Silva knows Fulham confidence will be sky high after their win at Chelsea.
Iraola told the Daily Echo: “Yes, I think both seasons I think we've been with them more or less.
“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.
“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.”
On 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.”