Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
Ipswich Town are struggling so much that even a draw seems unlikely. So, by how many will Liverpool win? Will they surpass Manchester City's performance?
Liverpool
Liverpool engaged in a midweek Champions League encounter with Lille, securing a 2:1 home victory. The Tuesday fixture may affect their Saturday game. They officially fulfilled their objective of advancing directly to the Round of 16. Liverpool are the only team in the competition to have not dropped a single point over seven rounds. However, in the Premier League, they have been faltering lately, managing a win over Brentford (2:0) in the last round after two draws. Notably, both of Darwin Núñez's goals came in injury time. Against Lille, they benefited when a player from the French club was sent off 30 minutes from the end. These results suggest that Liverpool's victory won't be straightforward.
Ipswich Town
Even knowing that Ipswich Town were dismantled by Manchester City at home in the last round (0:6), where the opponents created chances worth just 3.03 xG. It's odd that these collapses happen at home: Ipswich Town lost to Newcastle United on 21 December (0:4). Meanwhile, their away form isn't bad at all. In their last five away fixtures, despite two losses, they were only beaten 0:1 by the second and third teams in the league—Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. They also registered two wins and a frustrating draw when Fulham equalised in the 91st minute.
Liverpool vs Ipswich Town Prediction
Liverpool don't play with much of a safety margin at the moment, so Ipswich Town should not lose by more than two goals. Moreover, in the first leg at their home ground, they only succumbed 0:2.
