Fulham analysis: Jimenez's quality the differencepublished at 16:48 GMT 22 February
16:48 GMT 22 February
Joe Rindl BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Raul Jimenez scored twice to help Fulham end a three-match Premier League losing run with victory at Sunderland.
He was the key difference on Saturday kickstarting what had been a drab game with a fine header into the corner and a cool penalty kick.
Jimenez's double took his tally to 11 for club and county in 36 appearances this season.
And it was first goal since he scored against Manchester United in a 3-2 defeat on 1 February.
But he may have been fortunate to have still been on the pitch though, having been booked in the first half for catching Ballard with a flailing arm and almost getting a second yellow card for the same offence on Omar Alderete a few minutes later.
Manager Marco Silva wisely replaced him for Rodrigo Muniz shortly after his second.
Elsewhere, Harry Wilson continued his fine individual form by assisting Iwobi's late goal.
Since the start of November, only Erling Haaland (17) and Bruno Fernandes (15) have been involved in more Premier League goals than the fantasy football star (seven goals and five assists).
Sunderland 1-3 Fulham: What Silva, Iwobi and Jimenez saidpublished at 16:39 GMT 22 February
16:39 GMT 22 February
Media caption,
Fulham boss Marco Silva, speaking to Match of the Day: "Very important win, big win for us. Well deserved as well.
"We showed quality, maturity, composure, organisation and braveness. Those are the important moments you have to step up and we did it."
On if he took Raul Jimenez off to avoid a second yellow card: "No - I have to do it because we ware talking about a striker that had four or five fouls against him and one yellow card against him. It was a little bit difficult for him, every time he went to the ball was a foul. I don't want to take any risks."
On ambitions for the season: "We want to push higher and higher. It was a key game for us. We are going to see. March is a big month for us with five games, four of them at home. We will try to perform at our best level."
Fulham goalscorer Alex Iwobi speaking to Sky Sports: "We knew it was going to be difficult, the pitch wasn't great. We know if we wanted to climb up the table we had to get these points away from home. They have been very good at home and it's good to get the result we wanted."
On if Europe is the aim now: "We take it step by step. Onto the next game, we got the three points which was the aim, to climb above them. We take it game by game - that cliche saying and see where we end up at the end of the season."
Goalscorer Raul Jimenez added: "We tried to put our game on the pitch and we managed to do it better in the second half. We scored early and controlled the game after that."
On his goals: "I had a good feeling since the beginning and I knew that I needed to do a great game, I needed these two goals. It's good for me to be helping the team in the way I can to keep climbing the table."
Did you know?
Fulham's Raul Jiménez has the best 100% record from penalties in Premier League history, scoring all 13 he has taken.
Sunderland v Fulham: Team newspublished at 12:57 GMT 22 February
12:57 GMT 22 February
Sunderland give a Premier League debut to January signing Joecelin Ta Bi.
The 20-year-old winger, who joined from five-time Israeli champions Maccabi Netanya after a loan spell with Hapoel Petah Tikva, made his debut in Sunderland's FA Cup win over Oxford United last Sunday.
He's the only change from Sunderland's last league game, a 1-0 loss to Liverpool, with Reinildo Mandava ruled out with a knee injury.
Sunderland XI: Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Ta Bi; Sadiki, Le Fee; Hume, Diarra, Angulo; Brobbey.
Fulham make just one change from their last Premier League match, a 3-0 loss to Manchester City.
Injury forces out Samuel Chukwueze so Kevin comes into the starting XI. Fulham's last match was a 2-1 win over Championship outfit Stoke in the FA Cup.
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Sunderland v Fulham" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Spurs v Arsenal", for instance.
Sunderland v Fulham: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 13:16 GMT 21 February
13:16 GMT 21 February
Sunday's mid-table clash between Sunderland and Fulham at the Stadium of Light (14:00 GMT) brings together two sides experiencing slumps in otherwise solid seasons, both buoyed by progress to the FA Cup fifth round.
Sunderland's 1-0 defeat against Liverpool in their last league fixture was their first loss at home all season, having won seven of their previous 12. It was the longest unbeaten home start to a top-flight campaign by a promoted side since Nottingham Forest went the entire 1977-78 campaign without defeat.
Black Cats have stopped purring
Head coach Regis Le Bris made six changes for their cup success against Championship strugglers Oxford United and it will be interesting to see if the Frenchman thinks anyone he drafted in made a good case to start this game as he looks to arrest a decline in the Black Cats' form.
Since victory in the Tyne-Wear derby on 14 December, the Mackems' only league wins have come against Crystal Palace and relegation candidates Burnley, a run which has seen them drop from seventh in the table on New Year's Day to 11th.
Le Bris's side have lost four of their last six league games, as many as they had in their first 20 this season. Successive defeats to Arsenal and Liverpool marked the first time they've lost consecutive league games this term.
Chukwueze does it
Having been in the best form of their Premier League lives throughout December and January, Fulham are another side having a wobble, with three losses on the spin leaving them 12th in the table, one place and two points below Sunday's opponents.
Marco Silva's side have struggled on the road this season, with only the bottom two, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley, having suffered more away defeats than Fulham's eight.
Most of the plaudits for the Cottagers' success this season have gone to Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez, who scored the winner in the reverse fixture in November. Kevin's recent contributions have also caught the eye, but there's another attacker adjusting to life in west London who shouldn't go unheralded.
Winger Samuel Chukwueze has endured a stop-start Fulham career since joining on loan from AC Milan in September, largely due to his involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria.
Despite his limited time on the pitch, his contributions have been notable. Of all players to have played 500-plus minutes in the Premier League this season, only Erling Haaland is averaging a goal involvement more frequently than Chukwueze.
Fulham, who are aiming to complete the league double over Sunderland for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign, have a good recent record against promoted teams, although their 12-game unbeaten run in such fixtures came to an end with a 1-0 defeat at Leeds United in January.
Silva on 'mood', away support and contract latestpublished at 16:22 GMT 20 February
16:22 GMT 20 February
Nicola Pearson BBC Sport journalist
Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Sunderland at Stadium of Light (kick-off 14:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Silva confirmed Tom Cairney and Sasa Lukic have both returned to training this week and they will "have to assess them again" before making a decision on who will be available, but it is "nice to have them back there with their team-mates and looking good". However, the Sunderland game will be too soon for Samuel Chukwueze.
On the importance of FA Cup win over Stoke after recent Premier League defeats: "It's very important always to win games, but it's not that the mood was down at all. I didn't feel that... Sometimes even if the results are not the best one, doesn't mean that everything is wrong or the mood can be down. I think we did what was our obligation against Stoke, a game that we needed energy, we made 10 changes from one game to the other. The team responded very well. We are very serious in a competition that we want to win."
When comparing their form over the Christmas period and more recently, asked whether it is sometimes better having busy spells of fixtures, Silva responded: "Depends, really. When the games are coming thick and fast and you are getting good results, the fatigue will not come, the lack of energy will not come. You are never tired if you are getting good results and you are winning. But if you ask some teams that in that period didn't get the right results, for sure they were tired and mentally they were not in their best."
The Fulham boss believes, however many fans manage to make the trip to the Stadium of Light on Sunday, they are "going to be loud, they are going to support the team", adding: "We want to make them proud and we want to make them have a good game, and if they can have a good journey back with a smile on their face, it's going to be everything for us."
Silva said him and the club are "aligned" and having conversations about "many, many things", including his contract, so there is no further news on his future at this time.
On racism in football following the incident in the Champions League this week with alleged racist abuse from Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni towards Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr:" I think we we all have this battle and here is clear, but around Europe, around the world, I think the battle is there for us to win and at the end we are going to win."
'Kevin represents the progress the club continues to make'published at 08:09 GMT 17 February
08:09 GMT 17 February
Drew Heatley Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
They say if you are not moving forward, you are moving backwards. Progress might not always be fast, but making it is the important part.
Kevin arrived at Fulham on the last day of the summer transfer window with the millstone of being our record signing around his neck.
His debut - a scintillating 20-minute cameo against Leeds United in September - got everyone at Craven Cottage purring, but he endured a patchy first 20 games, with no goals forthcoming.
The 22-year-old Brazilian now has three goals in his past seven games. Not enough to win him the Ballon d'Or perhaps, but it's a welcome shift that indicates Kevin is starting to settle in to his new surroundings.
His goal against Stoke City in the FA Cup on Sunday helped us on our way to the next round, keeping fans' hopes alive that Marco Silva can bring the first major trophy to Craven Cottage.
The scars of our abject capitulation to Crystal Palace are still fresh - and the vision of seeing the Eagles lift their first piece of silverware should be all it takes to fuel us this year.
In many ways, Kevin represents the progress the club continues to make. He and new recruit Oscar Bobb, who made his first start on the opposite wing on Sunday, are both highly rated - and highly coveted - attackers in their early 20s, who both saw the appeal of this modern Fulham side.
If we can reap the rewards from these youngsters by helping them fulfil their potential while at the club, then who is to say where this progress might take all of us?
'We changed completely' Fulham's 'ambition' for cup competitions - Silvapublished at 14:45 GMT 16 February
14:45 GMT 16 February
Image source, Getty Images
Fulham boss Marco Silva says his team need to "have the ambition" to go all the way in the FA Cup as he eyes silverware at the end of the season.
Goals from Kevin and Harrison Reed helped the Cottagers come from behind against Stoke on Sunday to progress to the fifth round, despite a much-changed starting XI.
The win kept up Silva's impressive record in cup competitions with the west London side.
Since arriving in 2021, he has led the team to the last eight of the FA Cup or League Cup three times, as well as one semi-final against Liverpool in 2023-24 - and Silva is looking for more.
"[This is our] fourth season, the last three in one cup competition or another we have been reaching quarter-finals," he said.
"We changed completely [after] the past 15 to 20 years of the football club in terms of the ambition for these competitions.
"If you want more you are going to fight for more. We are not going to hide ourselves - it is the goal, it is what we want to achieve.
"We have to be grounded but at the same time to have the ambition."
Victory at Stoke ended a three-match losing run for Fulham, who next head to Sunderland in the Premier League on Sunday.
Joseph: We NEED to see more of that Kevin/Robinson link-up on the left flank in the Premier League. Their chemistry was on-point throughout the entire game. Nice to see Reed get some minutes, and he played consistently well throughout the time that he was on the pitch.
James: Great performance to send us into the fifth round. Fulham absolutely dominated and ran the entire game with a star display from Kevin. That is the form we need to bring to Sunderland next weekend.
Tom: Shaky at times but fully deserved win. Hoping for a good draw but City away seems to happen every year in one cup or another! So good that Kevin seems to be settled in now.
Chris: After a difficult few games in defeat, glad we got a victory. But now is the time to be smart. I respect Silva and he has been the best manager since Hodgson but he needs to be more confident in his substitution and make the changes early in 2nd half.
Robbie: A great result at a tough place to play, Stoke always have a chance when they play at home. Kevin seems to finally be finding some confidence which is great for him and the team. Home draw next round please!
Mick: Very professional performance. Our line-up was experienced, lots of Premier league experience, with lots of players coming back from injury. Showed the depth of experience we have and we get a nice fifth-round draw.
When is FA Cup fifth-round draw?published at 08:16 GMT 16 February
08:16 GMT 16 February
Image source, Getty Images
The 2025-26 FA Cup fifth-round draw will take place on Monday, 16 February at about 18:35 GMT.
It will be done before the fourth-round tie between Macclesfield Town - the lowest-ranked team left in the competition - and Brentford, with former England internationals Joe Cole and Karen Carney conducting the draw on TNT Sports.
Supporters can also follow the draw on the BBC Sport website and app.
All matches will be played around the weekend commencing Saturday, 7 March.
Unlike in previous years, there are no replays if matches end as a draw. All ties will go to extra time, and if necessary, a penalty shootout.
Silva changes almost backfirepublished at 20:36 GMT 15 February
20:36 GMT 15 February
Keifer MacDonald BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
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.
Stoke 1-2 Fulham: What Silva saidpublished at 17:39 GMT 15 February
17:39 GMT 15 February
Fulham boss Marco Silva, speaking to TNT Sports: "Very pleased with the way we played, the way we controlled the game and the way we reacted from the first goal. We created enough to have a different score – I don't think 2-1 reflects our chances. We did enough to score more goals. We kept them under pressure."
On not giving up after going a goal down: "It has been our image as a team. Even if something goes wrong for us, we don't have any reason to change things or give up.
"It is not part of our dictionary and not part of our dressing room. This game was important to have some players back from injury and give minutes in an official game, which is important.
"Harrison Reed is always that key player for us in that key area."
On aiming for FA Cup success: "We believe like we showed in the last few years that we are capable to go [far]. These type of competitions, the draw is a big part. We are serious in the competition."
Did you know?
Fulham have now progressed from 17 of their last 19 FA Cup ties against sides from a lower division, including each of their last eight in a row.
Kevin has scored three goals in his last seven appearances in all competitions, after going goalless in his first 20 games for Fulham beforehand.
Harrison Reed has scored two goals this season in all competitions, only one fewer than he managed across the previous six campaigns (all 3 in 2022-23).
You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Birmingham v Leeds" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Oxford United v Sunderland", for instance.
Silva on team news, manager sackings and Stokepublished at 14:54 GMT 13 February
14:54 GMT 13 February
Sarah Rendell BBC Sport journalist
Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round tie at Championship side Stoke City (kick-off 14:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On team news: "No fresh injury concerns for us from the last game and the session as well. We have another session tomorrow before the game. Tom Cairney and Sasa Lukic are going to be out."
The manager also did not want to make a comment on Phil Foden's potential red card from the defeat at Manchester City: "The moment it is not for me to give an opinion about that."
On whether Oscar Bobb could start: "He could - we have to wait more. We have another session to see. It was a good session from him today - like all of the other players - and we have to decide tomorrow whether he will start. There is a good chance for him."
On the importance of a cup competition: "I don't like just to go by words - we must prove it on the pitch. Yes, any time we start a competition like this we aim high. To arrive in the final stages we have to be serious."
Asked if Thomas Frank's sacking by Tottenham makes it more appealing for him to stay at Fulham instead of moving to a different club, Silva said: "In the business we are in now, the results speak louder than all the other things we are doing. For Thomas, and other colleagues when they leave their jobs, it is always a difficult moment. He is a very good coach and a great man as well. But football is like that. My decision, or the club's decision, does not mean we look for other examples. Each club is its own example."
On Stoke City: "They started the competition very well. They were in a good position, in the play-off position [in the Championship]. They were playing well. It's always a difficult place to go because the home support is very good. We have to respect them and they have a quality side who could make our life very difficult."
Image source, Getty Images
