On January 10th, Beijing time, the third round of the FA Cup kicked off, with Fulham playing against Watford, a Championship team, at home. The match was one-sided, and Fulham emerged victorious with a score of 4-1. Muniz, Jimenez, Anosson, and Castagne each scored for Fulham, while Watford's Vata found the net. Many Manchester United fans were also paying attention to this match, as a former United player stood out. Manchester United has suffered a significant loss! They mistakenly trusted Ten Hag: they sold their midfield engine for a pittance, and now he has led his new club to an unbeaten streak of 9 games.
In this FA Cup encounter, Fulham had a possession rate of 72%, with 27 shots and 8 on target, while Watford had a possession rate of 28%, with 5 shots and 2 on target. Watford performed significantly better than their opponents, scoring first in the 26th minute through Muniz. In the 33rd minute, Vata scored, helping Watford equalize the score.
Watford continued to exert pressure in the second half, scoring three goals. Jimenez converted a penalty, followed by goals from Anosson and Castagne, securing a resounding victory for Fulham and advancing them to the next round. Currently, three teams have advanced in the third round of the FA Cup, including Fulham, Sheffield United, and Everton.
In Fulham's resounding victory over Watford, the standout player was Pereira, who joined from Manchester United. Pereira wore the captain's armband for Fulham and completed a remarkable 9 key passes, hit the frame of the goal with a shot, and made 4 interceptions. Pereira is the organizational core of Fulham and also provided support defensively, earning a post-match rating of 8.9, the highest of the game.
In Fulham's last 9 matches, this Premier League powerhouse has remained unbeaten with 3 wins and 6 draws, drawing with Tottenham, Arsenal, and Liverpool, and defeating Chelsea. In their last 13 matches, Fulham's record stands at 5 wins, 7 draws, and only 1 loss. Currently, Fulham ranks 9th in the Premier League table, 7 points ahead of Manchester United, who are in 13th place.
During Ten Hag's tenure at Manchester United, he spent a high price to bring in several players who have not delivered performances commensurate with their transfer fees, such as Antony for 95 million euros, Hojlund for 73.9 million euros, and Mount for 64.2 million euros. Pereira joined Fulham for a transfer fee of 9.5 million euros and became a key midfielder for the club. He was the top player in the Premier League for key passes and assists within Fulham for two consecutive seasons, and his performance this season has been commendable, earning him a spot in the Brazilian national team. On the midfield, Manchester United sold Pereira at a low price and then signed Mount at a high price, resulting in a significant loss.