Having already sent one Premier League team packing in this year's EFL Cup, high-flying Ipswich Town seek to add Fulham to their list of victims when they meet at Portman Road in Wednesday's fourth-round contest.
The Tractor Boys eliminated Wolverhampton Wanderers with a stunning 3-2 win in the third round, while the Cottagers got the job done against Norwich City in a 2-1 triumph.
Match preview
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Neither Bristol Rovers nor Reading could stop the Tractor Boys in their tracks during the first two rounds of the 2023-24 EFL Cup, but the Portman Road faithful could have been forgiven for resigning their side to defeat against Wolves with just 15 minutes on the clock.
Hwang Hee-chan and Toti propelled Gary O'Neil's men into a two-goal lead on September 26, but Ipswich - who are currently Premier League-bound - had other ideas, as Chelsea loanee Omari Hutchinson and Freddie Ladapo drew Kieran McKenna's side level before Jack Taylor completed a marvellous turnaround.
Owing to their astonishing fightback at Portman Road, Ipswich will now compete in the last 16 of the EFL Cup for the first time since a memorable run to the semi-finals in 2010-11, where they got the better of Arsenal in the first leg of their final-four tie before ultimately bowing out 3-1 on aggregate.
One month on from their five-goal extravaganza against Wolves, Ipswich also came out on the correct end of a 3-2 scoreline during their most recent Championship showdown with Plymouth Argyle, who pipped McKenna's men to the League One title last season but are now witnessing the Tractor Boys ride off into the sunset.
With victories in each of their last four Championship games and a total of 14 victories to boast from 16 matches this season - the two aberrations being a 4-3 loss to Leeds United and 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town - Ipswich are only behind Leicester City in the second-tier rankings with a game in hand, so Wednesday's tie could serve as a warm-up for imminent top-flight showdowns with their upcoming opponents.
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Two months after sinking Tottenham Hotspur on penalties in the second round, Fulham can still proudly claim to be the only team to have beaten Ange Postecoglou's Premier League leaders in a competitive fixture, and no shootout was needed to settle their third-round tie with Norwich.
Indeed, goals either side of the break from Alex Iwobi and Carlos Vinicius proved telling, and while Carlos Sainz cut the arrears in half with 15 minutes to go, Marco Silva's men bolted the back door shut to punch their ticket to the last 16 for only the third time in nine seasons.
The Cottagers' last two appearances at this stage of the tournament have both ended in heartache, losing 2-0 to Manchester City in the 2018-19 edition before a 3-0 loss to Brentford in 2020-21, but they enter Wednesday's game having held Brighton & Hove Albion to an applaudable 1-1 draw on the South Coast.
Joao Palhinha's drive cancelled out an Evan Ferguson opener to prolong Fulham's unbeaten Premier League run against the Europa League contenders, although that stalemate leaves the visitors winless in five successive away matches, during which they have followed a sequence of drawing one then losing one.
The omens are therefore not promising for Silva's troops, but Fulham have overcome Ipswich in each of their last five clashes with the Tractor Boys, most recently sinking their hosts 1-0 in a 2020-21 EFL Cup second-round affair courtesy of a goal from, who else, Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Team News
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Ipswich midfielder Lee Evans is due to serve a one-game suspension in Wednesday's showdown, having picked up his second booking of the tournament in the win over Wolves, but the 29-year-old recently underwent a knee operation and will spend months on the sidelines.
Elkan Baggott is also dealing with a back problem, but Freddie Ladapo and Axel Tuanzebe both recovered from knocks to make the bench against Plymouth, although neither man made it onto the field.
Sure to reward the crop of players who led the fightback against Wolves, McKenna ought to sanction a recall for Marcus Harness, who provided two assists in that third-round thriller and also netted his side's final goal off the bench in their beating of Plymouth. Tottenham Hotspur loanee Dane Scarlett, however, is cup-tied.
As for Fulham, the Cottagers were forced to make do without Vinicius for their clash with Brighton at the weekend, although Silva stressed that the former Tottenham man was not nursing anything serious, offering hope of a swift return here.
Adama Traore (thigh) and Kenny Tete (unspecified) are also stepping up their recoveries and could make the squad on Wednesday, but neither Issa Diop (foot) nor Tosin Adarabioyo (groin) will feature.
Despite making five crucial saves at the Amex, Bernd Leno should hand the gloves over to Marek Rodak at Portman Road, where Tom Cairney and Sasa Lukic could offer a different midfield presence.
Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:
Hladky; Clarke, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Williams; Morsy, Taylor; Harness, Hutchinson, Ladapo; Hirst
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Rodak; Castagne, Bassey, Ream, Ballo-Toure; Cairney, Palhinha, Pereira; Willian, Jimenez, Iwobi
We say: Ipswich Town 2-2 Fulham (Fulham to win on penalties)
With six wins to show from their last six contests at Portman Road - scoring at least three goals in each of those eye-catching wins - Ipswich have nothing to fear on Wednesday, although their defensive vulnerabilities will open the door to Fulham's attackers.
Ninety minutes may not be enough to settle this intriguing battle, which may have to be decided from the dreaded 12-yard mark, and just as they did against Tottenham, Fulham's esteemed players should utilise their big-game experience to end the Tractor Boys' dreams of glory.
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Top tip
Ben Knapton
