Championship high-flyers Sunderland will hope to cause problems for Premier League outfit Fulham when they clash in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Fulham have lost successive games in the league, failing to score in each of them, and will welcome the distraction that this FA Cup fourth-round tie brings.
Marco Silva has reiterated that Premier League survival remains his key objective, but relegation doesn’t appear to be a concern as Fulham sit seventh and 14 points clear of the drop zone.
Sunderland, who won promotion from League One at the end of last season, also don’t have any big worries with regard to a relegation scrap.
Tony Mowbray has done a fine job with a limited squad and budget to get the Black Cats up to ninth and just a point shy of the playoff places.
Fulham vs Sunderland Betting Tips
- Draw or Sunderland – Double chance @ 13/8
- Ross Stewart to score anytime and both teams to score @ 11/4
Team news
Fulham boss Silva hasn’t reported any new injury concerns ahead of the clash but Neeskens Kebano, who has a ruptured Achilles, remains a long-term absentee.
Carlos Vinicius could be handed a rare start in the place of Aleksandar Mitrovic if Silva opts to shuffle the pack.
Marek Rodak, Layvin Kurzawa, Tom Cairney and Tosin Adarabioyo are all pushing for recalls, while Manor Soloman could earn his first start for the Cottagers following three appearances off the bench after undergoing knee surgery.
Sunderland have confirmed that captain Corry Evans will miss the rest of the season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the win over Middlesbrough on Sunday.
Alex Pritchard, Elliot Embleton, Niall Huggins and Dennis Cirkin are also still sidelined with injuries, while Luke O’Nien will miss out as he serves the second match of a three-game ban.
Aji Alese earned praise after returning from injury against Boro and the 22-year-old could be set for a second successive start.
Draw or Sunderland – Double chance @ 13/8
Sunderland have adapted well to life back in the second tier, having spent the past four campaigns in League One, and confidence is flowing through the squad.
The same can be said about Fulham after they returned to the Premier League, however, they’ve stumbled over the past few weeks, losing back-to-back games.
The Black Cats are yet to lose a game on the road since returning from a break for the World Cup and their unbeaten away streak stretches to seven games across all competitions.
With an upset on the agenda, Sunderland look well-placed to at least secure a draw against a team potentially starting to slide in the wrong direction.
Ross Stewart to score anytime and both teams to score @ 11/4
We’ve selected two bets to make up our #PickYourPunt with the first requiring Sunderland forward Ross Stewart to score anytime.
Stewart is Sunderland’s leading marksman across all competitions, registering 11 times, despite missing 15 games due to injury.
He’s netted in six of his seven appearances since returning from the sidelines, including last time out against Boro, and is likely to keep Fulham busy.
The second leg requires both teams to score and that has landed in each of Sunderland’s last five on the road.
Both teams have also found the back of the net in three of Fulham’s last four when hosting.
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