7M - Match Preview: Stoke City vs. Fulham - Predictions, Team News, Lineups

This weekend, Championship side Stoke City will host Premier League club Fulham at the bet365 Stadium as both teams shift their focus from league action to the FA Cup fourth round.

Match Preview

Stoke City has found victories hard to come by recently, suffering a disappointing 1-0 loss to Charlton Athletic in midweek, while Fulham faced a heavy 3-0 defeat against Manchester City.

After finishing in 18th place last season, Stoke made a positive start to this campaign, but a string of poor results has seen them drop out of the playoff race and slide down the Championship table. Their latest loss, conceding an 81st-minute winner from former player Tyreece Campbell against relegation-threatened Charlton, would have been particularly frustrating.

Currently sitting 14th in the table with 43 points, Stoke is four points adrift of the playoff places, where Wrexham occupies the sixth spot. One of the main concerns for manager Mark Robins has been the team's attacking form, with the Potters scoring just twice in their last six matches, making them one of the least effective attacking teams in the division.

Despite this, Stoke kicked off their FA Cup journey with a surprising win over Championship leaders Coventry City, and they will need to pull off an even bigger upset on Sunday to advance to the round of 16.

Fulham, after a decent run during the New Year, has seen their form drop in February. The Cottagers have lost three consecutive matches to Manchester United, Everton, and Manchester City, leaving them in 12th place in the league, 10 points off European qualification spots. The recent loss to Manchester City was particularly harsh, as they fell behind 3-0 within just 39 minutes.

With Premier League results not going in their favor lately, Fulham could see this FA Cup clash against lower-league opposition as a chance to regain confidence and build momentum. They reached this stage of the cup following an impressive 3-1 victory over Middlesbrough in January, with goals from Harry Wilson, Emile Smith Rowe, and Kevin.

This match will mark the first meeting between Stoke and Fulham since 2022, with the Cottagers winning the last three encounters.

Potential Lineups

Stoke City:

Simkin; Talovierov, Phillips, Wilmot, Cresswell; Seko, Pearson; Manhoef, Rigo, Thomas; Cisse

Fulham:

Lecomte; Castagne, Diop, Cuenca, Sessegnon; Reed, King; Bobb, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Kusi-Asare

Prediction: Stoke City 1-3 Fulham

We anticipate a 3-1 victory for Fulham over Stoke City. Both sides are enduring difficult runs, but we believe the Premier League club's quality will prevail, allowing them to progress smoothly to the next stage of the FA Cup.