Andoni Iraola previews AFC Bournemouth's visit to Fulham

Previewing the Cherries’ trip to Craven Cottage, Iraola said their hosts are playing well at the moment and they are a team he has admired for a long time.

Marco Silva’s side are in a similar position to Bournemouth with similar form; both are unbeaten in their last six games, and just one point separates them, with Bournemouth on 29 to Fulham’s 28.

Asked about preparing to face a side in a similar vein of form as their own, Iraola told the Daily Echo: “Yes, I think both seasons I think we've been with them more or less.

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“We started more slowly past season, but from November, December, I think both teams, we've been always one position behind one, two positions ahead, behind.

“I think I rate them very highly because they are very well coached, they have lovely technical players.

(Image: PA) “I think they've been very smart also with the recruitment this summer. And also they can play with five at the back, sometimes 4-3-3, sometimes they put more 4-2-3-1, different type of strikers, wingers, inswingers, outswingers.

“It's a challenge. It's a challenge for me personally, it's a challenge for the players and I hope we are at that level.”

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Reacting to Fulham’s away win at Chelsea on Boxing Day, Iraola said: “I think it's a very difficult game to play Chelsea away and for any team probably you are not going to be favourite.

“I know that Fulham is playing very well.

“I think it's a team that they always rate very highly because they change players every season and they continue playing very well.

“We have the experience from past season where we lost there 3-1, starting slow the game and I hope it doesn't happen again.

“But it's very demanding because offensively they have technically very nice players.

“They have very attacking fullbacks with Castagne, with Antonee Robinson. And you have to be ready to suffer and to defend well because they demand of you a lot defensively.”

But Iraola said he was excited for the challenge.

“I think it's another team that is going to be difficult to defend, but also will give us chances to attack them because they are quite offensive,” he said.

“It can be an open game, in a good way, I think different from today [against Crystal Palace], different from even the United game.

“And I hope we can win these duels, especially outside against the fullbacks, the wingers that are always difficult against Fulham.”