1 Ipswich Town vs 1 Fulham
Fulham boss Marco Silva anticipates difficult game against newly-promoted Ipswich.
Ipswich Town, eager to secure their first points since returning to the Premier League after 22 years, host a Fulham side riding high on back-to-back victories and seeking to continue their strong form at Portman Road this Saturday.
Ipswich Town
Ipswich came close to picking up their first competitive win since the start of the season after taking the lead in the midweek EFL Cup clash, which ended in a 2-2 draw against Wimbledon. However, the Tractor Boys failed to reap a bountiful harvest, having crashed out of the competition following a 2-4 loss on penalties.
The exit came at the heels of back-to-back Premier League defeats after difficult fixtures against Liverpool and Manchester City, with the latter ending in a 4-1 loss. Life in the Premier League has been unforgiving for Ipswich, who will be keen to pick up their first points since their return following a 22-year absence as they take on Fulham this weekend.
The only previous Premier League meeting between both sides dates back to the 2001/2002 campaign, where Ipswich remained unbeaten against the Cottagers in both games (1W, 1D). The win came on home turf with a 1-0 victory.
On Saturday, Kieran McKenna would like to see three points when he deploys the familiar 4-2-3-1 formation with Liam Delap in attack against the visitors. Troubled by injuries, Ipswich could be without as many as four players, including Harry Clarke, George Hirst, and Nathan Broadhead.
In other related news, Ipswich Town completed the signing of Chiedozie Ogbene from Luton for an undisclosed fee. "I’m very excited and feel lucky to have this opportunity to play in the Premier League again," the player told TownTV following his arrival.
Fulham
Unlike Town, Fulham picked up a 2-0 win over Birmingham in the EFL Cup during the week. That win left the Cottagers with back-to-back victories across all competitions after last weekend’s 2-1 win over newly-promoted Leicester City. On Saturday, the visitors could earn a victory against another promoted side when they visit Portman Road.
A fine run of recent form against the Tractor Boys will surely leave Fulham with much-needed confidence this weekend, with the visitors having won their last four league meetings against Ipswich. However, Marco Silva anticipates a difficult game. "I expect a really tough game," he said in a pre-match press conference.
"They have an unbelievable winning mentality from the last two seasons. When you are promoted the way they were from League One to the Championship and then the Championship to the Premier League, I have to say that is unbelievable," he added.
Silva is expected to deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation with Rodrigo Muniz in attack for this weekend’s clash. The Cottagers have no injury worries ahead of Saturday’s trip to Ipswich.
Team form
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Team Comparison
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