How Ipswich Town beat Fulham
Both teams lined up in a 4-2-3-1 in front of 29,445 at Portman Road, and the first half finished goalless. According to ESPN's match report, Emersonn hit the post for Ipswich from a Julio Enciso cross, and Christian Walton saved a Sander Berge free kick at the other end. Leif Davis was booked for Ipswich in the 19th minute and Josh King for Fulham in the 44th.
Fulham went ahead ten minutes into the second half. Calvin Bassey had been booked in the 51st minute, and four minutes later a Fulham corner was cleared to the edge of the box, where Ryan Sessegnon hit a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner. Fulham held the lead until the 88th minute.
Then Ipswich scored twice in about three minutes. Abdoul Ouattara, who started the match, struck a left-footed shot from outside the box into the bottom left corner to make it 1-1; Flashscore described it as his first goal in English football. In the first minute of stoppage time Dara O'Shea headed in from very close range after Jack Clarke crossed from a set piece.
- 55' — 0-1, Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham), left-footed shot from outside the box after a corner
- 88' — 1-1, Abdoul Ouattara (Ipswich Town), left-footed shot from outside the box
- 90'+1' — 2-1, Dara O'Shea (Ipswich Town), header from close range, assisted by Jack Clarke
Turning points: the substitutes and two penalty claims
Gary O'Neil used all five of his substitutes, and the winner came from one of them. Jack Clarke replaced Jaden Philogene in the 63rd minute, when Exequiel Palacios also came on for Florentino. Chuba Akpom and Zian Flemming replaced Julio Enciso and Emersonn in the 71st minute, and Sindre Walle Egeli came on for Daizen Maeda in the 81st. ESPN's report notes that Bernd Leno saved a shot from Egeli before the late goals.
Neither side got a penalty. ESPN reports that Gonzalo García was unhappy when Issa Diop blocked his shot, with Diop's arm judged to be in a natural position, and that referee Lewis Smith and VAR turned down Ipswich's claim when Maeda went down under contact from Sessegnon around the 75th minute. There were no red cards. Fulham picked up four yellows (King, Bassey, Manuel Ángel in the 84th minute and Emile Smith Rowe in the 94th), Ipswich two (Davis and Walton, the goalkeeper booked in the 97th).
Fulham's own changes came from the 71st minute: Manuel Ángel for Shea Charles, then Rodrigo Muniz for Josh King and Kevin for Oscar Bobb in the 76th, and Hugo Larsson and Emile Smith Rowe for García and Alex Iwobi in the 87th. After O'Shea's goal, Walton saved from Kevin, according to ESPN.
We were in control; we conceded a goal from 30 yards which is tough to take when you are in control.
Gary O'Neil, Ipswich Town manager, to VAVEL
O'Neil told VAVEL that his team deserved the win, and added that nine points would not be enough for what Ipswich want from the season.
Ipswich Town vs Fulham: match stats
| Stat | Ipswich Town | Fulham |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 47.6% | 52.4% |
| Shots | 11 | 13 |
| Shots on target | 5 | 5 |
| Corners | 2 | 5 |
| Crosses (accurate) | 19 (4) | 14 (5) |
| Passes (accurate) | 454 (389) | 505 (420) |
| Fouls | 8 | 10 |
| Offsides | 0 | 1 |
| Yellow cards | 2 | 4 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
| Goalkeeper saves | 3 | 3 |
Fulham had slightly more of the ball and two more shots, and both teams put five shots on target. Ipswich crossed more often, 19 times to Fulham's 14, and the winning goal came from a cross.
What the result means in the Premier League table
Before matchweek 6, Ipswich Town were 11th with 6 points and Fulham 19th with 2. After it, Ipswich are 10th on 9 points from three wins and three defeats (9 goals scored, 12 conceded). They are level on points with Leeds United, Hull City and Liverpool, who sit above them on goal difference, one point behind fourth-placed Brentford and six points clear of Tottenham Hotspur in 18th. One match of the matchweek is still to play: Coventry City against Newcastle United on Monday 12 October. Newcastle are 11th with 8 points from five games, Coventry 19th with 3 from five.
Fulham drop to 20th, still without a win after six games (two draws, four defeats) and seven points behind Ipswich. They are one point behind AFC Bournemouth in 17th, the first place outside the relegation zone, and Tottenham in 18th, both on 3. ESPN notes that Alvaro Arbeloa is now winless in his first six Premier League matches as Fulham manager, and Flashscore counted this as Fulham's second defeat in their last 16 Premier League games against newly promoted sides. How many points a club usually needs to stay up is in our Premier League relegation points analysis, and how promoted clubs like Ipswich have fared is in how promoted teams survive in the Premier League.
The feeling is so different to last time. There's a lot more confidence and a lot more experience in the group.
Dara O'Shea, Ipswich Town defender, to TWTD
O'Shea was comparing this season with Ipswich's last spell in the top flight. TWTD reported it was his first home goal for the club, and that Ipswich have already won late this season through Jack Clarke against Sunderland and Zian Flemming against Crystal Palace. The full standings are on our Premier League table, and our Premier League simulator lets you play out the rest of the season from the current table.
What's next for Ipswich Town and Fulham
- Ipswich Town: away to Manchester City, Saturday 17 October 2026, 15:00 BST. City are top with 18 points from six wins.
- Fulham: at home to Hull City, Saturday 17 October 2026, 15:00 BST. Hull are 8th with 9 points.
Every match of matchweek 7 is on our Premier League fixtures page.
How this report was built: the score, goals, assists, cards, substitutions, lineups, team stats and attendance come from ESPN's match data (event 401879265), and the team of every goal and card is taken from ESPN's team id. The tables before and after matchweek 6 are computed from ESPN full-time results and do not include Coventry City v Newcastle United, still to play on 12 October. Chances, penalty claims and the referee are from ESPN's report; Gary O'Neil's words are from VAVEL; Dara O'Shea's from TWTD; and Fulham's record against promoted sides and Ouattara's first goal from Flashscore. Kickoff was 15:00 BST.