Prediction: Fulham vs Tottenham

Verdict: Fulham not to lose

Best Odds: 10/11

Bookmaker: bet365

Almost three years since their previous meeting, local rivals Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur will square off in the FA Cup fifth round, with the Cottagers in much better spirits at the moment. Following back to back losses to Liverpool and KAA Gent, Spurs will have a lot to prove on Sunday afternoon.

Fulham

Fulham experienced all sorts of problems after they were relegated in 2014, but the arrival of former Watford boss Slavisa Jokanovic has helped steady the ship. Thanks to some shrewd dealings in the transfer market, the Cottagers have put together a very good squad with plenty of potential, and they are now reaping the rewards. The local derby against high-flying Spurs comes at a good time for the Craven Cottage outfit considering that they won four of last five matches in all competitions, climbing to eighth in the Championship standings. Fulham are still six points behind the play-off positions, but there is plenty of time for them to try and achieve a top 6 finish. The Cottagers also enjoyed a great start to the new FA Cup campaign, defeating Cardiff City on the road before hammering Hull City 4-1 at Craven Cottage, and there are no doubts they will be very motivated to try and take advantage of Tottenham’s poor run of form. Everything suggests that Slavisa Jokanovic will field his strongest side on Sunday afternoon to give his team the best possible chance of progressing to the next stage.

Team News

Neeskens Kebano is pushing for a start after yet another impressive cameo role, but Ryan Fredericks is banned and Tomas Kalas remains doubtful.

Tottenham

Up until few weeks ago, Tottenham were in good position in all the competitions entered, but the latest slump in form is threatening to ruin their season. Spurs have now won just one of last four Premier League fixtures, slipping to third after the loss at Anfield, while the unexpected Europa League defeat to KAA Gent only added insult to injury. Eager for his team to return to winning ways, manager Mauricio Pochettino had fielded a pretty strong side with Kane, Alli, Dembele, Wanyama, Walker and Dier in the starting line-up, but his side were pretty disappointing in Belgium, suffering second successive defeat in all competitions. Said loss will place an extra pressure on the players ahead of the local derby against in-form Fulham, especially since Spurs’ away record does not make a good reading. Namely, Tottenham have failed to win any of their last four on the road (D2 L2), failing to score in last three, which is enough to suggest they will not have an easy job at Craven Cottage.

Team News

Harry Kane hopes to feature despite suffering a knee injury in midweek, while manager Pochettino is expected to ring some changes to his starting line-up.

Key Factors to Consider

• Spurs won five of last six matches vs Fulham (L1)
• Fulham lost last three home games vs Tottenham
• The Cottagers won four of last five fixtures
• Spurs are winless in last four away matches
• They failed to score in three of those games

Conclusion

Fulham are on top of their game at the moment and they will be at full strength on Sunday, unlike Spurs, who are going through a very rough patch. With Mauricio Pochettino set to rest some of his regular starters, we are backing the Cottagers to pile more misery on their local rivals.

Verdict: Fulham not to lose

Best Odds: 10/11

Bookmaker: bet365