Stoke City 1-2 Fulham Player Ratings: Kevin Sparks Comeback to Seal FA Cup 4th Round Victory

What a classic FA Cup tie we witnessed at the Britannia Stadium. This match had all the drama you could ask for, with Fulham eventually clawing their way back from a goal down to snatch a 2-1 win. It was a real game of two halves. The home side, Stoke City, came out of the blocks flying, and their early pressure paid off handsomely. They deservedly took the lead through a fantastic strike from Jun-ho Bae.

For a while, it looked like a potential upset was on the cards. Fulham looked a bit shell-shocked and disjointed in the first period. They dominated possession but struggled to create clear-cut chances against a stubborn Stoke defence. What stood out to us was the sheer number of saves the Stoke keeper had to make throughout the game; he was immense.

However, the second half told a completely different story. Fulham came out with renewed purpose, and the equalizer from Kevin felt inevitable. The momentum shifted entirely. The game was won by a true captain's goal from Harrison Reed late on, a moment of quality that decided the contest. It was a gutsy comeback from the visitors, who showed their class when it mattered most. Here are Sportsdunia's Stoke City vs Fulham player ratings for the FA Cup 4th Round match.

Fulham Player Ratings vs Stoke City

Here are the Fulham player ratings against Stoke City for the FA Cup 4th Round match.

Goalkeeper

Benjamin Lecomte - 6.5: Couldn't have done much about the goal he conceded; it was a fine finish. He made a couple of important saves, including a really sharp one to deny a long-range effort. His distribution was generally reliable. It wasn't his busiest day at the office, but he was alert when called upon.

Defenders

Timothy Castagne - 7.0: Castagne was constantly looking to get forward and support the attack, whipping in a few dangerous crosses. Defensively, he was mostly solid but did get booked for a slightly rash challenge. His energy was a key outlet for the team throughout the 90 minutes.

Issa Diop - 6.5: A bit of a mixed performance from Diop, if we're being honest. He showed his strength with some crucial clearances and his passing was impressively accurate, helping build from the back. However, he also picked up a yellow card and looked a little clumsy in the challenge at times. He needs to iron out those moments of recklessness from his game.

Jorge Cuenca - 7.0: We were impressed with Cuenca today. He was a rock at the back, winning almost everything in the air and making a massive nine clearances. He read the game exceptionally well and looked very composed whenever he had the ball at his feet.

Antonee Robinson - 6.5: You can never fault his work rate. Robinson was a willing runner up and down the left wing all game long. His final product was sometimes lacking, but his sheer persistence caused problems. He was also diligent in his defensive duties, making eight ball recoveries.

Midfielders

Harrison Reed - 8.0: A true captain's performance. He popped up with the winning goal at the most crucial time, showing great composure in the box. Beyond the goal, he was everywhere, breaking up Stoke's attacks and driving his own team forward. An inspirational display and a massive reason why Fulham are in the next round.

Alex Iwobi - 7.0: So smooth and tidy in possession. His pass completion rate of 93% tells you everything you need to know about how well he looked after the ball. He’ll be a bit disappointed he didn't convert one of his own chances. He was the metronome in midfield, keeping everything ticking over nicely for Fulham.

Oscar Bobb - 7.0: A very lively and creative presence. Bobb's dribbling and quick feet caused all sorts of problems for the Stoke defence, and he created three chances for his teammates. He was a constant thorn in their side before being substituted.

Forwards

Josh King - 6.5: He worked his socks off for the team, but it just wasn't his day in front of goal. He got into some excellent positions but couldn't apply the finishing touch. Despite not scoring, his movement and link-up play were still valuable assets to the team's attack.

Rodrigo Muniz - 6.5: A real physical nuisance for the opposition defenders. Muniz was a constant handful, winning his duels and getting several shots on target. He was unlucky to find the Stoke goalkeeper in such inspired form. He held the ball up effectively but will be annoyed not to have gotten on the scoresheet.

Kevin - 8.5: Undoubtedly the man of the match. His goal was the catalyst for Fulham's comeback, and he was the team's creative hub all afternoon. He looked dangerous every single time he picked up the ball, creating chances and driving at the defence. A superb, match-winning contribution from the midfielder, and our highest-rated player.

Substitutes

Raúl Jiménez, Emile Smith Rowe, Harry Wilson, Sander Berge: The substitutes came on and helped manage the game effectively. They brought fresh legs and ensured that Fulham saw out the victory without any late scares.

Manager

M. Saraiva Da Silva - 7.5: His team looked off the pace in the first half, but whatever he said at halftime clearly worked wonders. Fulham came out a different side, showing immense character to turn the game around. His tactical setup and substitutions paid off in the end. A well-earned victory for the manager.

Stoke City Player Ratings vs Fulham

Check out the Stoke City player ratings vs Fulham FC.

Goalkeeper

Tommy Simkin - 7.5: It feels harsh to say a keeper who conceded twice was one of the best players on the pitch, but he really was. Simkin was outstanding, making six saves, with a couple of them being truly world-class stops. He kept his team in the contest for so long.

Defenders

Ashley Phillips - 5.5: It was a very difficult afternoon for the young defender. He seemed to struggle with the pace and movement of Fulham's attackers. He made a few important clearances but was often drawn into fouls.

Ben Wilmot - 6.5: The captain did his best to hold the backline together. He threw himself in front of shots and made a number of clearances. He led by example with his commitment, but the relentless pressure from Fulham eventually proved to be too much for the Stoke defence to handle.

Maksym Taloverov - 6.0: A very busy day for the central defender. He was credited with an incredible 10 clearances, which shows how much defending he had to do. However, he also had an error that led to a shot and was dribbled past on occasion. He fought hard but was part of a defence that was ultimately breached.

Eric-Junior Bocat - 6.5: A great moment for him, providing the assist for Bae's goal. He was a real threat when he ventured forward, using his dribbling ability to good effect. The defensive side of his game was less convincing, as he lost a majority of his duels.

Midfielders

Sorba Thomas - 6.0: We expected to see a bit more from him today. He couldn't really impose himself on the game and was largely on the periphery. He had one shot on target and put in a few crosses, but was kept quiet for the most part by the Fulham defence.

Tomas Rigo - 6.5: Put in a solid shift in the engine room before he was substituted. He was neat and tidy in possession and wasn't afraid to get stuck in, winning his tackles.

Tatsuki Seko - 6.5: A hard-working performance in midfield. He did a good job of breaking up plays, making a couple of key interceptions. Like his midfield partner, he was solid and disciplined, but perhaps lacked that bit of quality to change the game against strong opposition.

Jun-ho Bae - 7.5: Stoke's brightest spark by a country mile. He took his goal brilliantly, a fantastic finish that gave his side the lead. He was a constant threat with his positive dribbling and always looked to make things happen.

Forwards

Lamine Cissé - 6.5: He'll get credit for the assist on the opening goal and was unlucky to see his own effort hit the woodwork. He worked hard and won a few free kicks for his team. However, he struggled physically against the Fulham centre-backs, losing a lot of his aerial battles.

Milan Smit - 5.0: A really tough and frustrating day for the striker. He was completely isolated upfront, barely getting a touch of the ball. He was caught offside a couple of times and offered very little threat before being substituted. The worst performer on the pitch.

Substitutes

Ben Pearson, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Aaron Cresswell, Million Manhoef, Steven Nzonzi: The changes were made to try and wrestle back control, but none of the substitutes could make a telling impact on the game as Fulham took charge.

Manager

M. Robins - 6.5: His game plan worked perfectly in the first half. He set his team up to be defensively solid and hit on the counter, which they did to take the lead. However, they couldn't sustain it, and his side was ultimately outclassed in the second period. His substitutions failed to change the momentum of the match.

Man of the Match

Kevin was simply unstoppable today against Stoke City.

Worst Performer

Milan Smit had a horror of an outing today, a match to forget.