Fulham host Crystal Palace in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup tonight. Kick-off at Craven Cottage is at 20:45 our time, and Fulham coach Alvaro Arbeloa has made it clear he wants to go far in this competition.
A cup run can lift a whole season, and Arbeloa seems to see it that way.
What Arbeloa said
“This cup is really important,” Arbeloa told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s a great opportunity for us to reach a final.”
He expects to pick his strongest team possible, even though Fulham have another game three days later. Some coaches rest players in this round. Arbeloa does not want to, and his players now know the cup is a real target for him.
A score to settle with Palace
The two clubs met at Craven Cottage in the Premier League in September, and Palace won 3-2. Arbeloa has not forgotten it.
“It’s another London derby, and maybe a revenge for us,” he said.
That game still hurts at Fulham. They played at home in front of their own fans and still lost. Tonight they get the same opponent on the same ground, and a first chance to put it right.
How the two teams come in
Fulham went their first six league games without a win, then won the next two. They are 15th in the Premier League with 8 points from 8 games.
Palace are 17th with 7 points and have not won in four games in all competitions. So both clubs sit in the bottom half of the table, and only one point splits them. Neither side can say it is the clear favourite.
Our take
Fulham look like the team with the better mood right now. Two league wins in a row and a coach who says he will not rest players are a good sign for a cup night at home.
Palace need a result of any kind to stop the bad run. A cup win in a London derby could be the thing that turns their season. A loss would make the next league game feel much heavier.
Who goes through, Fulham or Palace? Tell us in the comments.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Alvaro Arbeloa by Timmy96 (CC0, two photos), Craven Cottage by Neil Theasby (CC BY-SA 2.0), Crystal Palace Centenary Wall at Selhurst Park by Christopher Hilton (CC BY-SA 2.0).