Premier League: Ipswich Town Still Searching for Elusive First Win

Ipswich Town vs Aston Villa

Ipswich Town’s transition to the Premier League has been rough so far. Despite showing tenacity and grit, the Tractor Boys are close to the relegation zone, sitting in 17^th place with three points.

After back-to-back losses against Liverpool and Manchester City to start their English top-flight campaign, Ipswich Town recorded three consecutive draws. McKenna and co. are still looking for their first win, but the odds are stacked against them this weekend.

That’s because Aston Villa are visiting Portman Road this Sunday, and Unai Emery’s side has hit a purple patch with five consecutive wins in all competitions.

Because of their positive run of Premier League 2024 results, Aston Villa are in the thick of the title race, sitting in third place and level with the second-seeded Liverpool with 12 points.

 

Talking Points

Fighting spirit is not enough for Ipswich Town

The Tractor Boys have displayed admirable resolve during their three-game unbeaten run, as they salvaged points from games where they were expected to lose.

Ipswich Town came out with a 1-0 lead against Fulham when Liam Delap scored the game’s first goal during the 15^th minute. However, they had to settle for a point when Adama Traore scored the equaliser 17 minutes later.

A few days later, Ipswich Town had to play on the back foot against Brighton, who outshot them 21 to six. The Tractor Boys’ backline had to work extra hard, especially since they only had the ball 31-per cent of the match. However, they held on for a goalless draw at the AMEX Stadium.

And then, against a familiar opponent in Southampton, Ipswich Town need a late equaliser from Sam Morsy after being down by one goal the whole game, courtesy of Tyler Dibling in the fifth minute, to secure yet another draw.

Ipswich Town are expected to play on the back foot again on Sunday because their back four of Dara O’Shea, Jacob Greaves, Leif Davis, and Axel Tuanzebe are going to be busy trying to keep Aston Villa’s forwards at bay.

 

Key rotations for Aston Villa

It has been an eventful week for Aston Villa, as they’ve won two games in the last six days. After dispatching the Wolves last weekend, they advanced to the fourth round of the EFL Cup by beating Wycombe 2-1, with Unai Emery deploying a heavily rotated side.

Ollie Watkins, Dibu Martinez, Diego Carlos, Pau Torres, Lucas Digne, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans, John McGinn, and Morgan Rogers were among those who were given the night off, and they didn’t skip a beat against the League One side since Emiliano Buendia and Jhon Duran found the back of the net on Tuesday.

Duran is now the team’s leading scorer with five goals in all competitions, providing internal competition for fellow striker Ollie Watkins, who has three goals.

This is a good problem to have if you’re Unai Emery since he’ll need all hands on deck, as they’re trying to make a run for various trophies this campaign.

 

History

Ipswich Town will meet Aston Villa in the Premier League for the first time in 22 years. Kieran McKenna’s men earned the promotion to the English top-flight after finishing second in the Championship standings last season behind Leicester City.

The last time these two sides met in the English top-flight, Aston Villa went undefeated in their two league encounters (2-1 and 0-0).

Since then, the Tractor Boys and the Villans have met seven times (once in the FA Cup and six times in the Championship), with the latter recording four wins, two draws, and one loss.

Overall, Aston Villa have the edge in their head-to-heads with Ipswich Town, with the former recording 26 wins and the latter having 20 wins and 15 draws.

 

Betting Tip

The Premier League 2024 odds don’t look good on the hosts because the visitors are expected to extend their undefeated run this weekend. Aston Villa are priced to win at 1.91, whereas Ipswich Town are 3.56 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.36 in the 1X2 market.

Aston Villa have scored at least two goals in each of their last five wins, and this Sunday shouldn’t be different. So, other than our recommended bet above, SBOTOP bettors may also go for options like Over 2.50 at 1.77, Over 2.75 at 2.00, or even Total Goals 2-3 at 1.95.

While a victory for Aston Villa seems like a foregone conclusion, any positive result for Ipswich Town should give you a huge payout, with Correct Scores of 0-0, 1-0, and 2-0 offering 12.50, 12.00, and 23.00, respectively.

   

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