Ipswich vs Man City: Preview, Predictions, and Lineups

Key Points:

• Ipswich host reigning champions Manchester City at Portman Road.
• City sit sixth in the Premier League after a midweek draw at Brentford.
• Ipswich aim to pull off a memorable upset in their survival campaign.

Manchester City head to Portman Road on Sunday to face Ipswich Town, who have embraced their return to the Premier League with resilience. While City have fallen short of their title-winning standards this season, their attacking prowess still makes them a daunting opponent.

Pep Guardiola’s focus may be shifting toward the Champions League, with a crucial clash against PSG looming. Meanwhile, Ipswich, 18th in the table, will be motivated to exploit any vulnerability in City’s ranks.

Match Details

• Location: Portman Road, Ipswich
• Date: Sunday, 19 January
• Kick-off Time: 16:30 GMT / 11:30 ET / 08:30 PT
• Referee: Sam Barrott
• VAR: Paul Tierney

Recent Form (Last Five Matches – All Competitions)

Ipswich:

• 0-2 vs Brighton (16 Jan)
• 3-0 vs Bristol Rovers (12 Jan)
• 2-2 vs Fulham (05 Jan)
• 2-0 vs Chelsea (30 Dec)
• 0-1 vs Arsenal (27 Dec)

Man City:

• 2-2 vs Brentford (14 Jan)
• 8-0 vs Salford (11 Jan)
• 4-1 vs West Ham (04 Jan)
• 2-0 vs Leicester (29 Dec)
• 1-1 vs Everton (26 Dec)

Head-to-Head (Last Five Meetings)

• Ipswich: 3 wins
• Man City: 2 wins
• Last Meeting: Man City 4-1 Ipswich (24 Aug 2024, Premier League)

Team News

Ipswich

• Out: Sammie Szmodics (ankle), Conor Chaplin, Chiedozie Ogbene, Axel Tuanzebe (injuries), Kalvin Phillips (ineligible to face parent club).
• Doubtful: None.
• Likely to Start: New arrivals Ben Godfrey and Jaden Philogene could feature in the starting XI. Omari Hutchinson is fit again and expected to play.

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1):
Walton; O’Shea, Godfrey, Greaves, Davis; Cajuste, Morsy; Philogene, Hutchinson, Clarke; Delap.

Man City

• Out: Rodri (injury), Kyle Walker (squad exclusion).
• Returning: Ruben Dias is back in training and may feature in the squad. John Stones and Oscar Bobb are nearing returns but will miss this game.
• Likely to Start: Guardiola may rotate his squad with the Champions League in mind. Savinho, Phil Foden, and Erling Haaland are expected to lead the attack.

Predicted XI (4-1-4-1):
Ortega; Lewis, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Gundogan; Bernardo, McAtee, Foden, Doku; Haaland.

How to Watch

United Kingdom: Sky Go UK, NOW, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League.
United States: fuboTV, NBC Sports App, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, USA Network, Telemundo.
Canada: fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 2 Canada.

Prediction

Despite their defensive vulnerabilities, Manchester City’s attacking firepower is difficult to match. Ipswich’s Liam Delap could trouble City’s backline, but the visitors’ quality should prevail. Haaland, who starred in the reverse fixture, may once again dominate as City look to maintain their recent scoring form.

Prediction: Ipswich 1-3 Man City