Southampton and Ipswich Town will face each other with the aim of getting their first win of the season and a respite from their relegation battle.
Southampton have made a terrible start to the season, losing all four of their Premier League games so far ahead of the visit of Ipswich Town on Saturday. Only a more abysmal Everton side have managed to fare worse than the Saints, thus ensuring the Toffees occupy the bottom place on the table, with Southampton in 19th spot.
As is the nature of the Premier League, some more defeats and Russell Martin will soon find his name in the papers as the favourites to get the sack. Hence, he needs a positive result to get some points on board for the first time this campaign as the Saints host fellow strugglers Ipswich Town at St. Mary’s.
Right after the international break, Southampton faced a wounded Manchester United side, who put them to the sword with a 3-0 win. While the Saints have looked decent in the final third, it is the defence that is causing all sorts of problems. However, the attackers also need to finish their chances whenever possible to ensure Southampton begin their journey out of the relegation zone.
Kieran McKenna will be happy with his team’s performances as Ipswich Town appears to have managed a difficult period of their season already. The Tractor Boys were very much expected to lose against title challengers Liverpool and Manchester City in their opening two games of the season, but the team did perform well on both occasions.
Ipswich followed those defeats with an elimination from the League Cup at the hands of AFC Wimbledon, losing on penalties. However, in the games after that, McKenna’s men did manage to get a point against Fulham before the international break and then Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
Those points on board have ensured Ipswich are out of the bottom three for now, and the upcoming clash against relegation-threatened Southampton could ensure they have some room at the foot of the table. McKenna will undoubtedly want to keep his team away from the tags of being favourites to go down, which they are on current form. Hence, a positive result against Southampton is essential to improve their chances.
Team News & Tactics
Southampton
Southampton will be without some critical stars in their squad against Ipswich Town, with skipper Jack Stephens still suspended. He will serve the second of his three-game ban. Kamaldeen Sulemana and Will Smallbone are both doubts for this clash.
Irish goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu is a long-term absentee and will be sidelined with his achilles problem at least until early 2025. In any case, big summer arrival Aaron Ramsdale is the undisputed starter in goal for the Saints, and that will be the case for the foreseeable future.
Beyond that, Russell Martin will hope to select his best eleven for this crunch clash against Ipswich. The manager has no choice but to continue with Jan Bednarek and Taylor Harwood-Bellis in the heart of his defence. Kyle Walker-Peters and Yukinari Sugawara will support from the full-back positions.
Adam Lallana will continue to provide the experience in this midfield, which also consists of Flynn Downes and Mateus Fernandes. Maxwel Cornet could get a start on the left flank, while exciting talent Tyler Dibling will stake a claim on the right hand side of the front three, while Chilean Ben Brereton Diaz will lead the line for Southampton against Ipswich Town.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Sugawara, hardwood-Bellis, Bednarek, Walker-Peters; Lallana, Downes, Fernandes; Dibling, Brereton Diaz, Cornet
Ipswich Town
Kieran McKenna will be without at least three first-team stars Harry Clarke, Nathan Broadhead, and Janoi Donacien. Against Southampton, the Ipswich Town manager will continue to setup in a way that his team fares well in the attacking third, while his defence has shown enough resilience for the manager to begin dreaming of consistent results.
Dara O’Shea and Jacob Greaves are the preferred central defenders at the moment, while former Manchester United man Axel Tuanzebe will want to keep putting in key performances from his right-back slot. Loanee Kalvin Phillips and Samy Morsy will control the central areas of the midfield.
Sammie Szmodics will play the advanced role alongside the front three. Omari Hutchinson will want to start adding goals to his game, as this game could be a significant opportunity for the attacker, while Jack Clarke might look to do the same from the left. Liam Delap, who has picked up form of late, will lead the line for Ipswich Town in this crunch clash against Southampton.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Muric; Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis; Morsy, Phillips; Hutchison, Szmodics, Clarke, Delap
Key Stats
- Southampton have lost nine of their last ten matches in the Premier League.
- Southampton have lost their opening four games this season in the Premier League.
- Ipswich Town are unbeaten in their last two Premier League games.
- Ipswich Town have failed to win their last six matches in the Premier League.
Player to Watch
Kalvin Phillips
There is been a vast improvement in Ipswich’s performances throughout the last two games, and Kalvin Phillips has played a big part in this. The midfielder, a significant name presence in Kieran McKenna’s side, will have to dig up his heels and put in some tremendous displays throughout the season, starting with the game agaisnt Southampton.
As Southampton’s displays go, they have struggled to get a foothold in defence and in the midfield, which is where Phillips comes into play. The Manchester City loanee could have an influential say in proceedings here, and should he get a level of control in the middle, the former Leeds star can dictate the tempo and help his team to their first win of the season.
Prediction
Southampton 1-1 Ipswich Town
These games at the foot of the table often are six-pointers in the context of how important a win could be for either side. Ipswich Town undoubtedly in a better vein of form heading to the game against Southampton at St. Mary’s, and Kieran McKenna will certainly want that push to get their first win of the season.
However, Southampton could use this game against Ipswich Town as a springboard to get back on track after their dreadful start to the campaign. Ipswich are familiar opposition as these two sides played last season in the Championship, meaning they will have a better knowledge of each other compared to other Premier League sides, as this game could be poised for an exciting draw.
