Sports Mole previews Thursday’s Premier League clash between Ipswich Town and Brighton & Hove Albion, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Ipswich Town and Brighton & Hove Albion will meet at Portman Road in the top flight for the first time in four decades when they lock horns on Thursday night.
The two clubs drew 0-0 in the reverse fixture earlier this season, but they have not clashed at this venue in the top flight since a 2-0 win for Ipswich in January 1983.
Match preview
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All of Ipswich’s Christmas dreams are seemingly coming true at present, with Kieran McKenna‘s side now on the cusp of moving out of the bottom three.
Four points and four goals in their last two Premier League outings is as many as they had managed in the seven games prior to that, moving them level on points with Wolves in 17th.
After a narrow defeat at the Emirates against Arsenal during the Boxing Day matchday, Ipswich then beat Chelsea 2-0 at Portman Road to finish 2024, and they almost made a dream start to the new year away at Fulham.
Only two penalties denied them a win at Craven Cottage, with an injury-time strike from Raul Jimenez forcing a draw, after Liam Delap had put them ahead for a second time.
Those four points have moved the Tractor Boys above Leicester City, and brought Everton right back into trouble, just one point further ahead.
McKenna’s side have been efficient on their return to the top flight, averaging just 6.1 shots-per-game from open play, but still managing to average a goal every game so far.
Form at home had been a huge concern in the early stages of the season, but after getting their first win at the 10th attempt against Chelsea, they followed that up with another against Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Next up for the hosts are Brighton, who have been the draw specialists in the Premier League this season, and could only manage a 0-0 stalemate in this fixture back in September.
In recent weeks, those draws have continued to mount for the Seagulls, with their last four league games all ending level.
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Not since Fulham in 2020-21 has a Premier League team drawn five straight games in the division, and the last time Brighton did so, they were a fourth-tier club back in 2000.
The FA Cup at least provided Brighton with an opportunity to get a win on the board, and they succeeded, thrashing Championship side Norwich City 4-0 at Carrow Road on Saturday, despite plenty of rotation from Fabian Hurzeler.
Brighton will return to East Anglia again to face Norwich’s bitter rivals in this Premier League clash, hoping for a similar outcome, and to end the worrying statistic that Hurzeler’s side have failed to beat any of the bottom four yet this season.
Too many dropped points have seen Brighton fall to 10th, eight points off the top four, and six points off the top six, with a mid-table finish now looking very likely after showing signs of competing for Europe earlier in the campaign.
The visitors have done well in their last two league outings though, holding Arsenal to a draw at the Amex, after also denying Aston Villa three points on home soil.
Ipswich Town Premier League form:
Ipswich Town form (all competitions):
Brighton & Hove Albion Premier League form:
Brighton & Hove Albion form (all competitions):
Team News
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Ipswich will be without key player Omari Hutchinson for the next two matches after sustaining a groin injury last week that ruled him out of the FA Cup tie with Bristol Rovers.
Sammie Szmodics has scored some important goals for Ipswich this season, opening the scoring on four separate occasions, but he is set to miss out with McKenna revealing his foot is in a protective boot at the moment to help settle an ankle issue.
Chiedozie Ogbene is out for the season with an Achilles tear, and Conor Chaplin and Axel Tuanzebe are the other injury absentees for the hosts, with both not set to return for another few weeks.
No team in the Premier League is dealing with as many injuries as Brighton at present, and Joao Pedro joined that list in the past week after rolling his ankle in training, making him a doubt for the next few games.
Defensive duo Lewis Dunk and Tariq Lamptey should be able to return here after suffering with respective knocks and illnesses, while attacking pair Georginio Rutter and Yankuba Minteh will be assessed before the game after sustaining minor injuries at Norwich.
Jack Hinshelwood is also closing in on a return, but this game will come too soon for the likes of Ferdi Kadioglu, James Milner and, most probably, Diego Gomez, who is still building his fitness up after arriving from Inter Miami.
Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:
Walton; Johnson, O’Shea, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis; Morsy, Cajuste; Broadhead, Delap, J Clarke
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, Van Hecke, Estupinan; Baleba, Ayari; Gruda, Enciso, Mitoma; Welbeck
We say: Ipswich Town 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
The Premier League’s draw specialists could serve up another here with Brighton set to be tested by a fearless Ipswich team who gave Chelsea and Fulham some big surprises recently.
Brighton’s form has not been awful by any means, with the cup win coming after two impressive draws, but Hurzeler’s men are winless in eight league games, and this could be an awkward fixture for them, after also being held in the reverse.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
