Preview: Fulham vs. Ipswich Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Fulham and Ipswich Town kick-start 2025 with a Premier League contention astatine Craven Cottage connected Sunday afternoon.

While the Cottagers proceed to oculus up the European places, the Tractor Boys are bidding to ascent retired of the relegation portion arsenic they endeavour to debar an contiguous driblet to the 2nd tier.

Match preview

© Imago

At the halfway signifier successful the Premier League season, Fulham are 5 points and 5 places amended disconnected than astatine this signifier of the erstwhile campaign, and Marco Silva's men are presently enjoying a seven-game unbeaten tally - they past enjoyed a longer undefeated streak successful November/December 2008 (nine).

Five draws were played retired implicit the festive period, though, including a 2-2 location gully with Bournemouth past Sunday successful which the Cottagers led doubly but yet had to settee for a stock of the spoils, aft Dango Ouattara netted an 89th-minute equaliser.

Fulham - who beat Chelsea 2-1 astatine Stamford Bridge 3 days earlier - presently beryllium eighth successful the top-flight standings and Silva's men are definite to beryllium motivated by the imaginable of securing European shot for the archetypal clip successful implicit a decade, arsenic they are lone 3 points down Newcastle United successful 5th spot.

The Cottagers caput into Sunday's contention having drawn each of their past 3 location matches and they besides drew 1-1 with Ipswich astatine Portman Road earlier this play - Adama Traore cancelled retired an aboriginal opener from Liam Delap.

Nevertheless, Fulham are unbeaten successful each of their past six meetings with the Tractor Boys (W4 D2) and they person won their past 2 location league encounters by an aggregate people of 7-2, including a 4-1 triumph successful January 2018.

© Imago

After losing back-to-back games by an aggregate people of 5-0 to Newcastle United and Arsenal either broadside of Christmas, Ipswich ended 2024 connected an almighty precocious by securing a astonishment 2-0 location triumph implicit Chelsea past Monday.

Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson were not adjacent calved the past clip that the Tractor Boys celebrated a Premier League location triumph 22 years ago, but the erstwhile scored from the punishment spot earlier mounting up the second to assistance Kieran McKenna's broadside assertion a memorable triumph successful beforehand of the Portman Road faithful.

The imaginable of an contiguous relegation backmost to the Championship inactive looms implicit Ipswich, but triumph against Chelsea has boosted their endurance hopes, arsenic they person climbed up to 18th spot and beryllium conscionable 1 constituent adrift of information astatine the halfway stage.

Ipswich person present won 2 of their past 4 Premier League matches, arsenic galore arsenic they achieved successful their erstwhile 28 games combined, and they caput into Sunday's fixture seeking to triumph consecutive top-flight matches for the archetypal clip since January/February 2002 erstwhile they bushed nary different than Fulham 1-0 astatine home.

The Tractor Boys person been dilatory starters to the New Year for immoderate time, though, arsenic they person lone won their archetypal league crippled successful 1 of the past 16 calendar years (D8 L7) - winning 4-0 astatine Gillingham successful League One successful 2022.

Fulham Premier League form:

Ipswich Town Premier League form:

Team News

© Imago

Fulham brag Silva has revealed that Sander Berge (ankle) is "going to beryllium closer" to a instrumentality from wounded than Reiss Nelson (hamstring), but some players are not acceptable to instrumentality this play and stay sidelined on with Kenny Tete and Harrison Reed (both knee).

Silva has deployed a three-at-the-back strategy with wing-backs successful the past 2 matches, with Fulham picking up 4 points successful that time, and the Portuguese volition seemingly instrumentality with the aforesaid enactment against Ipswich.

Issa Diop, Joachim Andersen and Calvin Bassey are truthful acceptable to proceed successful cardinal defence, arsenic Timothy Castagne and Antonee Robinson run connected the flanks, portion Harry Wilson - who has scored successful his past 2 appearances - could proceed successful onslaught with Alex Iwobi and Raul Jimenez.

As for Ipswich, Conor Chaplin is facing a mates of weeks retired with a genu wounded and volition articulation Axel Tuanzebe (hamstring), Chiedozie Ogbene (Achilles), George Hirst (knee) and Massimo Luongo (illness) successful the attraction room.

In the triumph implicit Chelsea, Christian Walton kept a cleanable expanse connected his archetypal Premier League commencement since the opening play of the season, and McKenna has since confirmed that the goalkeeper volition clasp his spot betwixt the sticks astatine the disbursal of Arijanet Muric.

Midfielder Kalvin Phillips volition beryllium hoping to unit his mode backmost into the archetypal XI astatine the disbursal of either Sam Morsy oregon Jens Cajuste, portion Nathan Broadhead, Sammie Szmodics and Jack Clarke volition each beryllium pushing to commencement successful attack.

Fulham imaginable starting lineup:
Leno; Diop, Andersen, Bassey; Castagne, Pereira, Lukic, Robinson; Wilson, Jimenez, Iwobi

Ipswich Town imaginable starting lineup:
Walton; O'Shea, Greaves, Wolfenden, Davis; Morsy, Cajuste; Burns, Hutchinson, Szmodics; Delap

We say: Fulham 2-1 Ipswich Town

Ipswich person won 2 of their 3 Premier League games distant from location and caput to Craven Cottage successful precocious spirits aft beating Chelsea, but they volition erstwhile again beryllium underdogs this play against a Fulham broadside who person made themselves hard to bushed successful caller weeks.

A likewise adjacent contention to the 1-1 gully played retired betwixt these 2 teams astatine Portman Road earlier this play could beryllium connected the cards connected Sunday, but we are backing the location broadside to travel retired connected apical by a constrictive margin.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer please click here.

ID:562041:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect14225:

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's regular email of previews and predictions for each large game!