Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
Back at the beginning of December, Brighton were in the Champions League places, but they are now 11th and nine points adrift of the coveted top four. In theory, a victory in the third round of the FA Cup could have lifted the mood, but even compared to their upcoming match against Ipswich Town, it is not quite the same.
Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town themselves also achieved a resounding victory in the cup game at the weekend against League One side Bristol Rovers (3:0). This was the third game in an unbeaten run, which also includes another home victory against Chelsea (2:0). So, are Ipswich Town dangerous at home? We would say they have become so recently. Before their victory against Chelsea, they had gone nine matches without a victory at Portman Road since the start of the season. It is worth noting, though, that in only three of those nine matches did the home side lose by more than one goal.
Brighton
Brighton's cup victory against Norwich City (4:0) is not comparable to their Premier League form. At the highest level, they have not been able to win in their last eight matches. To their credit, the team only lost two of those games. The others were draws, including against Arsenal (1:1). However, there have been some unnecessary slip-ups, such as the 1:1 draw with Southampton and the 2:2 draw with Leicester City.
Ipswich Town vs Brighton Prediction
A list of 12 injured players (the most in the league) does not inspire confidence in a win for Brighton. The clubs have not met for a while, but it's worth noting that Ipswich Town have not lost in their last four matches against them. Moreover, they even won one of them. Therefore, we are opting for a somewhat risky but quite justifiable double chance for the home side.
