January 5. 4:00 p.m. London. Craven Cottage Stadium
English Championship. 20th day
Fulham (Londres) – Ipswich
Suspensions : None
Injuries: Harrison Reed, Kenny Tete, Sander Berge, Reiss Nelson – Axel Tuanzebe, Janoi Donacien, Chidozi Ogbene, George Hurst
Fulham vs Ipswich: Betting Odds
Fulham
In their last match, the “Cottagers” drew with Bournemouth (2:2), extending their unbeaten streak in the Premier League to seven matches. Fulham finished 2024 in eighth place in the Premier League, just two points off the European places, which is undoubtedly a success for the team. The January schedule favors further progress for the London team, as their opponents are teams from the bottom of the table. However, to continue their quest for a first qualification in European competition in many years, Fulham must first retain all of their key players, including Anthony Robinson.
The American left-back is currently a central asset for the London team. In 19 Premier League appearances, the 27-year-old has recorded seven assists, placing him third among the league’s top assists. Robinson’s effective contribution in attack attracted interest from several considerably wealthier and more successful clubs. Reports indicate that Liverpool are particularly interested, seeing the American as an ideal replacement for Andrew Robertson. Additionally, there are rumors surrounding Alex Iwobi, who has attracted the attention of wealthy Saudi clubs. The Nigerian has scored five goals and provided three assists so far this season.
Ipswich
Chris McKenna’s last team made an unexpected comeback after “dry” defeats against Newcastle (0:4) and Arsenal (0:1), delighting their supporters. In their last match of 2024, Ipswich won against Chelsea with a score of 2:0.
For the “Tractor Boys”, the victory against one of the leaders of the championship marked their first victory at home. Symbolically, Ipswich’s success was secured by players linked to Chelsea. Liam Delap, who is obviously of significant interest to the “Blues”, converted a penalty and assisted Omari Hutchinson in the second half. In the summer, Ipswich paid Chelsea a record transfer fee of £23.5 million for the attacking midfielder.
The sensational victory against the Londoners saw Ipswich leave the bottom of the table. Currently, they remain in the relegation zone but are just one and two points behind Wolverhampton and Everton, respectively. The problem for Chris McKenna’s team lies in the extremely difficult January schedule, considering the strength of their upcoming opponents. Over the next four days, the Tractor Boys will face teams battling for honors including Manchester City and Liverpool.
Fulham v Ipswich: Predictable Teams
Fulham vs Ipswich: Author’s Prediction
Fulham are legitimately considered the big favorites for this meeting. However, Ipswich have proven time and time again that they should not be scratched too soon. In their first meeting, the two teams exchanged goals in the first half, ultimately ending in a 1:1 draw. I expect at least one goal to be scored by the ‘Tractor Boys’ at Craven Cottage. Marco Silva’s team tends to be more open and take more risks against lower-ranked opponents, which makes their defense more vulnerable. In their last ten home matches this season, the ‘Cottagers’ have only failed to score against Southampton. There is no doubt that Fulham are capable of finding the net against Ipswich. Again, apart from a single match against Southampton, the Cottagers have scored in nine of their last ten home games. On the other hand, Ipswich have conceded goals in eight of their nine away games. My prediction is that both teams will score.
