Fulham

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Fulham have failed to win any of their past six competitive games against Watford (D3 L3), conceding 14 goals during that time.

Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Thursday's FA Cup third round tie against Watford (kick-off 19:45 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• With "some injuries to key players", Silva confirmed they "would like to improve some things" in the transfer window if they can "add quality" as the club "cannot stand still".

• On why his side are so difficult to beat: "We are competitive. We are a good side. We have clear identity how to play and are really competitive. To be competitive at this level, you have to have this all in the same box and show quality week in and week out. Some draws should have been wins and three points, but games are tough at this level."

• He added: "We know what we are capable of. We have to be pleased with the season so far. We should have got more points for sure but have to keep being competitive and adjust things we have been punished for."

• Silva has "told the players that the top ambition is this competition [FA Cup]" and continued: "All clubs should look at this cup like it deserves. It is a good competition in this country that everybody loves. The final is something unbelievable and if you can participate, it is one of the greatest moments as a manager or footballer you can have in this country."

• The Fulham boss said it was "a challenge" being in charge at opponents Watford before he was sacked, but he still has a "connection with some players and staff", which is a "good feeling".

• On coming up against his former player Tom Cleverley in the opposite dugout: "He was a top player and very important for us during that period and I am really pleased to see him doing well in his managerial career. I always support him and his ambition and wish the best for Tom because he deserves everything in his career. Let's hope tomorrow is going to be our night though, not his."

• On midfielder Tom Cairney's TV appearance on Monday: "He has been enjoying some moments seeing and analysing the game in a different way than just as a football player. I saw parts but not all of it. I have had conversations with him and he is enjoying it. It is good to spend some time analysing things in a different way. No issue with it. The most important thing is he can enjoy other parts of game as he is the type of player that loves football."

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Palmeiras are interested in signing Brazilian attacking midfielder Andreas Pereira, 29, but are yet to agree terms with Fulham. (Fabrizio Romano, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Drew Heatley
Fan writer

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We are experiencing first-hand the difference between an unbeaten run and a winning run.

It's been eight games since our last defeat, our capitulation at home against Wolves in November.

That's impressive for a club like us – and is one game shy of our record, achieved in 2008-09, which was the season we achieved our highest finish and points total, under Roy Hodgson.

But during this current run we have won just two games out of the eight. It means we have amassed 12 points from a possible 24 – the equivalent of winning four and losing four.

It sounds dramatic, but digging deeper into the run, we might see it as the period we lost the chance to create something special this season.

Do not get me wrong, some of the draws have been incredible; a point against Arsenal at the Cottage, a draw against Liverpool at Anfield (though the Reds equalised late on).

But the real problem is dropping points against teams we should be beating. Draws against Southampton and Ipswich at home. Conceding late at home against Bournemouth.

We have taken just seven points from 18 against teams in the bottom five. Those games should be our bread and butter. Gain just four more points from that (by finishing the job against the Saints and Tractor Boys, for example), and we would be firmly in contention for Europe. But as it stands, we're in danger of watching the top six pull away.

That record unbeaten run in 08-09 yielded three wins and six draws. A win against West Ham would bring this run level with that in terms of points accrued, ahead of a trip to relegation-threatened Leicester.

That would keep us close to the rest of the pack. The focus now must be on turning this into a season-defining run – and ultimately a European one.

Find more from Drew Heatley at Fulhamish, external

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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Fulham and Ipswich.

Here are some of your comments:

Fulham fans

Will: Probably a fair result. We need to take worse teams seriously or we will continue to falter. We can beat Chelsea away but not Southampton or Ipswich at home. We need to win the next few games to get back on it. Also, hats off to Raul Jimenez for keeping calm under pressure.

Terry: It was a poor performance by Fulham. Although they dominated possession, they had difficulty breaking down Ipswich's defence. Fulham should have had a penalty in the first half and then Town gave away a soft penalty in second half. They were very lucky to escape with a draw. Fulham clearly struggle against teams in bottom five.

Chris: When you line up with a goalkeeper, five defenders and two holding midfielders against a team in the relegation zone is it any wonder you don't score goals? You need more than three players trying to get in the other team's penalty area.

John: Wasn't Fulham's best day with the concession of two cheap goals and a failure to work the Ipswich keeper enough despite 73% possession. Still showed the resilience to come back against a side who are comfortably the best of the promoted teams and have a genuine chance of survival. Might have been a different outcome if the referee had sent Leif Davis off as he should have. The fact he also missed the foul for our first penalty lends credence to Marco Silva's post-match comments on his performance .

Ipswich fans

Bruce: I would've taken one point but it stings to have three points taken away like they were. I can't see how either penalty was fair on Christian Walton, but that's football. We're going to need some good stuff to get a point out of the rest of January, and those three points really would have made the table look rosier. I back Kieran McKenna and back the squad - they really look like they belong, but they need to see out games like this.

Alex: Great game. We should have won that, if not for some silly mistakes! Liam Delap is on form again.

James: It's hard to know whether to look on this as one point gained or two points dropped, having taken the lead twice. I think that, on reflection, we should be pleased with the result against a solid top-half team. More importantly, we should be proud of another excellent all-round performance. On another day, Jack Clarke's strike goes in off the post and we aren't left to rue a second penalty decision against us, but it's a sign of our undoubted progress over the season that we are disappointed with just the one point.

Tim: Generally a great performance. We were set up so well but conceded two penalties that were both naive. Davis didn't get back in time, arrived late and made a poor decision that cost us the three points. Overall, I'm pleased with a solid performance and a hard fought point.

Highlights and analysis from Sunday's two Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from the rest of the weekend.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

And you can watch Saturday's Match of the Day here.

Listen back to the weekend's full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Crystal Palace 1-1 Chelsea

• Brighton 1-1 Arsenal

• Fulham 2-2 Ipswich

• Liverpool 2-2 Man Utd

Sam Drury
BBC Sport journalist

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Fulham are now unbeaten in eight Premier League games.

But while they will no doubt point to at least one refereeing decision that could have made this a very different game, it is another home match in which they dropped points when they'd have expected to claim all three.

It has been the curious thing about this recent run for Marco Silva's side.

They have taken points in the tougher matches - earning draws at Tottenham and Liverpool, as well as at home to Arsenal, on top of that remarkable late win at Chelsea - but have also slipped up at home to two promoted, relegation-threatened sides.

Frustrated by Southampton, there were similarities here against Ipswich as they failed to turn their dominance on the ball into chances.

It was telling both goals came from penalties, while there other big chance - Emile Smith Rowe's free header at the far post - came from the second phase of an attacking free-kick.

Of course, Marco Silva's side are still having an excellent season but, with things as close as they are in the top half, if they want to maintain a push for a European place, these are the kind of games in which they must endeavour to find more of a cutting edge.

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Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to Match of the Day following the result: "It was a difficult game. It was a very good first 30 minutes from us, but you cannot concede a goal in that way. We should have done much better in that moment.

"Second half, we changed. We made another mistake which gave them another penalty. If we keep doing this then it is more difficult to win matches.

"We should have won the game because we did more than them. When on front foot, we should have killed them in the right way."

On whether Leif Davis should have been sent off in the first half: "It is important to say that discussions with the referee are normal. It's difficult to understand why it wasn't a red card.

"It's just emotions, just normal. It's my job to be as calm as I can."

On Raul Jimenez's late penalty: "He has been doing that all his career. He is our best penalty taker. He showed he is very good, the way he fought and made it hard for the defenders. He is in a really good moment."

Image source, Getty Images

Fulham remain unbeaten in each of their last eight Premier League games, although they have drawn six of those matches (W2). Overall this season, only Brighton (10) have drawn more top-flight games than the Cottagers (9).

With just 2 minutes and 44 seconds between Raul Jimenez equalizing from the penalty spot for Fulham in the 69th minute and Liam Delap putting Ipswich ahead from his spot kick in the 71st minute, it was the shortest gap on record between two penalty goals in a single half of a Premier League game (since 2006-07).

Only Cole Palmer (12 out of 12) and Yaya Toure (11 out of 11) have a better 100% conversion rate from the penalty spot in Premier League history than Fulham striker Raul Jimenez (10 out of 10).

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Fulham fans - what did you make of the game?

Ipswich supporters - let us know your thoughts

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.

For week 20, he takes on The Zutons frontman Dave McCabe, who supports Liverpool.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Well done to Ipswich. I have got to give one of my daughter's teachers, Mr Fields, another mention here after the Tractor Boys beat Chelsea on Monday for their first home win of the season.

He will have had the bunting out, and the champagne too - and deservedly so.

As I've said before, I like this Ipswich team. They have got a lot about them and they are giving it a real go to try to stay in the Premier League.

You cannot overestimate the importance of them getting off the mark at Portman Road, but I don't see them following it up with another success on Sunday.

Fulham let me down badly by letting their lead slip late on at home to Bournemouth on Sunday, but they are usually pretty reliable at Craven Cottage.

Antonee Robinson and Alex Iwobi form such a wonderful combination down the left for Marco Silva's side, and I think they will help them secure a narrow home win.

McCabe's prediction: 2-0

Fulham are a pain in the backside. You feel like you should beat them, but they never seem to go away in games.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

As we enter a new calendar year and the halfway point of the season, the Opta Supercomputer has been busy making its predictions.

But who has the best chance of securing Champions League football next season?

With England given a 97.8% chance of finishing in the top two of Uefa's coefficients rankings and receiving a bonus place in next season's competition, it is highly likely to be a race to finish in the top five of the Premier League this campaign.

One team essentially guaranteed a Champions League spot season, according to the Supercomputer's simulations, is high-flying league leaders Liverpool (100%).

Following closely on their heels are Arsenal and Chelsea, who occupy second and fourthgoing into this weekend's fixtures, with a 99.8% and 91.7% chance of finishing in the top five respectively.

Despite their unprecedented drop-off in form over the past two months, Manchester City fans will be pleased to hear Opta still gives them a 89.1% chance of clinching the potential final Champions League spot next season.

It then becomes a hotly fought battle between two of the most in-form teams in the league right now.

Despite third-placed Nottingham Forest's incredible campaign so far, Nuno Espirito Santo's side still fall below Newcastle United in the predictions for fifth place - with a 33.6% chance compared to the Magpies' 44.6%.

Four teams still have an outside chance of getting that coveted spot, with Aston Villa (13.8%), Bournemouth (9.8%), Fulham (6.2%) and Tottenham (5.4%) in the race.

Craig Nelson
BBC Sport Journalist

Fulham boss Marco Silva has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Ipswich (kick-off 14:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Fulham will be largely unchanged from last week's 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, which extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to seven matches.

• They have no new injury concerns but Silva said "some injured players who are already around the team are now doing some more individual work".

• Harrison Reed is back training with the first team following his return from a knee injury but "needs time to get the right fitness to be ready and confident again".

• Meanwhile, Sander Berge and Reiss Nelson remain out, but Silva said: "I really believe that Sander is going to be closer. If not the FA Cup game [against Watford on Thursday, 9 January] then probably the next game [at West Ham on Tuesday, 14 January] he is going to be in contention to be in the team. Reiss will take more -, before the end of the month maybe. If not, then maybe just into February."

• Full-back Antonee Robinson, who has been linked with a potential move away from Craven Cottage, has become "a more complete player at both ends of the pitch".

• The Fulham boss expects the club to have a quiet January transfer window but accepts there are positions in the squad that may need bolstering, such as at right-back, where Kenny Tete is out with a long-term knee injury.

• On the threat posed by Ipswich, who claimed a first home win of the season in their most recent game against Chelsea: "They are really difficult to play. Good organisation and very good players. I think what they did last time [against Chelsea] showed their ambition as a club."

• Silva added: "Most of the time, apart from one or two games, they have been really there, trying to play and match any team in this league. It's going to be a difficult one."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Full commentary of Fulham v Ipswich from 14:00 GMT on Sunday on BBC Radio 5 Live

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Defender Antonee Robinson assisted 10 Premier League goals for Fulham in 2024, which is the joint most by a Cottagers player in a single year along with Luis Boa Morte in 2005.

In 2024, Robinson is one of only two players in Premier League history with 10 plus assists in a year without scoring a goal. The other is Newcastle right-back Kieran Trippier with no goals and 10 assists in 2023.

Fulham, Brentford and West Ham are monitoring the contract situation of 29-year-old English midfielder Will Hughes at Crystal Palace. (Football Insider), external

Meanwhile, Whites fear French club Marseille will renew their interest in Brazil midfielder Andreas Pereira, 29. (Times - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

We asked you to tell us what Fulham's New Year's resolution should be.

Here are some of your replies:

Peter: I believe that we can survive the loss of any player, but Marco Silva is someone we cannot 'give up'. Let's double down and make a resolution to offer him a new extended contract.

Matthew: Simple. A new striker.

David: Let's get another proven goalscorer. How about Richarlison, who seems unsettled at Tottenham? Also, we need to hang onto key players like Antonee Robinson who is attracting attention from other teams.

Shane: I think it is imperative that we keep hold of Robinson. We could do with another striker also, who has the ability to take us to Europe but also perform on the European stage! We need to see out games better as a whole and the sky is the limit. But, overall, what an impressive season so far - long may it continue.

Elliot: Three New Year's resolutions for Fulham: 1) Don't sell anyone 2) Sign a striker 3) Stop conceding late goals.

Tim: Lower ticket prices for home games. I can only afford to go to the odd away game, as they are fixed price, or early round cup games. It feels Fulham is now another greedy club, or is this the price of our relative success this season? I have been a fan for 35 years and it gets worse year by year.

Laura: To complete construction on the new Riverside stand! It has been going on for years now, and construction overrunning to complete the new pool is starting to become a little embarrassing.