Fulham vs Ipswich Town
Craven Cottage hosts its first Premier League meeting between Fulham and Ipswich Town since 2001.
Fulham’s quest to secure an unlikely European finish took another hit at the end of the last calendar year as they conceded an 89th-minute equalizer in a 2-2 home draw against Bournemouth. Despite coming into proceedings unbeaten in seven Premier League fixtures, five have ended all square (W2), turning the Cottagers into the division’s ‘stalemate specialists.’ Nonetheless, Marco Silva’s men have only lost once in their last 11 league outings (W4, D6), while they’re unbeaten at home since the start of December (W1, D3). As a result, Fulham can make it five consecutive home games in the Premier League without losing for the first time since 2012. Ipswich could be an ideal opposition, considering the Cottagers had won six successive H2Hs before a 1-1 draw in August’s reverse fixture.
In the meantime, Ipswich Town closed 2024 on a high, pulling off a stunning 2-0 home win against top-four hopefuls Chelsea to halt an underwhelming two-game losing run ‘to nil.’ Kieran McKenna’s men have won twice in their last four league games – one more victory than in their first 15 Premier League outings of the 2024/25 season (W1, D6, L8). It’s also worth noting that two of their three top-flight triumphs this season came on the road (W2, D2, L5). Both yielded an identical 2-1 scoreline and saw Ipswich lead at halftime, highlighting the importance of drawing first blood. Adding to this sentiment, the Tractor Boys have only recovered one point from losing positions on the road this term (D1, L3).