FA Cup 4th Round Result| Sunday 15/02 |
Stoke | 1-2 | Fulham |
| | Kevin
Reed |
Stoke City 1-2 Fulham
At a glance
Jun-Ho Bae opens scoring for Stoke with emphatic finish
Fulham hit back to level through Kevin in second half
Harrison Reed pounces on keeper Tommy Simkin's error to net winner six minutes from time
Draw for FA Cup fifth round takes place on Monday.
Harrison Reed scored his first ever FA Cup goal as Fulham staged a second-half comeback to beat Stoke City and reach the fifth round.
The Championship side took the lead in the 19th minute with an emphatic finish from midfielder Jun-Ho Bae.
But Fulham roared back after the break and ended a run of three consecutive defeats across all competitions thanks to goals from Kevin and Reed, who struck the winner with six minutes left after a mistake by Stoke keeper Tommy Simkin.
Both Potters boss Mark Robins and his Fulham counterpart Marco Silva made a number of changes to their sides after league fixtures in midweek.
There were five for Stoke, the 2011 FA Cup finalists but winless in six games since defeating Coventry City in the previous round.
Alex Iwobi, making his 100th Fulham appearance, was the only survivor from the defeat at Manchester City as January signing Oscar Bobb was handed a first start.
In only the second FA Cup meeting between the two clubs, Stoke had the game's first effort when winger Sorba Thomas connected crisply with a half-volley from outside the box to force a save from Benjamin Lecomte.
And they made the breakthrough when South Korean Bae received the ball from Eric Bocat and rifled home from inside the area after a sweeping move.
Keeper Simkin produced two wonderful saves to deny Kevin before the break, while Iwobi also headed wide from less than six yards out.
The hosts almost doubled their lead seven minutes into the second-half when Lamine Cisse - their match-winner in round three against Coventry - saw his curling effort tipped on to the post by Lecomte.
But Fulham responded to that wake-up call with a 55th-minute leveller as Brazilian winger Kevin surged into the penalty area and drilled a low effort past Simkin.
The Premier League side then began to flex their muscles and brought on Raul Jimenez and Emile Smith Rowe as they pushed for a winner.
The decisive moment arrived when Simkin tried to play out to a team-mate from inside his box and Reed pounced to win the ball and calmly slot home his second goal this season, but first in the FA Cup.
Fulham analysis: Silva changes almost backfire
If Fulham fans were wondering where the FA Cup stood in Silva's list of priorities this season, that question was answered emphatically with his starting line-up.
After a run of three consecutive league defeats, the Portuguese opted to make 10 changes.
The move almost backfired as the home side could - and probably should - have been two goals ahead before Kevin and Reed turned the game on its head.
But Fulham's progression to the fifth round should now be cue for Silva to take the competition more seriously, especially with their league form.
A bright start had them flirting with a potential push for Europe, but the recent poor run has dropped them down to 12th and anxiously looking over their shoulders at the sides below them fighting relegation.
With the winners of the FA Cup earning a place in next season's Europa League qualifying rounds, the competition could offer Silva and his side a chance to finish the campaign on a high.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/live/c07jnyyjplpt
Post-Stoke City Press Conference
Marco Silva talked to the press following his side's FA Cup Fourth Round victory at Stoke City.
"It's tricky, these types of games. We knew that we have to come here and prove our quality against a good side, and this type of competition, there's always something behind magic that anything can happen.
"If you play home, away, against Premier League, Championship, or League One or Two sides, it is always very difficult. We showed again how serious we are when we approach this type of games. The players, they showed that even with ten changes it doesn't matter. Many of those players are more than capable to start any Premier League game.
"A little bit of a tricky start, but I'm really pleased with the way the team never lost control. I never felt our team was nervous, and looking at the result, for us to be in the next stage is more than fair to be honest, we deserve clearly to win the game.
"Even at half-time to be behind in the score, the chances we created before half-time, we could have had a completely different score at the break. We readjusted some things, but we kept the trust. I just told them that it is important for us to keep the tempo there.
"Individual point of view, some very good performances. Collective point of view, good performance overall. Apart from the one goal we conceded, the backline was solid enough as well.
"This game was important for some players. It's crucial for us to have Rodrigo Muniz and Josh King back. They came back from different types of injuries. We know how well they played in the beginning of the season together.
"Oscar Bobb, very, very good performance from him. You can feel it, the quality in short spaces that he's going to give. And a very good game from Kevin, too. He created many very good moments from our left hand side."
https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/february/15/post-stoke-city-press-conference/
Reed scores late winner to take Fulham through in FA Cup
Harrison Reed's late winner took Fulham through to the fifth round of the FA Cup.
They came from behind after Bae Jun-ho gave Championship side Stoke the lead.
Kevin equalised early in the second half and Reed capitalised on a mistake by keeper Tommy Simkin to win the tie.
Jun-ho fired the hosts ahead with a fine strike from near the edge of the penalty area.
But the Whites hit back when Kevin cut in from the left, pounced on the loose ball after a ricochet off a Stoke defender, and rifled in the leveller.
Simkin produced a number of saves, including a superb stop to deny Kevin, but then his mis-placed pass enabled Reed to score.
Fulham: Lecomte, Castagne, Diop, Cuenca, Robinson, Reed (Berge 89) Iwobi, Bobb (Wilson 86), King (Smith Rowe 77), Muniz (Jimenez 77), Kevin.
Subs not used: Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon.
https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/reed-scores-late-winner-to-take-fulham-through-in-fa-cup
Stoke City 1-2 Fulham
Fulham booked their spot in the Fifth Round of the Emirates FA Cup with a 2-1 victory over Stoke City.
Goals from Kevin and Harrison Reed saw Marco Silva's side go through on a bitterly cold Sunday afternoon.
The manager made 10 changes from the side that faced Manchester City on Wednesday night, with Alex Iwobi keeping his spot in the starting eleven.
Oscar Bobb made his first start for the Club and Rodrigo Muniz made his first start since returning from injury.
Fulham were finding joy in wide areas early on with Bobb and Kevin looking particular threats. The first sight of goal came a quarter of an hour in; Bobb found Timothy Castagne, who had a cross knocked down by Muniz for Harrison Reed to volley, but his effort went over.
Stoke took the lead moments later through Bae Junho, who latched onto the ball into the box land aced it past Benjamin Lecomte after a swift counter-attack.
Kevin tested Tommy Simkin with a trademark effort cutting in from the left, but the Stoke 'keeper tipped it over the bar.
Iwobi thought he had equalised when he met Kevin's dinked cross with a free run into the box, but his header was just wide of the target.
Kevin looked to capitalise on a Stoke error and raced in behind on the stroke of half-time; with Josh King to his right he took the chance on himself, but had a near post effort saved well by Simkin.
Lecomte pulled off an excellent save to start the second half, denying Lamine Cissé what would have been a superb long-range strike after a driving run.
Kevin did get his goal and Fulham's equaliser in the 55th minute, drilling a low effort past Simkin after cutting in from the left.
Silva's side were now in the ascendancy; King had a strike go just over the bar and Castagne was finding a lot of joy combining with Bobb down the right hand just before the hour mark.
King was, again, close to putting Fulham ahead when he raced ahead of his man on the right, but his shot across goal was saved well.
The Fulham pressure earned its just reward with five minutes left, as Reed pressed high and intercepted a Simkin pass out from the back, coolly slotting past the Stoke 'keeper.
The travelling support of 2,168 duly received the midfielder as he wheeled off to celebrate with renditions of his ****** Iniesta chant.
https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/february/15/stoke-city-1-2-fulham/
Kevin and Reed earn Fulham comeback win over Stoke
The 2-1 win sees us qualify for Round 5 of the FA Cup
Fulham have made it through Round 4 of the FA Cup with a 2-1 with against a sturdy Stoke side, and whilst it wasn't a particularly pretty afternoon for Silva's men, at this point in the season the actual act of winning may have to be enough for now. Once again a lower-tier side took the lead against us, doing what Middlesbrough and Wycombe in the League Cup managed earlier in the campaign, but Fulham persevered and lasted the distance to make their quality count in the end. Kevin can be proud of a solid showing, rewarded with a goal for the equaliser, and whilst Reed may have played better games his tenacity at the end yielded a fine moment when he struck the winning goal - and really, what more can you ask from your captain on the day?
First Half
We arrived at the Bet365 Stadium in poor form, needing a win to offset the recent slump the team has suffered of late. Our hosts could say the same though - Stoke were winless in six, listing in midtable and having scored a paltry nine goals since December. Perhaps a trip to a struggling Championship side would help a few of the players rediscover their footballing talents? The early signs seemed positive, Reed leading from the front with his pressing to let Stoke know they were facing a different beast to the regular inhabitants of the second tier. An early dispossession induced by his aggression led to the first chance of the game, Iwobi taking a cleared Kevin cross and bending an effort moderately over the bar.
It was clear we were going to hold the majority of the possession quite quickly. Stoke's 4-2-3-1 often became a back five, Thomas becoming a de-facto wing-back to support Phillips with Kevin and Robinson bombing down his flank and creating nice interplay. We're quite used to games turning into this, and for the first part of the half seemed comfortable patiently waiting for the right moment to split Stoke open. It was quite nice in places - Bobb's arrival has introduced yet another delightful footballer, replete with Guardiola tuition, to the team, and the passing sequences on the right let us move fluidly into Stoke's final third. A different referee might have deemed Muniz being pulled down in the box by Phillips following Castagne's cross to him sanctionable - instead it only yielded an off-kilter header from the Brazilian that, through Iwobi, led to Reed smacking a shot over the bar. Our striker wasn't generating the power he needed - a deep header from a Kevin cross and an acrobatic volley following Reed's burst into the box looped comfortably for Simkin to catch.
All the while, our hosts were watching, waiting for their own time to strike. Their physical gameplan meant they weren't afraid to take our players on, stealing seemingly safe possession and funnelling the ball quickly forward to their wingers Cisse and Thomas. This energy gave our pedestrian tendencies problems, stealing the ball following needless mistakes and throwing themselves into dangerous positions. We should have learnt from the earliest chances - cheap free kicks were won and put into the box by Rigo, producing a narrow miscue for Phillips in a crowded box and a powerful low strike from Thomas that required kicking away by Lecomte.
Not for the first time, the warnings were not heeded. We'd been ponderous and lethargic from many of the corners won in the game, sticking to our usual "two men at the flag" routine and pumping sterile balls into the box. From one, Stoke saw our depleted defence and struck, moving the ball swiftly through their team to reach the attackers. A quick pass under pressure from Phillips found Rigo, who had the space and the vision to spot Cisse's burst along the left wing. With Castagne having surged out of position, he had the freedom to sail into our final third, slowing to move the ball into the path of Bae Jun-Ho. A touch, and then a bounce, and the ball was pummelled into the net beyond Lecomte's dive, opening the scoring. It was a horrible set of defensive mistakes - Castagne extinguished from the action, Reed unable to get close to the incoming Bae, Cuenca waiting to see what the forward did rather than closing the chasm available to him in the box. Once again, a good start had been compromised by our own actions.
Unsurprisingly we took the game to the hosts immediately, trying to throw our energy and passing together to obtain an immediate response. It wasn't poor football either - it's clear the team had an idea of how to get into the box, and had the passing to take much of Stoke's team out of the game. But with Seko and Rigo stepping into the backline intermittently, Thomas supporting Phillips so consistently as a wing-back and the general buzz of being a goal up against a Premier League bestowing a tenacity onto Stoke's conduct in the tackle, Fulham needed to be sharper than what they managed in the critical goal-scoring department.
Iwobi had a golden opportunity to equalise, having set up a move along the left with Robinson and Kevin's intelligent, swift movement, but upon running onto Kevin's dinked cross headed his effort painfully wide from a close distance. Bobb, King and Castagne worked nicely with a series of passes, reaching the edge of the box, only for Kevin to send his resulting shot flying into orbit. Perhaps most painfully, a rare moment where Stoke lost the ball and didn't have time to block off our sight of goal saw Kevin latch onto a through ball, speed into the box... and stab his shot too low and central, allowing Simkin to repel the effort with his arm. We ended the half goalless and 45 minutes away from a premature cup exit.
Second Half
Stoke found themselves leading, but had a tricky half of football to navigate knowing they'd be up against Fulham's pressure in possession. There are many ways to approach such a situation, albeit some more difficult as an under-resourced Championship side, but the back five they'd leant into in the first half became adopted as gospel, Thomas affixed to the RWB position to allow Phillips a more permanent role to Talovierov's right. Given our early energy, Robinson and Kevin wasting no time from the kick off to fire crosses into the box for the centre-backs to clear, and shortly afterwards Bobb cutting inside from the right and only being denied a goal by a well-timed block, you could understand why such a change was made - but it meant Stoke had less relief for our pressure than they had in the first half, and were seldom seen outside their half.
Then, the game-changing sequence. Stoke's back five drew the centre of gravity into their half, and our players took up residence around it. Yet us losing possession invited danger, and sharp pressing from Rigo demonstrated this; winning it off a flimsy Iwobi, he knocked it quickly forward to Cisse, bursting into life. The winger made it all the way to our goal, cutting inside with our midfield trailing far behind him, and curled a shot towards the far post; Kecomte did brilliantly to glance the ball away from the target.
But the resulting corner, Stoke's first opportunity to attack, moved their pieces out of the structure they had settled into. Once it had been dealt with, we had the extra space to get ourselves into scoring position, moving the ball through the team to find Kevin, sneaking down the wing. Thomas made his way back but Kevin was not deterred - the panicked wing-back is but a body to get around. He wriggled into the box, spriniging away from Thomas and playing the ball to Muniz - though Wilmot got his foot in the way, the Brazilian read the situation quicker than a snoozing Rigo, and latched onto the loose ball to take a strike at goal, too low, angled and powerful to be stopped by Simkin. 1-1 - at last, we had our goal.
We had Stoke confined to their final third for much of the play now. The passes accumulated into the hundreds, Robinson taking up home in attack, Iwobi and Reed spreading the play nicely and forcing us into corners the only way for Stoke to defuse the danger. Yet these set-pieces still caused us grief - not least because more accurate crosses would have yielded a chance beyond the defender simply kicking it out! Again, the pace on the counter proved a worry - Cisse and Bocat enjoyed running at the space Castagne couldn't cover, and supplying teammates with opportunities once in our half. Rigo's long-range effort flew narrowly wide of the left post, and Thomas will wonder how his missed a deep cross from Bocat from an open position.
Slowly the tide started to turn. King's guile was proving a brilliant combination with Bobb's dribbling, and the pair made inroads along Bocat's flank. Bobb's dribble against Cisse and Seko let him find King, who worked himself away from Talovierov and fired a shot at goal. Simkin did well to push the shot away, and was rewarded with Iwobi pumping his own long-range effort wide of the goal. A similar move saw Wilmot have to step across to block a goal-bound shot, mixed amongst wave after wave of overlaps and crosses for the team to deal with. It kept them frantic and conservative - even the counter-attacks, supplied by the ever-rapid Cisse, were becoming more errant and isolated, one late run matched by the equally speedy Robinson.
The game truly turned with the arrival of the substitutes. This is often the way - Fulham, a Premier League side, have the luxury of introducing established top-flight players like Smith Rowe and Jimenez, just to add a little extra energy to the closing stage of the game. Stoke, whilst bringing on the sprightly Rak-Sakyi, removed Rigo, a key piece in Stoke's parity thus far, for Pearson. Not poor players by any means, but it is hard for new personnel to capture the energy of the game in changing circumstances, and we took advantage. A lull in the game was turned on its head when Fulham turned up the pressing, and a bit of aimless passing between Wilmot and Simkin was met with Smith Rowe bearing down on the duo. The keeper moved the ball to Seko, but Reed smothered it, his interception taking the ball towards the box. He surged onto it, no one able to block its trajectory, and with a single touch slotted the ball under the hapless keeper to finally give Fulham the lead. A fine moment for the captain on the day.
It wasn't over though - Silva read the room, and had Wilson and Berge enter the action to see out the rest of the game. This was crucial - gifted winger Manhoef, former Premier League mainstay Cresswell and World Cup winner Steven N'Zonzi had all entered the pitch, and turned the situation on its head. Stoke had the ball, and were moving it around quickly to try and force themselves back into the game; we were hoping for a quick escape, and had Kevin burrowing into Stoke territory on the break to try and alleviate the situation. Though we made it to the finish line, and didn't need Lecomte to make any critical saves, the danger was there, as the tired legs of Castagne and Robinson were put to the test by the nippy widemen thrown on by the hosts. Cuenca and Diop can take some plaudits for their acumen in this critical moment - we survived the last onslaught and made it to the 5th round of the Cup.
Reed between the lines...
Fulham won, and ultimately that's all you need to do in the cup - particularly when the team has injuries and fatigue and all the other tribulations that have occurred this season. I think we shouldn't underestimate getting through these games - we've had plenty of years where we've done absolutely nothing in the cup competitions, and whilst there's every chance we'll go out in the next round these moments help keep our season alive, particularly whilst our league form takes a nosedive. The players clearly care, as evidenced by the scenes when Reed scored the winner, and compared to the doldrum football being played at other top-flight teams I don't think that's an intolerable situation.
There were plenty of positives today, too. Kevin is growing in confidence, forcing Stoke to shove their winger into a back five for the majority of the game, and his goal was the highlight of a productive, dangerous game. Whilst he ought to have scored his one-on-one just before half-time, he supplied numerous killer balls into the box and had a brilliant rapport with Robinson along the left. This is the player we got excited about months ago, and long may this MOTM form continue. Bobb has taken to his new setting quickly and was decent cruising down the right, too - it won't be long until he strikes his first goal on current evidence. He had the bonds with King, which is also encouraging - as it is seeing our starlet on the pitch again. The confidence he has on the ball, the quality his touches provide in each attack, and the vision and intelligence contained in such a young mind make him a brilliant asset for Silva to deploy, in many a situation. Muniz can be excused for a slightly wasteful set of shots - he was good in the build-up play and it is just nice to see him have a near-full game today.
Further back we have a conundrum - what should our pairing be in games like this? Reed, the captain for the day, was aggressive and positive, putting himself everywhere on the pitch. This energy led directly to our goal, as he had the foresight to press Seko and it gave him the opportunity. But he is also a touch slower than the others playing in the same position, wasn't quite as impenetrable as a DM needs to be and critically can't influence the game enough at transitive moments, as demonstrated painfully for the goal. He was stronger than his counterpart though; Iwobi was okay on the ball, interspersed amongst many a series of passes and helping gel the midfield, but his radar was wayward in a few moments today, be it missing his close-range header in the first half or at one point putting a cross straight into the sidenetting from a good position. A mix of fatigue and not-really-being-a-DM continue to hinder his performances, but I don't see an easy solution with Lukic and Cairney both out of action.
Perhaps it needs to come from the defence? Cuenca and Diop are both very good at the defensive side of their tasks, but you feel the reason Bassey and Andersen are preferred lies in the ease at which they pass and move with the ball, making it easier for the midfield to operate without being as porous. Diop doesn't have the speed, and Cuenca lacks the directness, placing more weight on Iwobi and Reed to maintain the structure - as we saw today, the two don't quite have the same connection as others that have been tried there, and got exposed when Stoke had attacking moments. That said, I do feel the team improved defensively as the game went on, with some great moments for the backline in tight spots towards the end - with the exception of Castagne, who once again didn't have control of the events happening down his flank and kept leaving opportunities in the matchplay for Cisse (and for what? A cross cleared out for the 5000th corner of the match). The gulf between him and Tete has seldom been wider.
Subjugated Stoke?
It's always important to praise the opposition for what they do right - Stoke were decent today, keeping us from a lead until the very end of the match, and I don't think it can solely be put down to us wasting chances. Simkin had a good game between the sticks, the centre-backs were very physical and imposing in the box, giving Muniz a rather dry game, Bocat was dynamic and dangerous all game from the left and the energy of Cisse produced numerous scares throughout the match, including the creation of their goal. The substitutes looked lively as well - I don't think it will be long before our hosts find their long-awaited win in the Championship.
However, the team are not attacking enough, and were far too quick to take their foot off the pedal when in a decent position. I don't like how easily teams switch into back-fives - whilst it helped alleviate some of the pressure, it also pinned the team in, and meant we were able to switch the play over to our right, not receiving the extra support Phillips had at right-back, and thus more susceptible. With an attacking player removed it increased the isolation of Bae and Smit, who didn't have the speed Cisse enjoyed and couldn't make much of an impact in the second half. In fact, I don't recall Smit even touching the ball more than once or twice in the whole game...
Still, we are a division above Stoke for a reason - and long may it continue! Given the disquiet about Silva's long-term future at the club there is a large part of my mind that thinks only of the positives of the day, that we should enjoy comeback victories to get us through the FA Cup, that we should be pleased that the team smile and celebrate together and aren't staring down the barrel of what the Wolves, Burnleys, even West Hams and Nottingham Forests have at the moment. Sunderland will be a tricky ordeal next weekend, and the team have work to do before then, but let's take a minute to smell the roses.
https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/p/kevin-and-reed-earn-fulham-comeback
Everton set to make fresh move for Harry Wilson this summer
Everton are reportedly interested in signing Harry Wilson in a Bosman move if he leaves Fulham as a free agent in the summer transfer window.
Everton are not alone in the pursuit of Harry Wilson. They will face competition from Crystal Palace and Leeds United. According to Football Insider, the three clubs are hoping to to sign the Fulham winger in the summer, and it will be interesting to see where he ends up.
Fulham signed Wilson for £12 million several years ago, and he has been a quality performer for Fulham this season. There is no doubt that he would be an excellent acquisition for all three clubs. He can operate on either flank as well as centrally.
The Welsh international will add goals and creativity to the team. Everton need more cutting edge in the final third. Signing the former Liverpool winger could be a wise decision for them. The 28-year-old has nine goals and five assists to his name this season.
The player is at the peak of his powers, and he will look to compete at the highest level. It will be interesting to see where he ends up. Joining Everton might be a more attractive option for him than Leeds United or Crystal Palace. Leeds United are currently fighting for survival, and Crystal Palace have been quite poor as well.
The player will be a free agent at the end of the season, and Fulham will be thoroughly disappointed if they lose him for free. However, they are powerless to stop him from leaving. The Cottagers have not yet agreed to an extension with the player, and they have been keen on tying him to a new contract.
Where will Wilson end up?
Everton, Leeds United, and Crystal Palace will look to take advantage of the situation and secure his services on a bargain. Signing a player of his quality for free would be a masterstroke for all three clubs.
Leeds United and Crystal Palace also need more quality in the final third. Wilson would be an ideal acquisition for all three clubs, and he could make an immediate impact. The Welsh international is well settled in the Premier League, and he is performing at his peak right now.
https://thehardtackle.com/transfer-news/2026/02/15/everton-set-to-make-fresh-move-for-harry-wilson-this-summer/
Alex Iwobi achieves special Fulham feat shared by Tosin Adarabioyo and Van der Sar
Super Eagles and Fulham midfielder Alex Chuka Iwobi has reached a milestone with the Cottagers after featuring in their 2-1 win against Stoke City in the FA Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 29-year-old played all 90 minutes at the Bet365 Stadium, as goals from Kevin and Winston Reed pushed Marco Silva's team to the next round of the FA Cup.
It was a milestone appearance for the Nigerian midfielder, as he played his 100th game in a Fulham shirt since joining from Everton.
Iwobi joins Tosin and Van Der Sar in Fulham centurion club
The ex-Arsenal man becomes the 183rd player to have crossed the 100-game threshold for the Cottagers. Only Raul Jimenez (103), Rodrigo Muniz (109), Kenny Tete (140), Bernd Leno (144), Ryan Sessengnon (164), Harry Wilson (176), and Tom Cairney (374) in Fulham's current squad have more appearances than Iwobi.
Tosin Adarabioyo also played 132 games for Fulham, while Edwin Van Der Sar accrued 154 appearances.
Iwobi joined Fulham from Everton in the summer of 2023 for €25.7m and immediately became a mainstay in the first team. It is also worth noting that Marco Silva played a huge role in the Nigerian's development.
The Portuguese manager brought Iwobi to Everton during his time with the Merseysiders, before doing the same when he took over the coaching reins at Fulham.
https://x.com/FulhamFC/status/2023020720368836642
The one-time FA Cup winner played 30 league games in his first season at Craven Cottage, but followed it with an impeccable campaign the following year, playing in all of Fulham's 38 games.
He also achieved a personal milestone with the Cottagers earlier this season, becoming the Nigerian player with the most Premier League appearances.
In 100 games for Fulham, Iwobi has scored 17 goals and provided 10 assists across all competitions. He's now played at least a hundred games for all of the clubs he's been with – Arsenal (149) and Everton (149).
https://soccernet.ng/2026/02/alex-iwobi-fulham-adarabioyo-van-der-sar.html
FA Cup Fifth Round draw details
Marco Silva's side secured a place in the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round on Sunday afternoon.
Goals from Kevin and Harrison Reed were enough to complete a second half turnaround against Stoke City and avoid any upset.
Fulham will find out their next opponents on Monday 16th, with TNT Sports broadcasting the draw live from Macclesfield at 6:35pm, ahead of the lowest-ranked side's match against Brentford.
Fulham will be ball number two. Further details and the full list of ball numbers can be found on the FA website here.
https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/february/15/fa-cup-fifth-round-draw-details/
Marco Silva feels vindicated by decision to rotate squad for Fulham cup clash
Fulham boss Marco Silva made sweeping changes for his side's FA Cup fourth round win over Stoke then praised his replacement players for proving their Premier League quality.
Silva swapped out 10 of the team that lost to Manchester City in midweek, with Alex Iwobi the only survivor as they took on out-of-form Championship outfit Stoke at the bet365 Stadium.
It threatened to backfire when Bae Jun-ho finished off a smooth attacking move to hand the hosts a first-half lead, but a much-improved performance after the interval saw an equaliser from Brazilian winger Kevin and a pick-pocket's effort from stand-in skipper Harrison Reed.
Speaking after the 2-1 win, Silva felt vindicated by his decision to rotate the squad.
"It's always tricky, we knew we had to come here to prove our quality against a good side. This type of competition always has some magic, anything can happen," he said.
"It doesn't matter if you're home or away, or if it's (against) a Premier League, Championship or League One, League Two side, it's always difficult.
"Even with 10 changes in 11 for us it doesn't matter, we know many of the players are more than capable to start any Premier League game. This afternoon we needed more energy, some fresh players.
"For us to be in the next stage is more than fair, to be honest, we deserved to win the game."
On his goalscorers, Silva added: "It was a good game from Kevin. He had some missed chances, okay, but he kept going, he scored one goal and created many very good moments from our left-hand side.
"Of course with Harrison, every time he plays he can perform well. He knows everything about our identity, what we want in a game and he did perform."
Stoke boss Mark Robins was aggrieved by the manner of the decisive goal, which came after a communication breakdown between goalkeeper Tommy Simkin and Tatsuki Seko.
With just six minutes remaining of the 90, Simkin's short pass out caught the Japanese midfielder unawares, allowing Reed to sneak through for the winner.
"The second goal has to be a massive learning curve. I don't care if it goes out of the stadium to be honest, just put your foot right through it," said Robins.
"We want to play football, we don't want to be back to front and smashing the ball but at times you've got to get rid of it and ask questions later. It's 84, 85 minutes, there's no time to come back from it.
"I can be really critical of him but he's a young keeper and he doesn't need that. If he puts his foot through it we're probably still playing now and we're taking penalties. He's got to learn from that because you can't give goals away like that."
https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/sport/25856667.marco-silva-feels-vindicated-decision-rotate-squad-fulham-cup-clash/
Reed: A really nice feelingHarrison Reed chats to FFCtv after his match-winning strike against Stoke in the Emirates FA Cup.https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2026/february/15/reed-a-really-nice-feeling/
Silva praises Fulham's attacking players after cup win
Marco Silva praised Fulham's attacking players after the Whites progressed to the FA Cup fifth Round.
Harrison Reed scored a late winner at Stoke, where Fulham came from behind to win 2-1 after the Championship side took a first-half lead.
Kevin squandered a chance to set up Josh King, but did score a fine equaliser, while recent signing Oscar Bobb also featured.
Boss Silva, who made a host of changes for the tie, said: "This game was important for some players – they start to play again. It was crucial for us to have Rodrigo (Muniz) and Josh King back.
"Oscar Bobb – it was a very, very good performance from him. You can feel it, the quality in short spaces that he's going to give.
"A very good game from Kevin too. Some missed some chances – one at least was a great save from the goalkeeper at the end of the first half. He should square that goal for Josh King.
"It's a moment that he has to be calm enough to take that decision, because it has to be two against one with the goalkeeper in that moment."
Despite that error, Kevin caught the eye with a lively display on the flank and took his goal superbly.
"He kept going and he scored one goal. He created many very good moments from our left-hand side," said Silva.
"When you can provide for him moments 1v1, it's the reason why we signed him. He can give us that good moment."
https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/silva-praises-fulhams-attacking-players-after-cup-win
'It was not possible' - Fulham coach reveals why Iwobi was not rested for FA Cup clash against Stoke City
Speaking to FFCtv after his side's come from behind 2-1 win over Stoke City in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday, Fulham coach Marco Silva explained why it was impossible to leave Alex Iwobi out of the starting lineup.
Interestingly, the Portuguese tactician made ten changes from the side that lost 3-0 to Manchester City on Wednesday night, with Iwobi the only player that retained his place in the starting lineup.
As a result of the squad rotation, Calvin Bassey found himself on the bench while Samuel Chukwueze didn't make the matchday squad.
Since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, Iwobi has been one of Fulham's most relied-upon players, featuring for 448 of a possible 450 minutes across all competitions.
Silva revealed that Iwobi had to be in the starting lineup owing to squad limitations.
"Alex, another game, it was not possible to rest him. Probably it was a good game to rest him, but we don't have many solutions to do so, and the backline was solid enough," Marco Silva said.
After Stoke City broke the deadlock, Iwobi came close to marking his 100th appearance for Fulham with a goal, but his header drifted just inches wide of the left post.
Since the start of the 2025–2026 season, the Hale End Academy graduate has appeared in a total of 35 matches for both club and country.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
https://allnigeriasoccer.com/it-was-not-possible-fulham-coach-reveals-why-iwobi-was-not-rested-for-fa-cup-clash-against-stoke-city
The £20m man Liverpool should sell this summer to help themselves - and give Fulham a golden opportunity
Liverpool have a lot of work to do this summer - and there's one key sale that would help them out.
Liverpool are unlikely to secure a transfer fee of £35m from Harvey Elliott following this season's disastrous loan move - a deal which simply hasn't worked out for anyone involved.
Elliott seemed to have the world at his feet on 28 June 2025 when he helped England Under-21s to a second consecutive European Championship while scoring his fifth goal of the tournament in the final and winning the Player of the Season award. The 22-year-old seemed to be linked with just about every team outside of the top four in England, and appeared destined to have a breakthrough campaign similar to one of Anthony Gordon, who was the recipient of the Player of the Tournament award two years earlier in pre-season before having a stellar campaign with Newcastle in 2023/24.
Elliott attracted interest from the likes of Brighton, West Ham and Fulham, but opted against joining those clubs due to joining a club that had qualified for European football in the form of Aston Villa. But that's gone south, and now his future is up in the air.
What's gone wrong for Harvey Elliott at Aston Villa?
From the outside looking in, Elliott's loan move to Aston Villa, which included a £35m obligation to buy at the end of the season, seemed like a masterstroke for everyone involved.
Villa were still winless in the Premier League at the time, had started the season slowly, and looked in need of a player to bring fresh excitement and competition for Morgan Rogers in a demanding campaign in terms of fixtures.
Elliott didn't set the world alight on his debut in a 0-0 draw against Everton after appearing as a sub, but did actually score the club's first goal of the season during a draw with Brentford in the EFL Cup before the team exited the competition on penalties.
Further opportunities followed against Feyenoord and Sunderland before a first league start against Fulham. He was substituted at half time before the team picked up a first win of the season - and from then on the mystery around Elliott and his sudden disappearance from the matchday squad started to take centre stage.
Reports later emerged that Elliott's obligation to buy clause would only come into effect if he played 10 matches. Villa appeared reluctant to play that figure leaving him in limbo for most of the campaign. He has since played twice more, including once as a sub in the league and the full 90 minutes against RB Salzburg, but wasn't recalled by Liverpool and wasn't sold to another club either due to being ineligible to play for another team this season.
How Liverpool should handle Elliott - and why Fulham could benefit
Elliott has effectively wasted an entire season of his career playing for Aston Villa, and though it's reported by Football Insider that he could be offered to them for around £20m, it seems unlikely he'd opt to move to Villa Park based on the lack of confidence they have shown him.
Similarly, Liverpool don't seem to have a plan for him moving forward, otherwise you'd have imagined in January they would have recalled him when they had the chance. The holders are likely to want to sell Elliott for as much as possible and could benefit from his £20m departure from a PSR standpoint as they look to strengthen any weaknesses in their squad. This could lead to a club like Brighton or perhaps Fulham reigniting their interest in the former England Under-21 international.
The Seagulls have a strong reputation for developing young talent in their team and are a steady Premier League side with ambitions of Europe.
Similarly, Fulham have a good record of signing fringe players from higher Premier League clubs such as Alex Iwobi, Emile Smith-Rowe, Bernd Leno, Ryan Sessegnon and in-demand midfielder Harry Wilson in recent years. Elliott's been at the club before as a youngster is from the London area and could make sense as a feasible transfer target, particularly if Wilson decides to leave on a free in the summer.
https://www.3addedminutes.com/sport/football/liverpool/harvey-elliott-liverpool-fulham-transfer-5518093