Fulham must overturn a 1-0 deficit to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals, putting their recent cup momentum on the line. 8: 00 p. m. ET — Fulham lost 1-0 to Southampton after Ross Stewart converted a penalty, leaving the Cottagers behind in the fifth-round tie.
Fulham now need a comeback to secure a third quarter-final in four seasons
Fulham trail 1-0 after the second half ended with that single Ross Stewart penalty, a scoreline that stops Fulham short of an immediate place in the last eight; they are aiming for a third quarter-final appearance in the last four seasons, having also reached that stage in 2022-23 and 2024-25. The match scoreline — Fulham 0, Southampton 1 at full-time — is the immediate obstacle to that target.
Still, one individual Fulham stat underlines who has been driving their cup attack this season: Kevin has been involved in three of Fulham’s five FA Cup goals so far this campaign (2 goals, 1 assist), and he led the third and fourth rounds for most shots and most touches in the opposition’s box of any Premier League player across those rounds in 2025-26.
Raúl Jiménez, Alex Iwobi and other chances went begging for Fulham
Fulham created clear moments after the break but could not convert them: Alex Iwobi had a right-footed shot from outside the box blocked following an assist from Raúl Jiménez, and Jorge Cuenca saw a right-footed attempt from the centre of the box blocked after a headed pass from Rodrigo Muniz. Raúl Jiménez later entered the match as a substitution, replacing Harrison Reed for Fulham.
That said, disciplinary incidents punctuated Fulham’s route to goal: Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham) picked up a yellow card for a bad foul, while Kuryu Matsuki and Finn Azaz (both Southampton) were also shown yellow cards during the second half. Josh King won a free kick on the left wing for Fulham as they pushed for an equalizer.
Historic FA Cup notes: this is the fourth cup tie and Southampton’s mixed record
This is the fourth FA Cup tie between Fulham and Southampton; the Cottagers progressed in the third round in 1998-99 after a replay, while Southampton won earlier ties in the second round in 1914-15 and the third round in 2017-18. That limited cup history frames a fixture with few prior meetings in the competition.
Southampton’s FA Cup record in matches against top-flight opponents while they were outside the top division has been poor overall: since beating Manchester United in the 1976 final, Southampton have been eliminated in seven of their eight FA Cup ties against top-flight opponents when they were playing outside the top division, the one exception being a 2-0 win against Blackpool in the third round in 2010-11. The Saints’ narrow win here continues that pattern of selective cup success.
For Fulham, the match adds pressure on selection and form ahead of the deciding ties coming this weekend; their fourth-round victory at Stoke City and recent domestic results were part of the buildup to this fifth-round test.
Next confirmed event: the fifth-round ties on Sunday 8 March will decide the last eight of the FA Cup. If Fulham win on Sunday 8 March, they will reach the FA Cup quarter-final stage for a third time in four seasons.
