Sabasports Match Preview
FA Cup: Fulham vs Middlesbrough
Kickoff Time: 2026-1-10 23:00 (HKT)
Fulham has been performing strongly lately, earning 14 points in their last six league matches, with only Arsenal achieving a higher points rate during the same period. They have convincingly defeated Chelsea and drawn with Liverpool. Currently, the team is only four points behind fourth-placed Liverpool, making them a strong contender for next season’s Champions League qualification. The impressive league performance of Fulham can be attributed to the stable play of their attacking players. Harry Wilson has scored 7 goals and provided 4 assists, finding the net against Premier League giants such as Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur. Meanwhile, 34-year-old Raúl Jiménez has had a resurgence, contributing 5 goals and 3 assists. In their last league match, even against the stronger Chelsea side, Fulham managed 16 shots. Throughout the game, the team made only 4 errors and achieved an impressive 19 successful physical confrontations. This indicates that Fulham’s players have not been affected by the tight schedule and are in peak competitive form.
In contrast, Middlesbrough has been struggling recently, managing only 1 win, 1 draw, and 3 losses in their last 5 league matches. Although they still sit second in the Championship, they are only 2 points ahead of third-placed Ipswich and just 5 points above seventh-placed Hull City, putting pressure on their promotion ambitions. The recent poor performance of Middlesbrough can be attributed to injuries, particularly in their defense. Key defenders such as Callum Brittain (who started 24 matches this season) and Alfie Jones (who started 22 matches) have been sidelined due to injuries, missing the last match. Due to pressure on the defense, 34-year-old defender Luke Ayling has started all of the last four matches and played full games. However, facing a fitness crisis, Ayling may be rested for this match. In terms of league performance, Morgan Whittaker is the team’s top scorer with 10 goals and 3 assists, but he has only scored 2 goals in the last 5 matches and failed to find the net against Derby County and Blackburn Rovers, both of whom are in the lower half of the league, indicating a drop in scoring efficiency and performance.
In terms of overall squad value, Fulham is valued at €356 million, while Middlesbrough is valued at €114 million, showing a clear disparity in strength between the two teams. Now that Middlesbrough is focused on promotion, they may lower their investment in the cup matches due to limited bench depth. In this matchup, it is believed that Fulham can win easily.
Fulham’s Last 5 Games: WDDWW
26-01-08 Fulham 2-1 Chelsea
26-01-04 Fulham 2-2 Liverpool
26-01-02 Crystal Palace 1-1 Fulham
25-12-27 West Ham United 0-1 Fulham
25-12-23 Fulham 1-0 Nottingham Forest
Middlesbroug’s Last 5 Games h: WLLDL
26-01-04 Middlesbrough 4-0 Southampton
26-01-01 Derby County 1-0 Middlesbrough
25-12-30 Middlesbrough 0-1 Hull City
25-12-26 Middlesbrough 0-0 Blackburn Rovers
25-12-20 Bristol City 2-0 Middlesbrough
Head-to-Head Record:
22-04-07 Middlesbrough 0-1 Fulham
21-08-08 Fulham 1-1 Middlesbrough
20-01-18 Fulham 1-0 Middlesbrough
19-10-26 Middlesbrough 0-0 Fulham
18-01-03 Middlesbrough 0-1 Fulham
Prediction: Fulham to win