Ipswich Town FC vs Brighton & Hove Albion, English Premier League 2024-25, Today Match Prediction

Ipswich Town FC vs Brighton & Hove Albion Match Prediction & Analysis

Ipswich Town last kicked a football 10 days back in an encounter against Fulham that was billed a blockbuster. In a game of two contrasting halves, the Tractor Boys were left wondering how they didn’t seal all three points - when Leif Davis distanced himself from discipline and brought down Mexican striker Raul Jimenez. The drama at Portman Road saw three penalties awarded, two to the Cottagers and one for the Tractor Boys. All three were coolly slotted, but Ipswich will be crestfallen for now dropping 17 points from winning positions in the league this season. 

Brighton eventually won a game against Norwich, albeit in the FA Cup - after going 8 games without a win. This is in stark contrast to how the Seagulls started the season. Managerial shifts take time to establish, but Hurzeler did it in no time. The German gaffer now has more questions than answers at his disposal with his last victory coming against Bournemouth on the 23rd of November. The Seagulls, just like Ipswich, have now dropped 18 points from winning positions this campaign. It’s important for the South coast team to pick up points, especially against a team in the relegation zone. 

Head to Head Record: Both teams have played each other 27 times. The Tractor Boys have won 10 times. Brighton has won 7 times, with 10 draws being played out. Ipswich has scored 20 goals in the league this season, whereas Brighton have scored 10 more than their foes. 

Current Standings : Ipswich town are in 18th position with 16 points. Brighton are in 11th with 28 points. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

Ipswich Town FC Preview

Ipswich Town were welcomed to a goalless affair at the Amex in September. In fact, all past 3 games between these two sides have ended in a draw. The Tractor Boys are only playing for wins with their high-intensity, aggressive, front-footed football. McKenna’s men have picked up 4 points and scored 4 goals from their two previous games, which proves valuable for a newly promoted side fighting a relegation battle. 

Midfielders and wingers haven’t been shooting from distance - which has resulted in the club underperforming from open play this season. Ipswich have had the fewest shots from open play this season in the Premier League (122). The 20 goals scored this season have come majorly from English bred players. 68% of goals, happens to be the highest ratio of any side scored by English players. Liam Delap has had a big role to play in that story. The young Englishman now wanted by Chelsea, is one with the team’s objective - running at defenders and proving a handful. With his energy and verve, Ipswich have a lifelong to cling onto.

Player to watch out for

The ex-Manchester City player has 8 goals in 19 Premier League appearances this season. He took 31 Championship appearances to score 8 goals last season for Hull. Delap clearly has been built for the Premier League. His high-intensity, direct style of play would suit most managers. Patrick Bamford is the only player to score more goals than young Delap in 20 appearances for a newly promoted side. The 21 year old Ipswich player has a long way to go and could easily be the main talking point in the summer transfer window. 

Injury - Chaplin, Hutchinson, Tuanzebe, Ogbene, Hirst, Luongo and Szmodics.

Ipswich Town probable XI - Walton (GK), Johnson, O’Shea, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis (DEF), Morsy, Cajuste, Broadhead, Phillips (MID), Delap (FWD).

Brighton & Hove Albion Preview

The Seagulls have faced a massive slump in the past 40 days. In their past 4 games against Ipswich only 3 goals have been scored. But since Ipswich are in a relegation scrap and Brighton face an upheaval task of finding lost rhythm, this game should produce more goals than it previously did. The Cottagers were the last team to draw 5 consecutive games. 

Hurzeler needs to find his team’s lost spark before it gets too late. Yes, Brighton will stay in the Premier League, but after a 6th position finish in 2022-23, the bar has been considerably raised. It’s not too late for the Seagulls to go on a winning spree, just like Newcastle have recently done. The Premier League can be a tricky ground for any team to navigate, especially for a young manager in his premier season. 

Player to watch out for

One thing the Ipswich mid-field can learn from Brighton’s Julio Enciso is his ability to shoot from distance. The South American has been averaging 3.4 shots on target per 90 minutes in the competition - the highest rate of any player. Unfortunately, he hasn’t scored yet, which is why he’s been relegated to the bench. Enciso has had 11 shots on target without scoring so far. Another stand out performer is van Hecke, who brings stability and stride to Brighton’s defence. Only Fulham’s Iwobi (118) has played more passes than Hecke’s (111). It is the most for any player to play 1000+ minutes in the division. 

Injury - Ferguson, Julio, Kadioglu, Dunk, Pedro, Milner, Wieffer, Hinshelwood, Minteh, Gomez, Georginio are out injured. 

Brighton probable XI - Verbruggen (GK), Estupinan, van Hecke, Veltman, Igor (DEF), Baleba, Ayari, Gruda, O’Riley, Adingra (MID), Rutter (FWD)

IPSWICH TOWN FC vs BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION
Winning Prediction

You can really see Ipswich playing with their hearts. If they can bring some mental aspect of the game to the game, McKenna’s team could go far. The Tractor Boys are dominating most games, but fail to administer positive results. The newly promoted side are the only team in the relegation zone showing promise of staying up. Brighton have been lacklustre, but a win against Norwich should remind them of what they’re missing out on. Portman Road hasn’t been most kind to its home team. But, this time round with Kalvin Phillips hopefully contributing, could be Ipswich’s day. 

Ipswich Town to Win (2-1)

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