After promotion last season, Ipswich have surprised many with their start this campaign, while the opposite is true for Nottingham Forest, who were expected to kick on after making a European semi-final last season but now find themselves in the relegation zone.
Match News and Current Form
Nine points after seven rounds leaves Ipswich in a highly-respectable top-half position, with that haul their most at this stage across their last five Premier League campaigns. Gary O’Neil’s men lost 3-2 away to Manchester City last weekend, but this clash represents a much easier proposition on paper, and Ipswich have taken full advantage of these types of games this season with all three of their top-flight wins coming against sides currently joining Forest in the bottom seven. Another seems within the realms of possibility given O’Neil has never lost a managerial meeting against Forest, but four draws therein (W1) hint that a first pair of back-to-back top-flight home victories since January 2002 may be beyond them.
It’s been a rotten campaign so far for Forest, who have posted just five points across their first seven league games this term (W1, D2, L4). New boss Oliver Glasner finds himself under increasing scrutiny on the back of three Premier League defeats in a row, more than they had in their previous 14 such games, most recently going down 1-0 against Arsenal last weekend. Their away record this term reads much more respectably (W1, D1, L1), and four wins from their last seven league road trips (D1, L2) hint that their season could get a much-needed shot in the arm in East Anglia, particularly given Glasner’s 100% winning Premier League record against Ipswich (W2).
Head-to-Head History
Forest have dominated recent H2Hs, winning seven of the last nine meetings (D1, L1) and each of the last four in the Premier League. Ipswich have enjoyed slightly more success on this ground though, losing just two of the last eight H2Hs they hosted (W4, D2).
Hot Stats and Streaks
Ipswich haven’t kept a clean sheet in their nine competitive games this season.
Seven of Ipswich’s last eight matches at Portman Road produced over 2.5 goals.
Six of Forest’s last seven competitive away games produced over 3.5 goals.
Only Brentford (103) have committed more Premier League fouls than Forest this season (99).
Key Players to Watch and Missing Players
Ipswich’s Daizen Maeda opened his Premier League account against City, with that an eighth scoring appearance from his last nine games for club or country in which he scored before the hour mark. Formerly of Ipswich, Forest’s Liam Delap scored before the half-hour mark in his last five scoring appearances at Portman Road.
Saša Lukić missed Ipswich’s last game but is expected to return here, while the same goes for Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White.
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Betting Analysis
Entertainment seems a near certainty here, so a punt on over 3.5 goals could be better than trying to pick a winner.
Author: Chris Wilson