Premier League | Gameweek 20

Jan 5, 2025 at 2pm UK

Craven Cottage

Fulham vs Ipswich

Match preview

Fulham are five points and five places better off at the halfway stage of the Premier League season than they were at this stage last term, and Marco Silva's men are currently on a seven-match unbeaten run - the longest such run since November/December 2008 (nine).

However, there were five draws over the festive period, including a 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth last Sunday in which the Cottagers twice led but had to settle for a share of the spoils after Dango Ouattara's 89th-minute equaliser.

Fulham, who beat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge three days earlier, currently sit eighth in the table and Silva's men will be motivated by the prospect of securing European football for the first time in over a decade, as they lie just three points behind Newcastle United in fifth.

The Cottagers go into Sunday's clash having drawn each of their last three home games and also drew 1-1 with Ipswich at Portman Road earlier in the season, Adama Traore cancelling out Liam Delap's early opener.

Nevertheless, Fulham are unbeaten in their last six meetings with the Tractor Boys (W4 D2) and have won their last two home league encounters by an aggregate score of 7-2, including a 4-1 victory in January 2018.

After successive 5-0 defeats to Newcastle United and Arsenal on either side of Christmas, Ipswich ended 2024 on a high with a shock 2-0 home win over Chelsea last Monday.

Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson were not even born the last time the Tractor Boys won at home in the Premier League 22 years ago, but the former scored from the penalty spot before setting up the latter to help Kieran McKenna's side to a memorable triumph in front of the Portman Road faithful.

The prospect of immediate relegation to the Championship still looms over Ipswich, but victory over Chelsea has boosted their survival hopes as they climb to 18th place, just one point off safety at the halfway stage.

Ipswich have now won two of their last four Premier League games, as many as they had in their previous 28 games combined, and will be looking to win back-to-back top-flight matches for the first time since January/February 2002, when they beat Fulham 1-0 at home.

The Tractor Boys have made a slow start to the new year, however, having won their first league game in only one of the last 16 calendar years (D8 L7) - a 4-0 win at Gillingham in League One in 2022.

Recent Performance

Fulham Premier League form:WDDDWD

Ipswich Town Premier League form:LLWLLW

Team News

Fulham boss Silva has revealed that Sander Berge (ankle) is "closer" to a return from injury than Reiss Nelson (hamstring), but neither player is ready to return this weekend and will join Kenny Tete and Harrison Reed (both knee) on the sidelines.

Silva has used a three-at-the-back system with full-backs in the last two games, with Fulham picking up four points in that time, and the Portuguese looks set to stick with the same formation against Ipswich.

Issa Diop, Joachim Andersen and Calvin Bassey will therefore continue at the heart of defence, with Timothy Castagne and Antonee Robinson operating on the flanks, while Harry Wilson - who has scored in his last two appearances - could continue in attack with Alex Iwobi and Raul Jimenez.

For Ipswich, Conor Chaplin will be out for a few weeks with a knee injury and will join Axel Tuanzebe (hamstring), Chiedozie Ogbene (Achilles), George Hirst (knee) and Massimo Luongo (illness) in the treatment room.

Against Chelsea, Christian Walton kept a clean sheet in his first Premier League start since the opening weekend of the season, and McKenna has since confirmed that the goalkeeper will retain his place between the sticks at the expense of Arijanet Muric.

Midfielder Kalvin Phillips will be hoping to force his way back into the starting line-up at the expense of either Sam Morsy or Jens Cajuste, while Nathan Broadhead, Sammie Szmodics and Jack Clarke will all be pushing for places in attack.

Possible starting lineup

Fulham possible starting lineup:

Leno; Diop, Andersen, Bassey; Castagne, Pereira, Lukic, Robinson; Wilson, Jimenez, Iwobi

Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:

Walton; O'Shea, Greaves, Wolfenden, Davis; Morsy, Cajuste; Burns, Hutchinson, Szmodics; Delap