Fulham's winless start to the Premier League season continued with a painful 2-1 defeat at Ipswich Town on Saturday. Ryan Sessegnon gave the visitors a second-half lead, but late goals from Abdoul Ouattara and O'Shea secured a comeback victory for the hosts at Portman Road.
The loss leaves Fulham 20th in the Premier League table with only two points from their opening six games. Their recent form reads LDDLL, with six goals scored and ten conceded.
Team news and changes
Marco Silva made two changes to the side that drew with Manchester United before the international break. Ryan Sessegnon and Kenny Tete came in as full-backs, with Antonee Robinson absent from the squad and Timothy Castagne on the bench. The starting lineup featured Bernd Leno in goal behind a back four of Tete, Denis Affengruber, Calvin Bassey and Sessegnon.
How the game unfolded
Fulham controlled possession early but created little, with Ipswich growing into the contest. Sessegnon broke the deadlock ten minutes into the second half, finishing to put Fulham ahead. The visitors looked to have done enough to secure a valuable away point, but the game turned in the closing stages.
Abdoul Ouattara equalised for Ipswich in the 88th minute, capitalising on a spell of pressure. Then, in the first minute of added time, Dara O’Shea headed home from a Jason Clarke cross to complete the turnaround. "O’Shea’s first for Town in the Premier League and first at Portman Road," the defender said afterwards.
Fulham's discipline frayed as the game slipped away, with Manuel Ángel Morán and substitute Emile Smith Rowe receiving late yellow cards. The team ended the match with four bookings in total.
The result sees Ipswich climb to ninth, while Fulham remain in the relegation zone, ahead of Tottenham only on goal difference.
Attention now turns to next Saturday's fixture at Craven Cottage, where Fulham will host Hull City. The Tigers currently sit eighth in the table. Silva's side will be desperate to end their winless run in front of their own fans. The full schedule is available on our fixtures page.
