Arsenal will visit Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Sunday as they look to maintain their hold on second place in the Premier League standings.
Ipswich Town, managed by Kieran McKenna, have shown they can challenge top teams, recently drawing 2-2 with Chelsea after leading by two goals at halftime. However, with Wolves pulling 14 points clear of Ipswich following their win over Tottenham, Ipswich’s hopes of Premier League survival are fading fast. A loss to Arsenal, combined with unfavorable results elsewhere, could confirm their relegation.
Arsenal come into this game on the back of a thrilling victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals. Despite an early missed penalty by Bukayo Saka, Arsenal took the lead with a clever chip from Saka and held on thanks to a late winner from Gabriel Martinelli. Mikel Arteta’s side will now shift focus back to the Premier League, aiming for a strong win to secure their second-place position.
Team News & Tactics
Ipswich Town
Kieran McKenna is likely to stick with a similar lineup to the one that drew with Chelsea. Key striker Liam Delap is expected to return, replacing George Hirst up front. Ben Johnson, who scored and assisted against Chelsea, should continue on the right flank. Ipswich will miss Jaden Philogene for the rest of the season due to a knee injury, along with other absentees, including Arijanet Muric, Chiedozie Ogbene, West Burns, Sammie Szmodics, and Kalvin Phillips.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Palmer; Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Cajuste; Johnson, Enciso, Clarke; Delap.
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta may rotate his squad after the intense Champions League clash. Jorginho is sidelined with a rib injury, joining long-term absentees Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Kai Havertz. Ben White and Kieran Tierney are expected to return to the defense, while Thomas Partey will be suspended for the upcoming Champions League semi-final so that Declan Rice could start in a deeper midfield role alongside Oleksandr Zinchenko and Martin Odegaard. The front three might see Raheem Sterling, Leandro Trossard, and Ethan Nwaneri starting, with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Mikel Merino on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Ben White, Saliba, Kiwior, Tierney; Odegaard, Rice, Zinchenko; Nwaneri, Trossard, Sterling.
Key Stats
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Ipswich Town have lost their last six home Premier League matches.
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Ipswich are 14 points behind 17th-placed Wolves, and a loss here could confirm their relegation.
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Arsenal have kept clean sheets in five of their last six matches against Ipswich across all competitions.
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Arsenal have won five of their last six meetings with Ipswich.
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Arsenal have dropped 16 points from winning positions this season, nearly matching the total from the previous two seasons combined.
Player to Watch: Leandro Trossard
Leandro Trossard has been quietly effective recently, scoring against Everton and providing key contributions. Arteta tends to save him for Premier League matches, where he is likely to start given Arsenal’s current rotation strategy. With Arsenal struggling to win their last two league games, Trossard will be expected to step up and help secure a vital victory without relying on key players like Saka or Martinelli.
Ipswich vs Arsenal Prediction
Ipswich Town 1-3 Arsenal
Arsenal’s quality and depth should see them through comfortably, but Ipswich will fight hard at home.
Ipswich vs Arsenal Live Stream
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