Match Preview
Fulham v Ipswich Town
Premier League Match Day 20 24/25 at Craven Cottage
Sunday 5th January 2025 KO: 14:00
Referee:
Darren Bond (Lancashire)
Live on SkySports
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Fulham and Ipswich Town kick-start 2025 with a Premier League contest at Craven Cottage on Sunday afternoon.
While the Cottagers continue to eye up the European places, the Tractor Boys are bidding to climb out of the relegation zone as they endeavour to avoid an immediate drop to the second tier.
At the halfway stage in the Premier League season, Fulham are five points and five places better off than at this stage of the previous campaign, and Marco Silva's men are currently enjoying a seven-game unbeaten run - they last enjoyed a longer undefeated streak in November/December 2008 (nine).
Five draws were played out over the festive period, though, including a 2-2 home draw with Bournemouth last Sunday in which the Cottagers led twice but ultimately had to settle for a share of the spoils, after Dango Ouattara netted an 89th-minute equaliser.
Fulham, who beat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge three days earlier, currently sit eighth in the top-flight standings and Silva's men are sure to be motivated by the prospect of securing European football for the first time in over a decade, as they are only three points behind Newcastle United in fifth spot.
The Cottagers head into Sunday's contest having drawn each of their last three home matches and they also drew 1-1 with Ipswich at Portman Road earlier this season - Adama Traore cancelled out an early opener from Liam Delap.
Nevertheless, Fulham are unbeaten in each of their last six meetings with the Tractor Boys (W4 D2) and they have won their last two home league encounters by an aggregate score of 7-2, including a 4-1 victory in January 2018.
The prospect of an immediate relegation back to the Championship still looms over Ipswich, but victory against Chelsea has boosted their survival hopes, as they have climbed up to 18th spot and sit just one point adrift of safety at the halfway stage.
Ipswich have now won two of their last four Premier League matches, as many as they achieved in their previous 28 games combined, and they head into Sunday's fixture seeking to win consecutive top-flight matches for the first time since January/February 2002 when they beat none other than Fulham 1-0 at home.
The Tractor Boys have been slow starters to the New Year for some time, though, as they have only won their first league game in one of the last 16 calendar years (D8 L7) - winning 4-0 at Gillingham in League One in 2022
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Ipswich went 13 matches without defeat (W8, D5) in all competitions against Fulham from 1963 to 2016, but are without a win in eight against the Cottagers.
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Ipswich have lost their last two matches at Craven Cottage by 3-1 and 4-1 scorelines respectively.
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Seven league matches without defeat is Fulham's best run under Marco Silva and their longest since a nine-game stretch in 2008.
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In their unbeaten spell, they have faced five of the current top 10 and taken points off Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea.
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Their tally of 29 points after 19 league games is their second highest at the halfway stage of a Premier League campaign, behind the 31 they accrued in 2022-23. It is already more than they won in total in two of their last four seasons in the top flight (26 in 2018-19, 28 in 2020-21).
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Fulham have made just one error that has led to a goal this season, the lowest of any top-flight side.
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However, the Cottagers have dropped a league-high 19 points from winning positions in the top flight in this campaign, their most in a single campaign since 23 in 2012-13.
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Antonee Robinson made 65 interceptions, more than any other Premier League player in 2024.
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Harry Wilson has scored five goals in his last 10 league games, which is one more than he managed in his previous 47 matches combined.
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The two victories Ipswich have secured in their last four Premier League matches is as many as they had in their previous 28 combined (D9, L17).
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They are aiming to win back-to-back matches in the top flight for the first time since January to February 2002, which included a victory over Fulham.
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The Tractor Boys have lost 15 of their last 20 away Premier League games in London, although they did win 2-1 at Spurs in November.
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Ipswich last won two away games in the capital in the same campaign in the inaugural Premier League season in 1992-93.
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The only English players to score more Premier League goals this season than Liam Delap's seven are Cole Palmer (12), James Maddison and Ollie Watkins (both eight).
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Delap's successful penalty versus Chelsea last Monday was the first time Ipswich have scored a top-flight spot-kick since Marcus Stewart also netted against the Blues in November 2001.
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Source Oliver Thomas at SportsMole/BBCSports