An in-form Bournemouth side makes the trip to Portman Road to face Ipswich Town, aiming to make it four wins in a row in the Premier League.
Ipswich Town are not in the worst of form heading into their next Premier League game, although Gary O’Neil’s side can make do with a key win to further boost their mood. Heading into Sunday, the Tractor Boys come into this game at the back of consecutive draws to Nottingham Forest and Hull City, which has been a somewhat positive response following their defeat to Manchester City away from home.
O’Neil will certainly want a response from his players in the manner of how the last game transpired. Florentino Luiz gave Ipswich the lead midway through the first half, as Hull City responded well in the second period with strikes from Tim Iroegbunam and Ollie McBurnie. Julio Enciso then settled matters with a leveller with more than 15 minutes to go, with the game ending with a 2-2 scoreline.
Despite those frustrations, Ipswich have shown resilience by coming from behind to secure points in both of their recent draws. Incidentally, they remain within touching distance of the top six, and their joint-fourth-best attacking record in the division, with 14 goals scored, gives them reason for optimism, while being only three points off sixth-placed Brentford.
Meanwhile, visitors Bournemouth arrive in eighth place with 12 points from nine matches, having won three consecutive Premier League games. Marco Rose’s side have been one of the form teams in Europe, winning seven matches in a row across three competitions since a 5-1 defeat at Chelsea on October 10, and what appears to be a stellar response from the German manager in the face of massive scrutiny placed on him earlier.
The Cherries are also showing immense attacking prowess, scoring 19 goals during that seven-match winning run. Bournemouth have also been defensively solid, conceding only one goal in that period, which came in their 3-1 Europa League win at Sparta Prague on Thursday.
Rose is still some way from restoring the high point the Cherries reached under Andoni Iraola, and the Ipswich Town game will be viewed as a major building block towards it. The Cherries’ away form, however, has been less consistent. Their victory at Manchester United remains their only one on the road in the league from four attempts, and a win at Portman Road could push them higher up the table.
Team News & Tactics
Ipswich Town
Ipswich are likely to make few changes from the side that drew with Hull City last time out. Azor Matusiwa, Daizen Maeda and Jack Clarke are options in midfield and the attacking third, although O’Neil may prefer continuity after their recent improvement.
Emersonn is expected to retain his place up front despite failing to score in his last five matches, with Zian Flemming available as an alternative. Sasa Lukic is in line to return after being given an extra week to recover from a groin injury, and could be selected from the start.
Christian Walton should continue in goal behind a back four of Amadou Salif Ouattara, Dara O’Shea, Jacob Greaves and Leif Davis. The midfield is likely to include Mateus Palacios and Lukic, while Abdul Fatawu, Julio Enciso and Jaden Philogene support Emersonn in attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Walton; Ouattara, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis; Lukic, Palacios; Fatawu, Enciso, Philogene; Emersonn
Bournemouth
Bournemouth rotated heavily for the Europa League trip to Sparta Prague, but Marco Rose is expected to revert to the side that beat Leeds United in the Premier League. Djordje Petrovic, Antonio Silva, Adrien Truffert, Tyler Adams, Marcus Tavernier, Justin Kluivert, Rayan and Evanilson should all return.
Alex Scott has returned to training after a thigh injury, although it remains to be seen whether he will be risked, and yet he could be in contention if Rose feels the need to shake things up in the midfield. The Cherries do have a relatively small squad, and the manager may be cautious with his selections given their congested schedule.
Adam Smith, Silva, James Hill and Truffert are all expected to feature at the back. Ryan Christie and Adams are likely to anchor midfield, while Rayan, Kluivert and Tavernier provide creativity behind Evanilson in attack.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Smith, Hill, Truffert; Adams, Christie; Rayan, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson
Key Stats
- Ipswich Town are winless in their last three Premier League matches.
- Ipswich Town have scored 14 goals in nine Premier League matches this season.
- Bournemouth have won their last three Premier League matches.
- Bournemouth have won seven consecutive matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Marcus Tavernier
Marcus Tavernier has been one of Bournemouth’s standout performers during their winning run, and his form has been the subject of interest from elsewhere. Irrespective of whether Bournemouth consider him for sale, his presence on the list of some top teams is a testament to his current form for the Cherries.
The goalscoring form aside, Tavernier’s ability to carry the ball, create chances and arrive in dangerous areas could cause major problems for Ipswich’s defence. If Bournemouth are to extend their winning run, the 27-year-old will likely be at the heart of their attacking threat, and that will be something Rose will hope happens.
Prediction
Ipswich Town 0-2 Bournemouth
Ipswich are not in the best of form, although O’Neill will view the consecutive draws as a measure of progress; the ultimate objective will be to improve their form at home. While they have put in some surprising results at Portman Road this term, defeating Bournemouth might feel like a challenging quest.
Bournemouth have had their critics this season, but looking at their winning run at the moment, it’s difficult to see them drop points at Portman Road. Rose will expect and demand another win, as he will also hope to keep another clean sheet in the process.