Ipswich Town are looking to extend their unbeaten run and secure their first win of the Premier League season as they travel to West Ham. Alex Jones previews the action.
Back on the road
When looking at the Premier League fixture list, it’s best to break up the games into little batches. The international breaks are certainly a useful marker.
Between the one in September and the one in October, Ipswich play four games. Three have taken place, the fourth will be at West Ham this afternoon. Furthermore, three of the four matches are away from home.
Games at Portman Road have felt very spread out, whereas the away trips seem to be coming thick and fast. In August, Town went to the Etihad Stadium, where they were beaten 4-1. Last month, they spent consecutive weekends on the South Coast, earning draws against Brighton and Southampton.
This time, they’ll have their nearest away game of the season. Just 75 miles separates Portman Road and the London Stadium, a drive which would take a little over an hour and a half, while supporters can travel from Ipswich to Stratford on the train in less than an hour.
It’s too early to judge what Town’s away form will be like this season, but last season they ranked second in the Championship behind Leicester City, winning 12 of their 23 games and taking 42 points. Performing to that standard in the Premier League is another matter entirely, however.
Doing it one point at a time
Following the last round of Premier League fixtures, podcast Men in Blazers shared their take on the league table via X, replacing the team names with how they’re doing so far this season. For example, Aston Villa’s name was changed to ‘never liked Sheeran anyway’ following their 2-2 draw at Portman Road. Ipswich were called ‘going to do it one point at a time’.
Men in Blazers Table: Week 6 pic.twitter.com/UECd2PEMLi
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) September 30, 2024
Of course, it was done for laughs, but it’s a genuine point of conversation. The Blues have drawn their last four Premier League games against Fulham, Brighton, Southampton and Aston Villa. Per Opta, the last team to draw five games in a row were Fulham in January 2021.
In the eyes of some, it’ll be seen as a negative. Ipswich are one of five teams yet to win a league game, and the longer that goes on, the more problematic it’ll become. However, after six games, most would consider it a positive.
Liverpool and Manchester City are the only sides to beat Town. Three established Premier League outfits have failed to do so, including one side who beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
A four-match unbeaten run will provide confidence, and the early league table is an indication that not everything is about winning. Everton, for example, picked up three points against Crystal Palace last weekend but they sit behind the Blues on goal difference. That’s because they were able to put in resilient performances and grind out draws against the likes of Brighton and Aston Villa.
The wins will come. Until then, it’s important that the Blues avoid losing matches. A point can take you a long way in this league.
Delap’s next test
Liam Delap has put in some eye-catching performances in recent weeks. Now he’s getting the credit he deserves.
He bullied Jarell Quansah in the first half against Liverpool and gave a good account of himself against former club Manchester City with limited time on the ball. He bagged his first Premier League goal against Fulham, firing a rocket of a shot into the top corner, and came close to doing it again two weeks later against Brighton.
He used the Aston Villa game as a platform to show what he’s capable of. He positioned himself in the perfect pocket of space to score the opener and showed off his remarkable footwork before equalising in the second half. On another day, he could have scored a hat-trick.
That evening, his performance was analysed in depth on Match of the Day too. Numerous pundits selected him in their Team of the Week selections. When it comes to Ipswich, the spotlight is on him.
The challenge is now to sustain it. West Ham will be wary of his threat and could look to double up on him to nullify him in the final third, which is what Southampton did successfully last month. On top of that, he’ll need to manage the heightened external expectations too.
Bad vibes in East London
West Ham came into the campaign with quite a lot of optimism. Many were appreciative of what David Moyes did for them during his five-year spell at the club, but it became clear that change was needed. Julen Lopetegui probably wasn’t the name that most supporters wanted, but after a summer of impressive recruitment, they were keen to give him a chance.
However, after six games, they’ve picked up just one win and five points. Their 3-0 home defeat to Chelsea saw some fans start to lose hope, with the visitors easing to a victory that could have been by a much bigger scoreline. Their subsequent 5-1 drubbing away at Liverpool didn’t help, sending them out of the Carabao Cup in the third round.
A defeat at Brentford could have put Lopetegui in a lot of hot water, but the Hammers ended up coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw. Nonetheless, they’ve now had five matches in all competitions without a win. In that time, they’ve scored four goals and conceded 13.
Their home form has been the real area of concern. West Ham have only claimed one victory at the London Stadium since the end of February, which came against Luton Town, who were relegated the following weekend. Should they fail to beat Town, they’ll have started the campaign with four home defeats, something which they haven’t suffered since the end of 2019.
If this run continues, fans won’t give Lopetegui the chance to turn it around.
For now, he’s got the backing of the board and most of those who’ll be in attendance for the match against Ipswich. The squad is stacked with quality at both ends of the pitch, however, and things will need to improve quickly as a result.
Who could start?
For a fleeting moment, Kieran McKenna had his entire squad fit and ready to play. That's no longer the case.
Jens Cajuste missed Sunday's draw against Aston Villa with a minor knee injury and has been ruled out for the trip to West Ham as a result. The Blues are hopeful that he'll be back after the international break, as he'll remain in Suffolk rather than linking up with the Sweden national team.
McKenna also revealed that there are some other doubts in the group, with a few players needing late assessments to determine whether they'll be able to feature against Lopetegui's men. It remains to be seen who they are.
Kalvin Phillips will have to prepare for a hostile reception at the London Stadium. The defensive midfielder spent the second half of last season on loan at West Ham, where he was regularly criticised for his performances. That culminated in an incident after a defeat at Newcastle United which saw him respond to abuse from supporters by making an offensive gesture.
On the flip side, Sammie Szmodics will be desperate to start this game. The 29-year-old is a big West Ham fan who regularly attended games before making the move to Ipswich.
Ben Johnson will be in a similar position, having featured more than 100 times for the Hammers in all competitions after coming through their academy. He played an important role in the side that lifted the Europa Conference League in 2023 and should receive a warm welcome from the home fans.
Captain Sam Morsy is currently on four yellow cards, one away from a one-match ban. Should he be booked in this game, he'd miss Town's home match against Everton after the international break.
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