Fulham march on to their first FA Cup quarterfinal in 13 years. Marco Silva has the Midas Touch it seems as everything on the banks of the Thames is glistening at the minute. For Leeds, they huffed and puffed but couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net. That’s a worry when the other team scores two delicious goals of their own.
That’s it from me. I enjoyed that. Hope you did too. Thanks as always to those of you got in touch.
Here’s Jacob Steinberg’s report from Craven Cottage:
“How about a consoling mention for Leeds. They gave a damn good game got a team at bottom of league.” asks Richard Noble.
They were good in bits but I can’t help but feel that they were their own worst enemies tonight. Fulham scored two great goals but Leeds had the better chances. They were unlucky with one that was disallowed but there were a few opportunities that weren’t taken. Credit to Gracia. His subs made a big difference. Should Bamford had started though?
Lineker and co are highlighting the missed opportunities from Leeds tonight. As you’ll see from the stats, they had 16 shots at goal compared to the seven from Fulham. That’s been a seasonal concern for Leeds.
Marco Silva is on the telly:
It’s great for us to go the quarterfinals again. We know that our story as a club in the FA Cup is not great and we’re here to change that. I’m really proud of the players.
We deserve that. The game was balanced but I think we deserve that with two great goals.
[Solomon] deserves everything. Good combination with Mitro[vic].
Elsewhere, Brighton have edged past Stoke to claim a 1-0 win. Turns out they can do it on a cold windy night in Stoke.
Report from Jamie Jackson:
Joe Pearson is flexing on the “Fulhamerica” theme, praising John Ream who he says was “immense”. No arguments here.
Meanwhile, Jeff Sax eats humble pie. Good on you Jeff:
“I am happy I was wrong, and [Solomon] scored. Many names in Hebrew have a meaning: Manor means: stability, strength, success. Let Fulham and Solomon continue having success”
Fulham look so together, so well organised and are peppered with some real quality. Something special is cooking on the Thames. Such as solid performance. Let’s get to some correspondence before picking up the report.
Here’s player of the match Manor Solomon:
It’s amazing, it’s incredible. We’re through the the quarterfinals and tha was our goal.
And some bits from Palhinha who is chuffed as well:
It was a good goal. Sometimes I try to do this in training. The most important thing is the victory. Manor scored a great goal as well.
Solomon again:
I’m happy to help my team again. Now we go to the quarterfinal. We deserve this win and we’re looking forward.
FULL-TIME: Fulham 2-0 Leeds
Sixth in the Premier League and now a place in the last eight of the FA Cup for the first time since 2010. Fulham are on a tear!
90 mins +2: Summervile picks up a loose ball outside the box, around the top of the D. He had time to compose himself and shoot and yet still missed the target. That’s why they’re going out of the FA Cup.
Two additional minutes.
A late change for Fulham Cedric swaps places for Tete.
89 mins: Wow, if Vinicius didn’t acrobatically hurl himself in the air and clear the ball, Fulham would have been in for a third. Leeds are still battling. But I think they’ve run out of road.
Harrison is doing so well down the left. Ream clears before Bamford can knock it towards the goal. Why wasn’t Harrison starting?
Alan Shearer names Solomon as player of the match. Which is the right call. He was great and scored an excellent goal.
86 mins: Adams doesn’t catch his shot on the edge of the Fulham box so it’s another goal kick. Before that Harrison does well, again, down the left and lifts a ball in. Ayling side foots it on the volley but it’s not firm enough so Ream can clear on the line.
85 mins: Short corner is moved to Cedric who obliges the crowd’s calls to shoot. He hits it well, but it’s straight at Meslier.
85 mins: Willian involved again. Released down the left by Robinson. The ball is blocked and it goes out for a corner.
84 mins: A more confident Willian might have lashed that loose ball in the box first time. Instead he dallies and takes a heavy touch so Leeds can clear.
Triple change for Leeds. Their goal scoreres, Solomon and Palhinha are off. So is Wilson. On comes Reed and Decordova-Reid and FA Cup winner Willian
81 mins: That’s a chance for Koch at the near post. The corner on the left is short. The cross is deep so Aaronson goes and gets it. He puts in a ball at the near post but Koch can’t keep his effort down.
80 mins: Harrison and Aaronson combine and unleash Summerville who’s byline cross goes out for a corner. Leeds roaring back. Can they nick a goal now?
79 mins: How did that not go in for Leeds?! Harrison is having a great spell down the left. He dinks a ball in and just about every Leeds player takes a swipe at it as they try to hack the ball in. Eventually Summerville has the last touch but it dribbles out for a goal kick.
77 mins: Aaronson sees a volley skim past the post. That was close. Leeds might have had a penalty for a high kick inside the box. It all started with a break down the left. A cross for Bamford at the far post is cleared and then Ayling comes diving in with his head and it’s nicked off him. It was a high boot, but not high enough to be deemed illegal.
76 mins: Leeds finally string a few passes together and it makes its way to Harrison on the left. He cuts in and suddenly he’s presented with a shooting opportunity. It’s pretty woeful. That ball may now be in the Thames.
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74 mins: Leeds try to play the ball out from a goalkick but Pereira is quickly on to it and wins the ball back inside Leeds’ box. He doesn’t panic and recycles it back. Leeds get hold of it again but Fulham are hemming them in. White shirts are flying around. They’re everywhere!
73 mins: Roca off for Aaronson, another USA international.
Sorry, that was a corner for Fulham, which has come to nothing.
72 mins: Corner for Fulham after Ayling gets in the way of a lashed shot from Robinson. Fulham all over Leeds.
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71 mins: Bamford’s first involvement is to wander off-side. Not sure why' he’s complaining. He was.
70 mins: Hard to see a way back for Leeds. Fulham are managing this well. They’re knocking the ball around, inviting Leeds to step out and press.
Fulham have had two shots on target this game. Good thing they were both worldies.
68 mins: Mitrovic is off. Right decision after the injury. He was sharp, involved in some good moves and could (should) have scored. Vinicius is on to do the running up front.
68 mins: Meslier has to sweep out of his goal . Leeds looking susceptible every time the cough up possession. Great transition work from Fulham.
66 mins: Well that would have put this tie to bed. As it is Leeds win a corner have to build again as the ball goes out for a goal kick.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Fulham (Mitrovic, 66)
Sloppy from Kristensen who slips and misses a cross from Fulham’s right but why was Mitrovic off side? He could see the line and didn’t need to stray. It’s a bullet header that ripples the net, but it won’t count.
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63 mins: That corner comes to nothing as Leeds make a double change. Rutter is off for Bamford and Gnonto makes way for Harrison.
62 mins: Leeds with loads of puff but not enough quality. Summerville in space couldn’t do anything and Roca makes a mess of what should have been a simple pass.
Fulham break and Mitrovic has a shot inside the boc which is deflected out for a corner.
60 mins: Leeds have to get a move on here. Adams and then McKennie run into a cul de sac. Gracia has to change a few things and looks like Bamford is suiting up.
Superb goal that. Hard to pick which is the better of the two. I think because Solomon’s involved another player it shaves it for me. I know this will sound hyperbolic but we’ve seen that sort of thing done by Messi at Barca, where he takes the ball, brings in a teammate, uses him as a wall and then finishes the job himself. Wonderful from the Israeli who has surely cemented his place in the starting XI.
GOAL! Fulham 2-0 Leeds (Solomon, 57)
Four goals in four games for Solomon and what a goal that is! He picks up the piefes of a long cross and plays a swift one-two with Mitrovic and he cuts across the goal. He telegraphs what he’s about to do but there’s no stopping that curler into the far corner from the edge of the box. No chance for the ‘keeper. Another belter for Fulham as they get some breathing room.
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55 mins: Mitrovic’s first time ball finds Wilson in loads of space on the right. But the cross is easily dealt with. Good break from Fulham. Leeds will have to come out more as they chase the equaliser.
Marco Silva didn’t see the goal as he was too busy shouting at people.
One to watch back on the BBC Sport website, Marco! 😉
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 28, 2023
📲 Watch live on @BBCOne and @BBCiPlayer, plus listen on @BBCSounds ⤵️#BBCFootball #BBCFACup
52 mins: It’s raining shots for Leeds. Rutter again, inside the box at the corner. There’s no other option so he opens his body and attempts to curl one in the top corner. He doesn’t get it right and it’s high and handsome, but that was one of those shots that felt closer than it actually was. Know what I mean? As if just a slight change in his foot movement could have seen that fly in.
51 mins: Another save from Rodak. Ayling plays a brilliant ball down the line for Adams who cuts in at the byline and finds Rutter. Rutter controls, juggles and shoots on the half turn without any power. Rodak can fall on the ball without much fuss.
50 mins: Leeds needing something else up front. Gnonto is making runs and darting about but he doesn’t look like scoring. Watch him bag a hat-trick now.
48 mins: Big save from Rodak. Gnonto has the chance to shoot from inside the box but the angle is against him. He’s picked out by a neat through ball from Rutter (formerly referred to as Georginio) but the shot lacks power to drill past the ‘keeper.
46 mins: Roca wins the ball and tries to unleash Georginio but it’s too heavy. Shearer on the comms says it was an easy pass to execute.
Alexander Adams is feeling the love:
“This is the first time I’ve looked forward to a second half of a Leeds game since the Chelsea game back in August. It’s so refreshing to see Leeds play a style of football that isn’t a gimmick. And would you believe it, we have some players who are very good at playing normal football.”
They’ve had their moments and might be all square but for a slight nudge from McKennie. Could go either way this one.
Right, they’re about set. Let’s get cracking.
While you’re doing your homework, Kári Tulinius, has one more assignment for you:
“Brighton’s goal is worth looking up online. Mac Allister, I think, fizzed the ball through the Stoke defense, perfectly weighted for Mitoma to run onto, who passed it across goal for Ferguson to slot home. Brighton are such good fun for the neutral this season, it must be brilliant to be a fan.”
Blackburn have just scored their second to go 2-0 up away at Leicester. Gary Lineker doesn’t look pleased.
They’ve just shown a really special segment on the Beeb remembering some of John Motson’s most memorable moments. Not sure if that’ll be available on the iPlayer but worth digging out if you can.
Elsewhere in the FA Cup:
Stoke City 0-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Leicester City 0-1 Blackburn Rovers
Bristol City 0-1 Manchester City
Time for some correspondence from a torn Ezra Finkelstein:
“As both a Leeds fan and an Israeli, I’m conflicted about my feelings about today’s game. Pride for our boy Manor Solomon and his sensational return from injury is vying with the burning desire for United to do well in the cup.”
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HALF-TIME: Fulham 1-0 Leeds
Well shows what I know. Danny Murphy has just said that Mitrovic hasn’t looked sharp. I thought he did alright.
Anyway, that’s not the talking point. That belongs to Palhinha who swept in to steal possession in midfield before curling in an absolute stunner into the far corner. That looked like a Jimmy Anderson away swinger as it curls from outside the post and into the net.
Leeds had a goal disallowed after McKennie was judged to have pushed Wilson in the Fulham box which meant his header – which was saved – was moot, as was subsequent tap-in from Gnonto. I thought that was the right call but the panel on the BBC reckon it was a “soft” call.
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45 mins + 3: Oh wow. Leeds hit the post. What a header from Georginio. It’s a Gnonto cross from inside the box on the left to the far post. Georginio leaps and has to contort his body and neck in the air. He somehow manages to get enough on it to send it across Rodak to the far post, which he clips and it’s back in play. That would have been special.
Bamford is warming up. His presence might give Leeds a needed focal point.
Three minutes of added time.
45 mins: Palhinha wins another 50-50 in midfield so Fulham can break. Neat interplay has the ball in the box but a Leeds defender is fouled.
Leeds go back up field and McKennie has a shot blocked by Tosin who stands firm.
45 mins: A short corner comes to nothing, Mitrovic’s movement is a joy to watch though. One of those forwards you’d hate to mark.
44 mins: Fulham have a corner thanks to another mazy run from Solomon. He’s been a handful down the left flank.
43 mins: That is not a good delivery from Roca. It’s too long and Ayling can’t keep it in at the far post.
42 mins: Another free kick for Leeds. This time in a good position around centre left. Gnonto fouled for the millionth time. No yellow though for Palhinha who probably should have been booked for that one.
40 mins: Lovely again from Leeds. Ping pong on the ground for a bit before Ream straightens the play with a great ball Mitrovic against the grain. He sends it left and calls for it again. Instead it’s looped for Periera who controls well and fires off a stinging shot. It’s blocked and he appeals for a hand ball that would have given him a penalty.
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39 mins: It’s not a bad ball from Roca but no one is on the end of it. To be honest they didn’t look that interested in meeting that whipped delivery. So Rodak collects on the bounce. I’d be annoyed by that if I was a Leeds fan.
38 mins: Free kick for Fulham in a handy position on the right after Adams is upended.
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37 mins: Solomon has been impressive with every touch. He gets the ball and cuts in field before floating a ball to the inside ride of the box. A header back from Lukic is intercepted though. Fulham winning this on points now as well as goals scored.
35 mins: Strong from Tosin at the back as he fends off Gnonto. The Leeds forward cops an elbow in the jaw for his troubles, but there’s no malice so play on.
34 mins: Solomon beats three defenders as he snakes from left to right. He feeds it to the flank for Wilson who himself darts infield. He’s fouled twice but it;s play on. Pereira darts a cross in for Mitrovic and the Serbian is upended. They’re asking for a penalty. I don’t think this will be overturned by VAR. Yup, no dice.
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31 mins: Leeds have responded well after the goal. Fulham seem content to sit a little deeper. When they dispossess Leeds, who have started to see more of the ball, the home side are eager to pounce. An interesting pattern emerging.
29 mins: Gnonto has the ball in the net again but it’s offside, again. A great diagonal ball finds Ayling who nods back a header. Then a shot from the edge of the box is saved by Rodak who can’t push it beyond Gnonto to his right. Doesn’t matter. The Leeds forwards is too far forward and his tap in to an empty net won’t count.
27 mins: Great from Fulham. Mitrovic comes deep to ignite a move down the right. Two quick passes has the ball in space down the left and Robinson has time to deliver. He slips just as he does so and the ball is cleared. But that is really good from Fulham who need to involve Mitrovic more.
25 mins: Free kick for Leeds beyond striking distance as Rutter takes the ball on the half turn and scampers away. He’s hauled down. It’s a bit too straight to deliver direct so they send it left then back in the middle then left again before having to recycle all the way back to their defenders. Ayling on the overlap on the right can’t reach a long diagonal.
24 mins: That goal has sparked this game into life. Leeds now bustling into tackles. They Gnonto coming deep. I guess a goal like that would light a fire under the bum.
22 mins: Good response. Roca has a swerving shot from distance that is close enough for Rodak to parry away.
GOAL! Fulham 1-0 Leeds (Palhinha, 21)
GOLAZZO!!! What a goal! That is top drawer. Palhinha charges in and makes a tackle about 40 yards out to win the ball back. He takes one touch, then looks up and bends the ball into the top corner, curling it round Meslier who was off his line not expecting his teammates to cough up possession. Wonder strike!
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20 mins: Much better. Cedric has some room on the right and whips in a handy looking cross. It’s a bit behind Mitrovic so rather than meet it with his head he has to swing a boot at it. That allows Leeds to clear but also gives the home side a blueprint on how they might work an angle.
19 mins: Kristenesen gives the ball away and Fulham break down the middle. Solomon on the left gets it and tries a Cruyff turn and is bundled over as he does so. His appeals for a free kick on the edge of the box are ignored.
17 mins: Fulham resorting to long hopeful balls. Wilson is asked to take down one from a higher stratosphere. He appeals for a corner but it’s a goal kick. What happened to the ‘Fulham Way’?
On the goal that wasn’t, replays show that there was definitely a push from McKennie.
Leeds unquestionably the brighter of the two. Fulham ponderous.
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15 mins: The ball is in the net but it’s no goal! From the corner McKennie headers on goal and forces Rodak to save. The ball is popped straight to Gnonto and Leeds’ record signing just has to tap in. But McKennie is deemed to have pushed a Fulham defender and it doesn’t count.
14 mins: Leeds look more incisive. McKennie is put through in space on the left and Cedric has to slide in to knock the ball out for a corner.
13 mins: Summerville is back on and is stabbing a ball through. Fulham close the space quick and get on the ball again. But their interplay down the left fizzles out.
11 mins: Break in play as Summerville goes from his haunches to his backside before receiving treatment. Seems as if he landed hard on his left leg after tussling with Robinson. He’s holding his knee and then his hip. Must have been jarring on the landing.
10 mins: Cedric bursts down the right for Fulham and squares it. It comes back to him a few phases later via a loopy high ball that he can’t control. Fulham caught between looking to play fast and build slow. They’re doing neither at present.
9 mins: Too cure from Leeds. They win possession in their own half down the left and break well. It’s four on four. McKennie probably should have shot but instead tries to slide Summerville in. Rodak comes off his line to clear. McKennie had a chance to fire on goal.
8 min: Gnoto receives the ball on the left and darts in field. Fulham’s defenders look jittery. He fakes a shot and then dinks a ball into the box but Summerville can’t control it. Maybe a first time volley was the better option? Would have been impressive if he’d pulled that off.
7 min: Palhinha, who has seen a lot of the ball, sprays a wonderful diagonal from right to left. But it’s not controlled so it goes for a throw-in.
5 min: Fulham eager to shift it wide as soon as they can. They’ve yet to sling in a cross to Mitrovic but they plan is clear.
A long ball down the right asks too much for Wilson who’s beaten to it.
3 mins: As expected it’s Fulham with the bulk of the ball. But Leeds look comfortable in possession as well. They’re not only lumping it forward.
Both teams set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. As with most games, it’ll come down to who can boss the midfield and feed their big man up front. I like Fulham’s width though.
1 min: Off we go! Fulham kick off
Joe Pearson set me straight just before kick off:
“Fulhamerica goes back to the early aughts, with Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra in the squad. By 2007, there were five US internationals taking the field for Fulham: Keller, Bocanegra, Johnson, McBride, and the Deuce himself, Clint Dempsey! Glory days!”
Fulham in their classic strip of white with black shorts. Leeds in gear that I hope no one minds me calling awful. It’s a busy black number with orange piping down the shoulders and orange shorts. Not for me, Clive.
Not long now. Less than five minutes to go.
Michah Richards is now singling out two Yanks, Adams and McKennie. Their understanding in the midfield needs to click. They were good against Southampton on the weekend.
Can you feel that buzz from across the pond? Mary Waltz with her finger on the pulse:
“Yes, American football fans are over the moon about the young guns spread all over European football. In the past it maybe one or two at a time and mainly goalies. Obviously we are still well behind other football playing nations but we no longer have to be embarrassed and we can’t wait till 2026”
Now it’s Marco Silva’s turn:
[The FA Cup] is really important for us. We have huge respect for the competition. The other players deserve some minutes to show their quality.
We will do our best to win the competition. It will be tough [tonight] against a good side.
Here’ds Javi Gracia on the Beeb:
I’m very proud of my players and delighted to be here, at this club. We’ve started well in the Premier League with a win. That’s given us confidence. I love this competition and want to stay.
I spoke with my players [about his run to the final in 2019 – when he was manager of Watford]
Remember, there won’t be a replay if they’re all square after 90 minutes.
That means it could be a long ol’ night as we meander through extra time and then penalties.
Because it’s important to keep an eye on the wider issues in our game, why not have a quick read of Jonny Liew’s biting piece on the racist abuse that Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior has to put up with. Angry? Good.
Jeff Sax doesn’t believe that Manor Solomon should be starting, simply stating that he’s “better off the bench”.
He’s made an impact every time he’s come on. I reckon he’s earned his chance to start.
I started my preamble with a nod to history. What do you make of this?
Fulham have lost just three games at home all season while Leeds have only won twice on the road. Does that point to a predictable triumph for Fulham?
Fulhamerica v Leeds United States. Hey, don’t look at me, I didn’t come up with that one.
This is apparently doing the rounds stateside, as Harriet Osborn points out:
“We have Fulhamerica vs Leeds United States here, according to stateside social media. Interested to see if all five available US internationals see the pitch tonight, or even... dare I say... start! Looking forward to an exciting match regardless; both of these teams have been a lot of fun to watch.”
They are. I’m expecting goals.
But, this has got me thinking, with two teams so intrinsically linked with a foreign country, have there been similar clashes in the past? Arsenal and France, Wolves and Portugal, etc, but were there any ‘Country X derbies’, if you know what I mean?
Any era (or tenuous link) welcome.
“Hi Daniel,” hi Matt. How are you doing? Thanks for joining us this evening.
“Worth calling out that there will be quite a few empty seats at Craven Cottage tonight. This is due to the club charging a quite outrageous 40 quid per ticket, leading to criticism from both the Leeds and Fulham supporters trusts. Quite why clubs persist with high ticketing prices when it is a fraction of total revenue is beyond me, particularly when it will so obviously impact the long term growth of a fan base. I do wish media would call out ticket prices on a more regular basis - they should be asking managers at their press conferences, if only to get the matter more attention. To add balance, Fulham have very affordable season tickets but their individual ticket policy this season has been, frankly, a disgrace.”
Consider this called out, Matt.
Bamford benched and shift in backline
It looks as if Ayling will play at centre back this evening alongside Saturday’s hero, Junior Firpo. Perhaps with everyone wondering what’s going on at the back, Javi Gracia is hoping no one will give him a hard time about benching Bamford. Though cursory glance at Twitter suggests this may be a popular move.
Leeds: Meslier, Kristensen, Firpo, Ayling, Koch, Adams, Roca, McKennie, Summerville, Georginio, Gnonto.
Subs: Robles, Monteiro, Gyabi, Aaronson, Harrison, Gray, perkins, Joseph, Bamford.
📋 Your #LUFC Starting XI... pic.twitter.com/ixmhbg3YPL
— Leeds United (@LUFC) February 28, 2023
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Solomon starts and Mitrovic returns
Marco Silva is giving the people what they want! The big man returns up front and Solomon, who has been blistering from the bench, will possibly get a full 90 minutes. That means Willian and Vinicius drop to the bench from Friday night’s league game against Wolves.
Fulham: Rodák, Cédric, Tosin, Ream (c), Robinson, Palhinha, Lukić, Andreas, Wilson, Mitrović, Solomon
Subs: Leno, Tete, Duffy, Diop, Reed, De Cordova-Reid, Willian, Harris, Vinicius.
Ready for the #EmiratesFACup Fifth Round! ⬜️#FULLEE pic.twitter.com/DtAsm4KIC8
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) February 28, 2023
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Look, it’s hardly grassroots football, what with this being a clash between two Premier League outfits. But compared the the schmaltz served up at the Best Fifa Awards, this feels like a kickabout during a lunch break on a coal mine.
Barney, as he so often does, finds the right words to describe that ego stroking bonanza in Paris.
How did these two get here?
Fulham started with a relatively comfortable 2-0 win at Hull in the first week of January, but needed a 94th goal from Daniel James to make it safe. They were then kept to a 1-1 draw at home to Sunderland after taking an early lead. In the 4th round replay they held on to a 3-2 at the Stadium of Light.
As for Leeds, a 93rd minute goal from Sonny Perkins rescued a 2-2 draw in Cardiff to force a 3rd round replay which they duly won 5-2 at Elland Road. Things were much more pedestrian in the next round where the walloped Accrington Stanley 3-1 in Lancashire.
Preamble
Would you believe that this will be the first time that Fulham and Leeds will play each other in the world’s oldest football competition? It’s true. I looked it up.
Does that mean anything? Not really. They’ve met 71 times before this with honours just about even – Fulham winning 20 of them, Leeds with five more victories and 15 draws.
But that’s ancient guff that has no bearing on this FA Cup fifth round fixture. Recent history, as in the most recent history, is on Fulham’s side as they won 3-2 at Elland Road in November. That was followed by two spirited 2-1 defeats to the Manchester giants before embarking on a six game unbeaten run. Now, thanks to another string of six games without a loss, the Cottagers are sixth in the Premier League.
Leeds are down in 17th but an important 1-0 win over Southampton has nudged them out of the relegation zone. Maybe momentum is actually with the 1972 FA Cup winners.
So, which narrative thread do we use to weave together an appropriate preamble? Whichever one you like, to be honest. Use them all if you must. That’s the beauty of it. None of it matters and everything is incredibly pertinent. I think both teams will fancy it so we could be in for a tasty game.
Do get in touch via email or Twitter if you fancy.
Kick off at 7:45pm.
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