Arsenal travel to Portman Road to resume their Premier League campaign against Ipswich Town, and they must keep hold of second place in the standings.
Kieran McKenna has done a decent enough job to at least garner a reputation that this Ipswich Town team can put up an occasional fight in the Premier League as they get set to host Arsenal at Portman Road on Sunday. Last weekend, they were close to securing a win over Chelsea, having taken a two-goal lead in the first half, only for the West London giants to bounce back and earn a draw.
That result, alongside Wolves’ win at home against Tottenham Hotspur, allowed the Midlands side to open a 14-point lead over Ipswich Town, which will have deflated fans’ hopes of a dream survival scenario. Should McKenna’s side lose on Sunday and results elsewhere go against them, their relegation from the top flight will be confirmed, as they welcome Arsenal at Portman Road.
Mikel Arteta showcased a tactical masterclass at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday to come away with a win against Real Madrid. The game was full of drama, particularly in the first half when Arsenal were awarded an early penalty many minutes after an incident occurred in the box following a corner when Real Madrid defender Raul Acensio fouled Mikel Merino.
Bukayo Saka missed the resulting spot-kick after his audacious panenka was saved by Thibaut Courtois. Moments later, Real Madrid were awarded a spot-kick only for VAR to intervene and reverse the decision. Saka then gave the Gunners the lead at the Bernabeu with another audacious chip past Courtois, although Vinicius Junior capitalised on William Saliba’s error to score an immediate equaliser.
Gabriel Martinelli then came up with a late winner at the Bernabeu to cap off a stellar two-legged performance from Arsenal. Arteta will now lend his focus on matters in the Premier League, as they might still have to put up a fight to keep hold of their second spot. The Arsenal manager will want a big win over Ipswich Town at Portman Road to put those doubts to bed, as the Gunners are likely to be focused on their Champions League campaign more.
Team News & Tactics
Ipswich Town
Kieran McKenna might name a similar team that started against Chelsea, as Ipswich Town still have a lot of players out of contention with injuries. For instance, he could keep using Ben Johnson in an attacking role on the right flank, which did produce the goods at Stamford Bridge as the right-back scored and assisted in that game.
The only big change could be the return of key striker Liam Delap in the frontline. McKenna used George Hirst in the No.9 role, and he will make way for the 12-goal striker. Beyond that, the Ipswich Town manager is unlikely to make any alterations, although there might be a place for former Arsenal academy star Omari Hutchinson in the matchday squad.
Ipswich also lost Jaden Philogene to a knee injury that will have ended his campaign with the Tractor Boys. As for the confirmed absentees, Arijanet Muric, Chiedozie Obgene, West Burns, Sammie Smozdics, and Kalvin Phillips are all missing from action.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Cajuste; Johnson, Enciso, Clarke; Delap
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta is expected to ring the changes after an exhaustive game against Real Madrid away from home, which could see a few stars rested. Last weekend against Brentford, Jorginho suffered a late problem, presumed to be a blow to his chest or ribs, which could keep him out for a while.
He joins long-term absentees Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Kai Havertz on the sidelines, while Riccardo Calafiori will also sit out this trip to Portman Road. The Italian international has resumed light training and could make a comeback sooner rather than later. As for team selection, there could be starts for Ben White as well as Kieran Tierney, while Arteta will continue to use the same central defensive pairing.
The forthcoming games could be a dress rehearsal of sorts for the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against PSG. So, Arteta could start using Declan Rice in a No.6 role given Thomas Partey will be suspended for that clash. The manager could use Oleksandr Zinchenko and Martin Odegaard alongside Rice in those midfield spots.
Arteta might change the front three altogether as Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri could be handed starts. Saka, Martinelli, and Merino are all expected to feature on the bench, as the Arsenal boss will continue to heavily rotate his lineup for Premier League games going forward.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Ben White, Saliba, Kiwior, Tierney; Odegaard, Rice, Zinchenko; Nwaneri, Trossard, Sterling
Key Stats
- Ipswich Town have lost their last six home games in the Premier League.
- Ipswich Town are 14 points away from 17th-placed Wolves, as a loss to Arsenal and results going against them at the weekend could confirm their relegation.
- Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in five of their last six matches against Ipswich Town in all competitions.
- Arsenal have won five of their last six matches against Ipswich Town in all competitions.
- Arsenal have dropped 16 points from winning positions this season, only one fewer than they had in the previous two campaigns combined.
Player to Watch
Leandro Trossard
The Belgian international has had a quiet few weeks despite getting on the scoresheet against Everton very recently. Arteta prefers to keep Trossard on the bench in the UEFA Champions League, but his availability does guarantee a starting spot in Premier League games due to Arsenal’s current circumstances.
With Arsenal failing to win their last two games in the Premier League, players like Trossard need to step up in a big way and deliver the goods. It is all about focusing on the Champions League for Arteta, who would want his fringe stars to hit the ground running and not call upon key starters like Saka or Martinelli to get the job done instead.
Prediction
Ipswich Town 1-3 Arsenal
Ipswich Town and especially Liam Delap could take advantage of the Arsenal central defensive pairing of William Saliba and Jakub Kiwior, who put in a shift in midweek to sneak a goal or so. However, these players are likely looking to keep a tight lid at the back and may restrict Ipswich Town to the bare minimum of chances.
As for Arsenal, they will not want to come into a pressure situation over losing their grip on the second place. Newcastle United are breathing down their neck amid their impressive form in the league, and Mikel Arteta will demand a big win, something his players will deliver at Portman Road. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Arteta and his charges.