Brentford will aim to keep the fading European qualification hopes alive when they take on Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Saturday.
The 2024/25 Premier League season resumes this weekend with Gameweek 36, with only three rounds of fixtures remaining before the curtains fall on another action-packed campaign. The action on Saturday starts with four simultaneous matches, including Ipswich Town vs Brentford at Portman Road.
Ipswich Town will return to the EFL Championship after only one season in the Premier League. However, the Tractor Boys were the most valiant team among the promoted sides, although that was not enough to help them secure their top-flight status. Ultimately, the gulf in quality between Kieran McKenna’s side and the other 17 outfits was too big to overcome.
On the other hand, Brentford may end the 2024/25 season with European qualification. While the Bees have endured a topsy-turvy ride this term, they have started picking up form at the most crucial juncture of the Premier League campaign. Thomas Frank’s men are unbeaten in their last five top-flight outings, rising to ninth in the standings. However, they must win their remaining games and hope the others drop points to qualify for a European competition.
The reverse fixture saw Brentford come from two goals down to beat Ipswich Town 4-3, with Bryan Mbeumo scoring the match-winning goal. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Ipswich Town
Kieran McKenna has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Ipswich Town manager will be bereft of the services of eight first-team players vs Brentford on Saturday.
Ben Johnson is available after serving a suspension last week. However, Leif Davis remains unavailable due to the third game of his ban. The 25-year-old accompanies Arijanet Muric (shoulder), Wes Burns (knee), Nathan Broadhead (thigh), Conor Townsend (hamstring), Jaden Philogene (knee), Sammie Szmodics (ankle), and Chiedozie Ogbene (calf) on the sidelines.
Alex Palmer will take his spot between the sticks, with Ipswich Town lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Brentford on Saturday. The backline should feature Axel Tuanzebe, Dara O’Shea, Cameron Burgess, and Jacob Greaves, with the latter deputising for Leif Davis.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Samy Morsy and Jens Cajuste in the double pivot. Conor Chaplil will reprise the no. 10 role, with Omari Hutchinson and Julio Enciso being the two wide attackers. Finally, Liam Delap will lead the line for Ipswich Town against Brentford on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Burgess, Greaves; Morsy, Cajuste; Hutchinson, Chaplin, Enciso; Delap
Brentford
Like his counterpart in the Ipswich Town dugout, Thomas Frank has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Brentford manager will be without four first-team players on Saturday.
Vitaly Janelt is the most notable absentee due to a heel injury. The German midfielder accompanies Aaron Hickey (match fitness), Joshua Dasilva (knee), and Fabio Carvalho (shoulder) on the sidelines.
Mark Flekken is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Brentford lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him vs Ipswich Town on Saturday. The backline should feature Michael Kayode, Nathan Collins, Sepp van den Berg, and Keane Lewis-Potter. So, Igor Thiago and Rico Henry will appear off the bench again this weekend.
As for the midfield unit, Christian Norgaard will hold the fort in the middle of the park, with Mathias Jensen and Mikkel Damsgaard providing the creative impetus. Finally, Yoane Wissa will spearhead the Brentford attack against Ipswich Town, with Bryan Mbeumo and Kevin Schade completing the numbers in the offensive trifecta.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Flekken; Kayode, Collins, van den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Jensen, Norgaard, Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Wissa, Schade
Key Stats
- Brentford came back from two goals down to beat Ipswich Town 4-3 in the reverse fixture, and they are vying for their first league double vs the Tractor Boys.
- Last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Everton was the first time since November that Ipswich Town avoided defeat after falling behind in a Premier League game. It was also the first time since 2001 that they avoided defeat after trailing by at least two goals in a top-flight match.
- Brentford will aim to clinch four top-flight wins in a row for the first time since a five-match sequence in February and March 1939. The Bees have scored at least four goals in eight Premier League fixtures this season, more than any other club.
- Ipswich Town have lost 10 of their last 11 Premier League home games, including all seven since the turn of the year – the longest losing run at home in their league history. The Tractor Boys have faced defeat in 12 league fixtures at Portman Road this season, one short of the club record set during relegation from the Premier League in 1994/95.
- Ipswich Town have failed to keep a clean sheet in their 16 Premier League games in 2025, conceding 43 goals and claiming seven points from a possible 48 (W1 D4 L11).
Player to Watch
Yoane Wissa
While Liam Delap, Omari Hutchinson, and Bryan Mbeumo were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Yoane Wissa as the Player to Watch for Saturday’s Premier League clash between Ipswich Town and Brentford at Portman Road.
Last week’s strike against Manchester United meant the DR Congo international has scored in four consecutive Premier League games for the first time in his career. Wissa, along with Mbeumo, is only two shy of matching Ivan Toney’s club record of 20 goals in a Premier League season. It will not be surprising to see him break that record this weekend.
Prediction
Ipswich Town 1-3 Brentford
Ipswich Town may have proven valiant battlers in the bid to remain in the Premier League, but that has not been enough to secure safety from relegation. Things have gone from bad to worse for the Tractor Boys in the last few weeks, as they have seen at least three goals in their seven most recent outings.
On the other hand, Brentford’s run of form, particularly in the final third, has been exceptional in the last few weeks. So, while Ipswich Town will give the Bees a run for their money again, the away side should have enough quality to cruise to a straightforward victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Thomas Frank and his charges.
