ENGLISH PREMIER BETTING PREVIEW - IPSWICH TOWN VS ASTON VILLA

English Premier

2024-09-29 - Ipswich Town vs Aston Villa

A Sports Betting Preview by Auls

Ipswich Town v Aston Villa
Football: English Premier League
Sunday 29th September 2024 - Kick Off 2pm
This game is live on TV

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Ipswich Town

As has already been mentioned in previous previews involving Ipswich Town Premier League matches, Kieran McKenna and the club would gladly accept finishing 17th in the final standings if offered to them today. The manager has to be appreciating the character shown by his squad that have progressed through two Divisions consecutively, but McKenna will also know that more is needed if Ipswich Town are going to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.

The late goal scored at St Mary's earned Ipswich Town a point that leaves them in 17th place in the early Premier League standings and with 3 points on the board. The Tractor Boys are still winless in their return to the top flight though and Ipswich Town bring in a 0-1-1 record at Portman Road into this tough fixture.

Ipswich Town were beaten on Penalties at Wimbledon in the League Cup Second Round, but that result is a part of a 4 game run in which the draw has been the final outcome. After losing to Liverpool and Manchester City to open the Premier League season, Ipswich Town have drawn 3 in a row against Fulham, Brighton and Southampton. Ipswich Town's loss to Liverpool is the only one suffered in 11 home fixtures in all competitions.

Nathan Broadhead, Harry Clarke and Kalvin Phillips are all hoping to be involved in training and passed fit to earn a place in the squad for this live fixture.

Aston Villa

There is little doubt that the expanded European formats of the top two UEFA competitions have put a bit more pressure on the clubs involved and the League Cup has to take a back seat. Unai Emery, like Pep Guardiola, made it clear that the League Cup is pretty low on the list of priorities before his much changed Aston Villa team were able to beat Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park.

Despite reaching the Champions League at the end of last season, Emery has targeted a top six finish in the Premier League and wants his Aston Villa team to become used to playing in Europe year after year. Well, that is what the manager is telling the press, although the start made by his team will encourage Emery to believe Aston Villa can balance domestic and European competitions and target a return to the Champion League for next season too.

Aston Villa are up to 3rd in the Premier League table after coming from behind to beat Wolves at Villa Park last weekend and they have now won 5 in a row in all competitions since a slightly unfortunate 0-2 defeat to Arsenal. The players and fans have to focus and not think about the monster Champions League game against Bayern Munich coming up and Aston Villa will be chasing a fifth away win in succession in all competitions when visiting Portman Road.

John McGinn will miss the fixtures before the October international break and the hope is that he can return soon after that. Matty Cash is edging closer to a return, but this week may be too soon.

Head to Head

The last time Ipswich Town and Aston Villa met was in the 2018/19 season when both were playing in the Championship.

The game at Portman Road finished 1-1 and 3 of the last 4 hosted by Ipswich Town have ended in draws with the exception being a crushing 0-4 win for Aston Villa in April 2018.

Prediction

Much has changed for both of these clubs since they last met, but it will feel like a considerable gap for Ipswich Town to bridge when they host Aston Villa in the first of the two live Sunday Premier League offerings.

Six years have passed since Ipswich Town held on for a 1-1 home draw with Aston Villa in the Championship.

In that time they had been stuck in League One for a while before Kieran McKenna's arrival and back to back promotions have built a strong reputation for their young manager. However, it has been a struggle for Ipswich Town early in this campaign, even if they have drawn 3 games in a row against Fulham, Brighton and Southampton.

Fortune has perhaps been on their side in all of those matches with opponents being a little wasteful, but expecting that from a club representing England in the Premier League may be too much to ask. Ipswich Town have already found that out when punished for missing their chances against Liverpool before being beaten comfortably at Manchester City and this Aston Villa team are motoring.

The fringe players did not impress massively on Tuesday in the League Cup, but Aston Villa have a confidence and resilience around them under Unai Emery. The League Cup is way down the list for the Spaniard, as he has admitted himself, but Emery will be happy to see his team maintain momentum with a fifth win in a row in all competitions.

Stronger members of the squad will be rested and ready to compete on Sunday and perhaps the only concern for Aston Villa is being distracted by the big home Champions League game to be played against Bayern Munich. Unai Emery's experience should prevent that happening, while Aston Villa have arguably looked more composed and effective away from home than at Villa Park.

On their travels spaces can be exploited as there is an expectation on home teams to come forward and that may be the case at Portman Road. Kieran McKenna wants his team to play with a certain style, but that has allowed opponents to create chances against them and Liverpool and Manchester City showed they had the quality to take them where Brighton and Southampton have not.

Aston Villa have scored twice in all 4 away games played this season and have won all of those matches, including beating newly-promoted Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

The feeling is that a team led by Ollie Watkins will have that firepower and composure in the final third to earn a victory and Aston Villa are likely to have a bit too much for Ipswich Town this weekend.

The Pick :

Ipswich Town 0-2 Aston Villa

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

I'll back Aston Villa to Win & Over 1 Total Goal (Bet Builder) at 2.20 with Bet365 (early payout if a team is leading by two goals)