Fulham will be aiming to stun champions Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday when they make the trip to the Etihad Stadium.
The Cottagers have had a fairly decent start to the new season, having registered a win, a draw and a loss over their trio of opening league fixtures. Despite being reduced to 10 men in the second half, they managed to pinch a point in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last weekend.
On Tuesday evening, Marco Silva’s side dumped Tottenham out of the Carabao Cup by winning the tie in the penalty shootout. That should give the West London outfit a lot of confidence ahead of their league fixture against Man City, who are at the top of the table after winning their opening three games.
Fulham Team News
Andreas Pereira shook off a minor knock he picked up in the 2-2 draw with Arsenal to make the bench for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie against Spurs. Both Tim Ream and Calvin Bassey will also be available against Man City having served their respective suspensions.
However, Willian remains doubtful for the trip to the Etihad Stadium, having missed the last two matches in league and cup with an unspecified injury.
Predicted Fulham lineup vs Man City (4-3-3)
Goalkeeper
Fulham named a strong side for the second-round Carabao Cup tie with Spurs, with second-choice goalkeeper Marek Rodak becoming the hero in the penalty shootout. However, Silva is expected to recall No.1 Bernd Leno in goal against City.
Defence
Calvin Bassey, who was sent off against Arsenal, is available again having served his suspension in midweek. He is likely to replace Tim Ream and partner Issa Diop at the heart of the defence in the Fulham lineup.
Kenny Tete and Antonee Robinson will complete the backline, and the full-back duo along with Bassey and Diop will look to keep things tight and contain the Erling Haaland-led City attack. New signing Timothy Castagne is likely to be an option on the bench.
Midfield
Andreas Pereira and Sasa Lukic are expected to be recalled into the Fulham lineup, with the former coming off the bench against Spurs in the midweek cup tie. They will join Joao Palhinha in the engine room.
The troika of Pereira, Palhinha and Lukic will aim to keep things tidy in midfield and provide the foundation for Silva’s side to execute their plan of hitting City hard in transitions.
Attack
Harry Wilson and Bobby Decordova-Reid will add drive, guile and pace to the side from wide areas, with Raul Jimenez tasked with leading the Fulham lineup in attack against City. The Fulham forwards will look to combine well in and around the box and hurt the hosts, especially in transitions.
Adama Traore, Carlos Vinicius and Tom Cairney will look to make an impact off the bench in the second half if called upon by the manager.
