Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Premier League match
Newly promoted to the Premier League, Ipswich Town face a tough opening to the season: following their match against Liverpool, they now have to take on Manchester City. For the Citizens, this will be a slight breather after facing Chelsea, but the three points are crucial.
Manchester City
At the start of the season, Manchester City has been warming up against big clubs, but neither Manchester United nor Chelsea have been able to provide strong resistance. The team managed to score twice against Chelsea even with an xG of just 0.82. The London club's defence allowed City 11 shots, including 5 on target. Guardiola is confident in his squad and made only one substitution, a forced change with Phil Foden replacing the injured Savio Moriera, who suffered a knee injury. Savio will definitely miss the match against Ipswich, and a few other starters may also be rested. Squad rotation is justified against a newly promoted side.
Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town's return to the Premier League can be considered acceptable. The team allowed Liverpool plenty of attacking opportunities, conceding 18 shots. They are likely to face similar pressure against City. Notably, Ipswich created a few good chances in the first half and could have scored. Their main threat came from free kicks and corners: five of their seven shots were taken following these situations. Ipswich is expected to create some chances again and likely to score a goal.
Manchester City - Ipswich Town Prediction
These teams haven't faced each other in a long time; their last meeting was in the FA Cup in January 2002, where City won 4:1 away from home. Remarkably, in the only Premier League season where they previously crossed paths, Ipswich won both meetings (3:2 and 2:1). While it's difficult to apply those statistics, it's reasonable to expect plenty of goals. It's Guardiola’s first home match of the season. The team will want to impress their fans, and while Ipswich are yet to find their feet in the Premier League, they might still respond with a goal. Manchester City should secure a comfortable victory unless an extraordinary event occurs.
