Ipswich Town

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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.

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Former Premier League striker Alan Shearer highlighted Liam Delap as Ipswich's standout performer against Fulham:

"As a centre-forward, I always said to myself that you have to be aggressive. You have to come off the pitch and ask yourself if you've give the centre-halves a tough afternoon. There is no doubt that he can say that after this game.

"He held the ball up, he ran in behind and when his team were under pressure he won free-kicks to ease that pressure. He was a nuisance to play against. I loved his aggression right from the off.

"He has got eight goals this season and Ipswich have only scored 20 themselves. That tells you how impressive he has been. You've got a really confident, young footballer who is only going to get better.

"We're not blessed with English strikers ad there's no doubt Thomas Tuchel will have a good look at him."

Watch the full analysis on BBC iPlayer

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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Ipswich may have ended up having to settle for one point rather than three but this was another encouraging display.

Despite allowing Fulham almost 73% possession, they restricted the home side to very few chances in open play.

They defended resolutely and when the opportunity to counter-attack presented itself, there was no hesitation in getting numbers forward to support Liam Delap.

Sammie Szmodics' opener was a prime example of that with wing-back Ben Johnson advanced enough to ghost in at the far post and head Nathan Broadhead's cross onto the bar in the lead up.

Delap was a handful throughout and Broadhead also came close to doubling Ipswich's lead before the first of Raul Jimenez's two penalties for Fulham.

The manner in which Ipswich responded to the the first of those two spot kicks could not have been better.

They were quickly on the front foot to win a penalty of their own, which Delap buried.

Not managing to hold onto to take all three points will undoubtedly frustrate Ipswich and closing out such matches could prove crucial if they are to stay up.

But equally, so too could hard-fought points on the road. Especially if they can maintain the performance level shown in their last two games.

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Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna has been speaking to Sky Sports after the game: "When you lead twice, you always feel a little bit disappointed not to win. I'm so proud of the way we played. We had some chances to get a two-goal margin but we weren't able to take them.

"It's frustrating. Look, we look on this game and the last game with a lot of pride in what we are doing and we will keep on going.

"We had to defend a lot and I thought we managed the second half well. The players are right in it together and are approaching the games in the right manner.

"I don't know where we are exactly in the table. We are just focusing on ourselves.

"We've got a little pause for the FA Cup and then we look forward to Brighton and Manchester City."

On signing Ben Godfrey on loan: "We wanted to add to that area. Ben is a good player and an experienced player.

"That will be a good boost for us in the second half of this season."

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No team have conceded more goals through penalties in the Premier League so far this season than Ipswich Town, with all five spot kicks they have conceded being converted.

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).

Chelsea's Cole Palmer (13) is the only Englishman to score more goals than Ipswich Town's Liam Delap (8) in the 2024-25 Premier League campaign.

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 is looking most likely to be playing their football outside the top flight next season?

It is bad news for fans of the teams who made their return to the Premier League this campaign.

According to the Opta Supercomputer's simulations, Southampton - rooted to the bottom of the table on just six points - are all but guaranteed to be playing Championship football again next term with a 99.47% chance of being relegated.

The picture is also not a rosy one for Leicester City and Ipswich Town supporters, who occupy the other two relegation spots. The Supercomputer does not see too much change there - the Foxes and the Tractor Boys having a 74.61% and 70.81% chance of relegation respectively.

It is better news for Wolves under new head coach Vitor Pereira, with Wanderers now having only a 39.21% chance of a Championship return, while Everton fans will be pleased to see they have just a 12.52% chance as they hope to see Premier League football in their new stadium next season.

Crystal Palace, West Ham and Brentford can all breathe easier with Opta predicting just a 1.68%, 0.81% and 0.72% chance of relegation respectively.

And what about Manchester United after new boss Ruben Amorim declared them to be facing a relegation battle? Well, it is good news for Red Devils fans as the chance of them actually playing Championship football next campaign is just 0.11%.

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Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna says it would be a "big advantage" if they can get their transfer business done early this window.

His comments come amid reports the Tractor Boys are looking at moves for both Aston Villa winger Jaden Philogene and Atalanta defender Ben Godfrey.

Philogene was a summer target for the club before he instead moved back to former side Villa from Hull City, while former Norwich City centre-back Godfrey could be set for a loan return to East Anglia after moving to Serie A from Everton in the summer.

"Discussions started a long time ago, but getting players in at the start of January is another matter," McKenna said on Friday.

"Each club has their own needs. Things can change really, really quickly at the end of December. Games come thick and fast - players come into the team, come out of the team. Players who you thought might be available are unavailable. Players who you thought were unavailable might become available.

"We are going to try to do our business early in the window if possible.

"We know that would be a big advantage, but we also know we need to be ready right through the month to improve the squad when the opportunities come.

"Certainly by the end of January we need to make sure that the squad is of the appropriate size and we want everyone who is still in the building to have a chance of playing and contributing in the Premier League games."

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

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• McKenna confirmed Conor Chaplin has picked up a "knock" to his knee and will be out for "a couple of weeks".

• He also confirmed they have other players that will need to be assessed as they are "touch and go" and the side need "everyone to be in the best condition possible" for an "intense" game.

• On if there is a possibility of bringing Jaden Philogene to the club this transfer window: "My focus is on the players that we have here. We're still working really hard with the players that we have, the players that we've had for a long time and the players that joined us in the summer. That's where my focus is."

• He added: "Of course we're trying to add to the squad in this window, as every team is. We want to make the squad better, not just for the second half of the season but for the long term, so we're going to look to do that in the best way possible."

• On if they need to bring in a striker to support Liam Delap: "It's an area [up front] we need to add to. It's an area we wanted to add to in the summer window. Earlier in the summer, we made some good additions but we still would have liked to have added maybe one or two more pieces in forward areas."

• McKenna continued: "Of course, over the first 19 games, George Hirst missed maybe 11 or 12 of them. That's a big loss and it's put a big burden on Liam Delap as a really young striker. Thankfully he's handled that burden well but we still want to add in different areas of the pitch and we want to add more goals in the forward area if possible."

• Asked if 2024 was his best year in football, the Ipswich boss said he has had "a few good ones lately": "Every year is a privilege to be involved in football at any level."

• On if he has seen his team's resilience grow this season: "I've seen it pretty consistently to be honest. Every time we have had a setback over the past three years, I have generally been happy with the response. We knew the setbacks were going to be a little more frequent this year or a little bit different. But generally we have shown that [resilience]."

Catch up on all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Listen to full commentary of Fulham v Ipswich Town from 14:00 GMT on Sunday on BBC Radio 5 Live

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Ipswich forward Liam Delap has seven Premier League goals this season, which is the most by a player for any of the three promoted clubs this campaign.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Ipswich have shown an interest in taking Aston Villa winger Jaden Philogene to Portman Road this month.

The 22-year-old was close to moving to the Tractor Boys in the summer, only to re-join Villa just a year after being sold to Hull City.

Ipswich agreed an £18m deal with the Tigers in July but Villa inserted a clause into their negotiations with Hull when they sold Philogene in 2023, meaning they would have three days to match any bid once a deal had been agreed.

The England Under-21 international opted to return to Villa Park but has made just four starts, two in the Premier League, this season.

Ipswich are looking at wide options after Chiedozie Ogbene's season-ending Achilles injury in October.

Meanwhile, the Tractor Boys have no desire to sell Liam Delap, who joined from Manchester City in a deal worth £20m in the summer, this January.

The striker has seven goals in 17 league starts, including a penalty in the 2-0 win over Chelsea on Monday, and is key to their survival hopes with Kieran McKenna's side a point from safety.

Graeme McLoughlin
BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor

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Ipswich Town ended 2024 on a massively deserved high, and if they are still in the Premier League this time next year, then 2025 will have been a huge success.

Things have been far from easy for Kieran McKenna and his players since they secured successive promotions in May, and staying up would be by far and away the manager's greatest achievement in football to date.

In spite of Town's lowly position in the table at present, get ready for yet more speculation regarding the Northern Irishman's future in the coming months. He remains a class act and elite coach, so should he still be in charge at Portman Road come next Christmas, it is likely there will be a high level of optimism among supporters, regardless of what division the team is playing in.

How do Town beat the drop then?

Well, a fully fit squad (or something close to it) would help. A lack of that since the campaign got underway has meant McKenna's struggled to play his best XI on a regular basis. In fact, many would agree he is probably yet to discover it.

That said, a contingent of players who have been with the boss since their days in League One possibly have not helped matters. Six of them started the impressive 2-0 win over Chelsea, and the likes of Cameron Burgess and Conor Chaplin have arguably outperformed some of their newer team-mates who cost big money in the summer. Surely that makes team selection that little bit more difficult?

In spite of that, you cannot doubt McKenna being the right man to keep squad harmony intact and, if Town edge a few more of the many tight fixtures they have been involved in so far, then do not write them off.

Listen to The Blue Hour with Brenner Woolley every Monday and Matchday Preview with Graeme McLoughlin every Friday, along with live coverage of every Ipswich Town game, home and away, on BBC Radio Suffolk.

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We asked what Ipswich's New Year resolutions should be.

Here are some of your replies:

Tiny: Don't get relegated and win some home games.

Peter: Just to stay in the Premier League would be enough.

Paul: To get another forward to take the load off Delap. With Hirst injured and Al-Hamadi inexperienced, we're crying out for reinforcement.

James W: Firstly I would implore McKenna to start Christian Walton in goal, Muric has not been an upgrade at all. Secondly I would keep playing Kalvin Phillips who is clearly a confidence player and McKenna has previous for getting a tune out of players. Finally please keep Liam Delap!

James R: We need Muric to think before he acts. He's a good keeper with good attributes, but his mental game is poor. If he can sort that out then we will see a much better second half of the season.

Matt: When we are 1-0 down, don't sit back to avoid further damage, please try to push for an equaliser!

Danny: While we haven't picked up (or held onto) enough points this season, overall we've been competitive in the majority of games in a league where we're already punching well above our weight. My New Year resolution? Keep the faith and trust in Kieran and our boys!

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We asked for your thoughts after Monday's Premier League game between Ipswich and Chelsea.

Here are some of your comments:

Ipswich fans:

Chris: So pleased for Town. Would've killed to be inside Portman Road tonight. Funny how replacing Muric went hand in hand with a first home win. Come on Kieran, keep Walton as first choice for the remainder of the season!

Matt: My faith totally restored in Kieran the moment I saw that he had picked Walton at last. How many results would have been different this season if Walton had played? Fantastic performance from Town. This must give the lads the confidence that they can beat anyone on their day (apart from Liverpool maybe!). I think we can survive.

Chris: Hard-working, gritty and determined victory for the Tractor Boys. Delap was outstanding, and him and Hutchinson ran their socks off all night. Morsy immense in midfield and the defence really solid against a star-studded Chelsea attack. Kieran fully justified in bringing back Walton. The boys have to back this one up now and go to Fulham and get something. What a way to welcome in the New Year!

James: Ipswich produced an excellent team performance from back to front, and we were well worth the 2-0 victory. Kieran McKenna got the tactics spot on tonight, defending resiliently and blocking everything that came into the box before attacking with pace and power on the break. Christian Walton came in and was exemplary, with Liam Delap unplayable up top. By the end, Chelsea were chasing their tails and resorted to throwing themselves to the ground at every opportunity in a desperate attempt to salvage something from the game. All in all, a near-perfect night's work.

Chelsea fans:

Colin: Same again, poor passing, poor defending, poor attitude. They don't seem to play together. Try and pass to your own team-mates. Why try to walk the ball in? Attack quicker and create something. A dismal display again. It's hard to watch, they must do better.

David: Well enough of the title talk. Fernandez awful, Caicedo awful, defence slow and awful, Ipswich brilliant, Delap outstanding. Chelsea players need to look at themselves with their play acting. Maresca needs to look at his team management within the game and do something different when things don't go as planned. I think he dipped like this at Leicester about this time last year. This team needs confidence and at the moment they are devoid of any. Making the changes against Fulham was the catalyst for this.

Gary: Disappointing performances across the last three games. One point from nine over the holiday period is not good enough especially against two poor sides in Everton and Ipswich. However, the target is top four this season (68 points) so we're on schedule for that after 19 games. Let's hope the boss can reignite the fire again for the second round of games.

Chris: Looks like the bubble has burst, again. Maresca now has a major job, he needs to pick his best team and stick with it and stop chopping and changing! There is no Chelsea team that should ever include Disasi!

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Former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson says Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap has shown he is a "quality player" this season, after scoring a penalty and contributing an assist in their 2-0 win over Chelsea.

"He has been linked with some very big clubs, hasn't he?" Robinson said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "There are some big clubs, as we know, that will be looking to make some big moves in the January window.

"Ipswich will do very well to hold on to him. If they don't survive in the Premier League, you can't see his future being there.

"He is a quality player. He led the line on his own against Chelsea. At times, Chelsea were playing a back five with four players in front, and they defended resolutely, but he was always an outlet.

"He is a pest. He is a nuisance. He is always there on the shoulders of the centre-backs. He is making runs in the channels. He is always available.

"When it looks like he isn't going to win the ball, he puts his body in between the player and the ball, somehow managing to win a free-kick or something for his team.

"He is a top, top player."

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Liam Delap both scored and assisted in a Premier League game for the second time this season, becoming the second Ipswich Town player to do so more than once in a single season after Finidi George in 2001-02 (also twice).

Delap's goal was Ipswich Town's first penalty goal in the Premier League in over 23 years, with Marcus Stewart's strike in November 2001 also coming against Chelsea.