Matchday 21 of the Premier League between Ipswich and Brighton will take place on January 16 at Portman Road Stadium. Ipswich vs. Brighton: prediction, betting odds, and statistics.
Predicted lineups for Ipswich vs. Brighton
Ipswich (3-4-2-1): Christian Walton – Dara O'Shea, Luke Woolfenden, Jacob Greaves – Leif Davis, Sam Morsy, Ben Johnson, Jens Cajuste – Nathan Broadhead, Sammy Szmodics – Liam Delap.
Brighton (4-2-3-1): Bart Verbruggen – Pervis Estupinan, Jan Paul van Hecke, Igor Julio, Joel Veltman – Carlos Baleba, Yasin Ayari – Simon Adingra, Brian Guda, Matt O'Riley – Joao Pedro Jesus.
Each team's starting lineup from their last match in this tournament is listed.
Ipswich
Kieran McKenna's side delighted their fans in the last two rounds. First, the team unexpectedly defeated Chelsea 2-0 at home, and then drew 2-2 away against Fulham. Ipswich was close to winning at Craven Cottage, but the Londoners equalized in added time. Notably, Ipswich scored more than one goal for the first time this season in two consecutive league matches. The team remains in the relegation zone but trails Wolverhampton, who are in 17th place, only due to a worse goal difference.
Forward Chiedozie Ogbene and Connor Chaplin, as well as midfielder Omari Hutchinson, will miss the match due to injuries.
- The number "1" appeared in the final score in 8 of the last 11 Ipswich games in the Premier League.
- No more than three goals were scored in 9 of Ipswich's last 11 Premier League matches.
- The team has won only once in the second half in 14 previous league matches (5 draws and 8 losses).
Brighton
In early January, the club hosted Arsenal and managed to take points from one of the Premier League leaders (1-1). This draw was their fourth consecutive in the league. Moreover, Fabian Hurzeler's side has not tasted victory in the Premier League for eight matches (6 draws and 2 losses). The team is in the middle of the table, trailing the European competition zone by six points. It's also worth noting that Brighton has suffered only four defeats in the current Premier League season, with fewer losses only for Liverpool and Arsenal.
Forwards Danny Welbeck and Evan Ferguson will not play due to injuries.
- Both teams scored in 11 of Brighton's last 12 Premier League matches.
- The number "1" appeared in the final score in 8 of Brighton's last 11 league matches.
- No more than one goal was scored in the first half in 6 of Brighton's last 7 away games in the Premier League.
Ipswich vs. Brighton: Match Prediction
Despite the point difference between the clubs, I believe bookmakers are overestimating the visitors by offering low odds on their victory. Brighton has not won any of their last eight Premier League matches. Additionally, the club is not impressive away, where they have won only 4 of their last 23 league matches. Only one of those wins can be considered notable – against Newcastle.
Ipswich has already adapted to the Premier League and gained confidence as the season progresses. Furthermore, the team achieved their first home Premier League victory in their last game at Portman Road, and it was also their debut win over a top-half opponent, from the Champions League zone. Such victories boost confidence, as seen in their last match against Fulham. I suggest that the hosts are quite capable of extending their nascent unbeaten run in the league.
My prediction – Ipswich win or draw
