Ipswich Town has made remarkable strides, achieving back-to-back promotions and securing a spot in the Premier League just over a year after competing in the third division. They finished second in the Championship, only one point behind the leaders, and boasted the league’s most potent attack with 92 goals.
Ipswich ended the season on a strong note, going unbeaten in their final five matches, including wins against Coventry (2-1) and Huddersfield (2-0), which nearly earned them the title. However, their FA Cup journey was less successful, ending in a round-of-16 defeat to Maidstone (2-1).
In preparation for their Premier League campaign, Ipswich began with a 2-1 loss to Fortuna Düsseldorf but are aiming to bounce back in upcoming fixtures against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Hoffenheim, and Nice.
Liverpool, meanwhile, fell short in the title race against Manchester City and Arsenal but secured a solid third-place finish, ensuring their place in the Champions League.
Despite dealing with injuries, the Reds started the year strongly but experienced some setbacks towards the end. They finished the season on a positive note with an unbeaten run, including victories over Tottenham (4-2) and Wolves (2-0), along with draws against West Ham (2-2) and Aston Villa (3-3).
Additionally, Liverpool won the EFL Cup final against Chelsea (1-0), reached the FA Cup quarter-finals, and advanced to the Europa League semi-finals.
In their summer friendlies, Liverpool recorded wins against Real Betis (1-0) and Arsenal (2-1), with upcoming matches against Manchester United and Sevilla.
To bolster their squad for the Premier League, Ipswich has made key signings, including central defender Jacob Greaves from Hull, Ben Johnson from West Ham on a free transfer, and forwards Liam Delap from Manchester City and Omari Hutchinson from Chelsea.
These new additions will join the key players who played crucial roles in Ipswich’s promotion, such as forwards Chaplin (13 goals, 8 assists) and Broadhead (13 goals, 3 assists), along with captain Sam Morsy and full-back Leif Davis.
Liverpool, on the other hand, saw the departures of long-serving players Matip and Thiago Alcantara but retained most of their core squad. Key figures like Alisson, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, and Alexander-Arnold remain, along with rising talents Quansah and Bradley.
The midfield is well-equipped with players like Endo, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Elliott, and Gravenberch, while the attack features Luis Diaz, Gakpo, Nunez, Salah, and Jota.
Prediction
Liverpool has a consistent record of low-scoring away games, with three or fewer goals in 16 of their last 18 Premier League away matches, including the last 11 consecutively. Similarly, Ipswich has seen under 3.5 goals in 18 of their last 20 home games in the league.
Prediction: Ipswich 1 : 1 Liverpool
