, Nunes; Gonzalez; Cherki, Foden, Reijnders, Semenyo; Haaland

Doubts: Khusanov, Stones

Injured: Doku, Gvardiol, Savinho, Kovacic

Time and date: 7.30pm GMT on Wednesday, February 11, 2026

How to watch: TNT Sports

Venue: Etihad Stadium



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/man-city-xi-vs-fulham-confirmed-team-news-predicted-lineup-injury-latest-premier-league-b1270311.html

Analysing Fulham ahead of our Premier League meeting
Taking an in-depth look at our visitors this Wednesday...

City welcome Fulham to the Etihad Stadium in a 19:30 (UK) kick-off as we look to kick on following the dramatic victory at Liverpool.

Our record against the Cottagers is outstanding, winning our last 19 meetings between the clubs across all competitions.

And we'll go into this game second in the Premier League and with one eye on pressurising leaders Arsenal, who begin the matchweek six points ahead.

With the help of Opta data, let's find out a little more about the side in our way...

Recent form
Fulham sit slap bang in the middle of the Premier League. They're 10th with 34 points from 25 games, having won 10 times and lost on 11 occasions.

That leaves them just three points behind eighth, but also only three points ahead of 14th.

As you may expect from a side that is part of the Premier League peloton, they've been a little inconsistent of late – winning two and losing the other three in their last five.

Preferred formation
Fulham favour a 4-2-3-1 shape and appear to have settled on many of the personnel to make up that team.

Bernd Leno is the undisputed first choice goalkeeper, with Timothy Castagne and Antonee Robinson the full-backs.

Joachim Andersen and Jorge Cuenca have been the central defensive pair since Calvin Bassey went to the African Cup of Nations.

Sander Berge and Alex Iwobi have become the key pair at the heart of the midfield, with Emile Smith Rowe ahead of them.

Harry Wilson is in fine form on the right wing, with Kevin or Samuel Chukwueze on the left behind central striker Raul Jimenez.

It could be an early return to the Etihad for Oscar Bobb, who left City for Fulham just last month.

Manager
Marco Silva is in his eighth season in the Premier League.

Fulham are his fourth side in the English top-flight, but by far his most represented – having taken charge of 139 of his total 234 Premier League games with the Cottagers.

He's won 36.3% of his total Premier League games and 38% in charge of Fulham.

Silva is also yet to avoid defeat against City in 13 attempts, conceding 43 goals across that time – an average of 3.3 goals per game.

Head-to-head record
City have won each of the last 19 meetings between these two sides, the longest such run in the history of English football.

16 of those have come in the Premier League, which is also the longest league run.

Our last defeat against Fulham came 26 meetings ago all the way back in 2009, while we've scored at least two goals in each of our last 20 clashes.

Of our 35 Premier League meetings in total, City have won 22 – scoring 84 goals and conceding 40.

The last meeting was perhaps the most entertaining of the lot, with City coming out 5-4 winners in a thriller in December.

How they attack
Fulham have netted 35 times so far, the ninth most in the Premier League.

That's come from an xG of just 29.6, an outstanding overperformance of their chances by 5.4 goals – which can only be bettered by Spurs.

They do tend to start quickly, with their five goals in the opening 15 minutes of games the fourth most in the division.

Fulham are also a possession-focused side, completing 478 passes per game – the fifth most of the 20 teams.

Harry Wilson is their top scorer with eight strikes, while Raul Jimenez has netted six times.

Wilson is also the joint-best creator, supplying four assists, as has Samuel Chukwueze.

How they defend
Fulham's 37 goals conceded so far signals that they are the seventh worst defence across the competition.

However, they're good in the air, with just four headed goals conceded so far.

As with starting quickly up front, Fulham are also solid defensively early on. In fact, they've not yet conceded in the opening 15 minutes.

Having only won possession in the final third 57 times, they sit bottom of that metric. That suggests they don't try to press opponents high, opting to engage them deeper on the pitch.

Goalkeeper Bernd Leno is the 16th best in the division when it comes to save percentage, stopping 63.7% of shots on his goal.

Celebrate Lunar New Year at City v Fulham!
As our closest home Premier League game to Lunar New Year, we'll have plenty of celebrations as City welcome Fulham to the Etihad Stadium.

Kick-off is at 19:30 (UK) on Wednesday 11 February but there'll be lots to see and enjoy before the action gets under way on the evening.

Tickets for this game are now on general sale, starting at £30 for adults and £15 for Under 18s. You can get three per person here!

And if you choose to make it a special evening in one of our hospitality areas, there'll be even more to enjoy on top of elite football on the pitch!

Prices start from £180, while there's an offer available when booking in the Legends Lounge or a Platinum Box experience - contact the sales team or enter the code Fulham%20 at checkout to access.



https://www.mancity.com/news/mens/fulham-home-opta-analysis-february-2026-63906244

Match Officials: Paul Tierney to referee Manchester City vs Fulham
The Premier League have confirmed their appointments list for the team of match officials to oversee proceedings between Manchester City and Fulham this week.

Pep Guardiola and his players will be hoping to further build momentum and confidence off the back of a hugely important and historic three points on the road at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.

Dominik Szoboszlai's sensational free-kick from distance had led many to believe that Liverpool would be heading towards their annual home win over Manchester City, but the fight and bravery from those in Sky Blue highlighted other ideas.

Bernardo Silva's instinctive finish to bring City level with minutes remaining set the tone, before Matheus Nunes winning a penalty from Alisson left responsibility to claim all three points and remain within touching distance of Arsenal in the hands of the best.

Erling Haaland proved exactly why Pep Guardiola and Manchester City fans should never doubt the Norwegian international in the very biggest of moments, cooly slotting home despite the aforementioned Brazilian stopper heading the right way.

With referee Craig Pawson and the video assistant referees following the letter of the law in additional time to dismiss Szoboszlai for the denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity and rule out a Rayan Cherki goal, this week's official will be hoping for a quieter evening.

And ahead of the meeting between Manchester City and Fulham, the Premier League have now announced the list of match officials to oversee proceedings at the Etihad Stadium!

Match Referee
Standing in the middle of the pitch and managing proceedings between Manchester City and Fulham at the Etihad Stadium will be Paul Tierney in the role of match referee for the fixture.

The 45-year-old referee has overseen a total of 15 matches across all competitions so far this season, across the Championship, Premier League, League One, League Two, FA Cup, and Premier League Cup.

Across those outings, Paul Tierney has issued a total of 54 yellow cards, awarded six penalties, but is yet to dismiss of any players this season via a second bookable offence or a straight red card.

Manchester City are in fact the side that Tierney has officiated most in his professional career, coming across the Etihad Stadium outfit on 32 occasions across all competitions since Manuel Pellegrini's edition of the club in 2014.

In all matches officiated by Tierney, City have emerged victorious on 28 occasions, drawing two fixtures, and losing just twice, with the last meeting coming towards the end of December and a 3-0 home win over West Ham.

Assistant Referees
Accompanying Paul Tierney on the pitch at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night will be Simon Bennett and Richard West in the roles of assistant referees for Manchester City against Fulham.

Video Assistant Referees
Overseeing Manchester City's latest home fixture from the VAR Hub at Stockley Park will be Neil Davies in the role of Video Assistant Referee, accompanied by Assistant Video Assistant Referee Matt Donohue, it has been confirmed.

Fourth Official
Standing between the two dugouts and managing the actions of both Manchester City's Pep Guardiola and Fulham's Marco Silva will be referee Tom Nield, appointed into the role of fourth official.



https://cityxtra.co.uk/41469/match-officials-paul-tierney-to-referee-manchester-city-vs-fulham/

Dias And Cherki To Start | 4-3-3 Manchester City Predicted Lineup Vs Fulham
Manchester City entertained Fulham at the Etihad Stadium this Wednesday night as they look to secure a good result on the road in the Premier League. The Mancunian giants managed to secure a solid 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield recently, which should give them a ton of confidence going into this game.

Arne Slot will set his men up in a 4-3-3 formation and is expected to make some changes to his first team for this clash. Ruben Dias and Rayan Cherki could both play from the start of this game.

4-3-3 Manchester City Predicted Lineup To Face Fulham

Defence
Gianluigi Donnarumma will operate in between the sticks for Man City after he conceded one goal in his last league appearance. Ruben Dias will function alongside Marc Guehi at the heart of the Man City backline as they look to keep a good shape on the defensive end of the field.

Matheus Nunes will try to put in a solid display at right-back, while Nico O'Reilly hopes to prove his value on the other side as the left-back. Both of them will try to go forward and express themselves inside the Fulham half.

Nathan Ake will provide cover for the defensive positions on the bench.

Midfield
Benardo Silva will be in a race against time to be fit for this game. He could get the nod to start alongside Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders as they focus on establishing their superiority over the opposition at the centre of the park and orchestrating some inviting chances in the final third.

Nico Gonzalez will be available for selection on the bench and might come on to influence the game in the second 45 minutes if required.

Attack
Antoine Semenyo will try to give a good account of himself on the left flank, while Rayan Cherki looks to make a difference on the right wing.

Erling Haaland will spearhead Man City's attack up top. He has to figure out a way to be a real threat up top.

Omar Marmoush will have to be content with a place on the bench as he waits for his chance to make an impact in the final quarter of the game if Man City are in need of a goal by then.




https://the4thofficial.net/2026/02/4-3-3-manchester-city-predicted-lineup-vs-fulham-2/