It has been a long time since Fulham made it to the semi-final of a domestic cup competition. They have endured plenty of early exits, plus a few near misses in quarter-finals, since Jean Tigana oversaw a flat 1-0 defeat by Chelsea in the last four of the FA Cup in 2002.
However, if the performance against Chelsea was a case of the smaller team failing to rise to the occasion, nobody should mistake the Fulham of 2024 for being too nice. Marco Silva has ensured there is bite to sit alongside the pretty football, though there are times when the pugnacious spirit goes too far. It is less than a year since Fulham faced Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and, from 1-0 up with 15 minutes to go, suffered a meltdown that culminated in two red cards, a 3-1 defeat, an eight-game suspension for Aleksandar Mitrovic and a touchline ban for Silva.
Disappointment comes in different forms. The issue against Chelsea 22 years ago was a toothlessness in the final third, surprisingly so for a team that had Steed Malbranque in midfield and Louis Saha up front, whereas against United the problem was Fulham’s complete loss of composure. In both cases, though, the root cause may well have been inexperience. Is it a coincidence that Fulham had been promoted the previous season on both occasions?
Either way, setbacks can be part of the process. For Fulham, the challenge is to be bold but stay cool when they visit Liverpool in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday evening. This is their first appearance at this stage of the League Cup and they are clear underdogs, but an upset is not out of the question. Do not forget that Fulham were 3-2 up in the league at Anfield last month, only for Liverpool to score two stunning late goals.
Jürgen Klopp will certainly not underestimate a team making strides in their second season in the top flight. Fulham, who have never won a major trophy, are dangerously unpredictable. They struggled to absorb the loss of Mitrovic at the start of the season, went goal crazy before going flat over Christmas, and then bounced back to life on New Year’s Eve by fighting back from a goal down to beat Arsenal.
The performance against Arsenal was superb, the excellent Raúl Jiménez equalising from a vintage Tom Cairney assist before Bobby De Cordova-Reid continued his fine run of form by grabbing the winner. But if there was one moment that summed up why Fulham have a chance against Liverpool, it came when Bukayo Saka threatened to make it 2-2 after wriggling in from the right.
Across came João Palhinha, preserving victory with a huge tackle on Saka. It was a brilliant piece of defensive play from the midfielder and underlined his importance to Fulham. They are half the team when Palhinha is unavailable. The stats show they are a top-half side when the Portugal international plays and relegation candidates when he is missing.
No wonder Fulham were so relieved when Palhinha’s move to Bayern Munich broke down on deadline day last summer. The 28‑year‑old has been exceptional since joining from Sporting in 2022 and Fulham’s fans need to enjoy him while they can. Although Palhinha signed a new five‑year deal last September, he has since spoken about wanting to play at a higher level.
Equally there has been no dip in his performances since the deal with Bayern collapsed. Palhinha’s professionalism is underlined by the stat showing he has made 84 tackles this season, more than any other midfielder in the Premier League. He is also third for interceptions, behind Lewis Cook and Declan Rice, and it was not a surprise that Silva did not risk Palhinha during the win against Rotherham in the FA Cup last Friday.
Once regarded as a soft touch, Fulham need Palhinha’s steel against Liverpool. They need him to protect their back four and combat Liverpool’s creativity. Although Mohamed Salah is at the Africa Cup of Nations, Klopp has plenty of options in attack. Liverpool displayed their depth when they beat Arsenal. They have the potential to blow Fulham away in the first leg.
Yet Fulham will back themselves to be in with a chance when they host the second leg. They are desperate to take this opportunity to show they have developed. They know, too, that they face a fight to keep Palhinha. A move this month is unlikely, with Bayern seemingly not inclined to meet the asking price, but the summer will surely bring more interest.
By then Fulham will hope to have secured a passage into the Europa Conference League by winning the Carabao Cup. It is a tall order but Palhinha gives them hope. His presence should ensure that Fulham do not lack conviction against Liverpool.
