English Premier
2026-09-04 - Ipswich Town vs Liverpool
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English Premier League
Friday 4th September 2026 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV
Ipswich Town
There is little doubt that the record at Portman Road will go a long way to determining which Division Ipswich Town are playing in next season, but new manager Gary O'Neil will be hoping to see more resiliency on their travels than was displayed last Sunday. Conceding five goals against any team is going to be very difficult to overcome, but Ipswich Town do have an opportunity to bounce back when hosting this Premier League game on Friday night.
You would probably argue that Ipswich Town are about where they would have expected to be after two Premier League games have been played with 3 points on the board. All of those came from the opening fixture at Portman Road when The Tractor Boys scored a late winner against Sunderland on the opening weekend of the season.
Ipswich Town had begun this season with wins over Sunderland and Leicester City at home and it may have looked like things were going to get better when leading at Old Trafford. However, they ultimately crumbled in a 5-2 loss to Manchester United and Ipswich Town will be returning home hoping to show that the defeat has not dented the confidence within the squad. Ipswich Town are unbeaten in 20 at Portman Road in all competitions.
Florentino Luis and Emersonn are both doubts, while Azor Matusiwa, Jack Taylor and Jaden Philogene are expected to miss out.
Liverpool
After smashing the British transfer record fee last summer, Liverpool have made another huge signing in the attacking areas in the 2026/27 transfer window. Fans will be excited about the arrival of Bradley Barcola, but there is a feeling that Liverpool's board have left Andoni Iraola short of options at the back.
Those problems have already been highlighted in draws with Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, but Liverpool have scored enough goals to rally from behind twice in both games. The big question for the new manager is whether he can coach improvements to find a stronger balance for a Liverpool team that will be expecting to challenge for silverware in the months ahead.
Liverpool have drawn both Premier League games by the same 2-2 scoreline, but those results also means the winless run has been extended to 6 games. 4 of those fixtures have ended in draws, while Liverpool had concluded the last campaign with 6 defeats in 7 away games in all competitions before opening this season with an injury time leveller to earn the 2-2 draw at St James' Park.
Federico Chiesa is hoping to be available, but Friday may come too quickly for Joe Gomez. Bradley Barcola will travel to East Anglia, but Liverpool did retain Cody Gakpo and the new signing may have to begin life as a substitute.
Head to Head
Two seasons ago, Liverpool won 0-2 at Portman Road on the opening weekend of the 2024/25 campaign and also beat Ipswich Town 4-1 at home.
Liverpool are unbeaten in 7 visits to this ground and have won 4 of the last 5 games played here.
Prediction
Andoni Iraola will be pretty pleased with what he has seen from Liverpool as an attacking side, but the defensive mistakes made in the opening two games cannot continue.
Despite the talent in the attacking areas, asking any team to have to score three goals to win a game of football is always going to be challenging and back to back 2-2 draws with Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest highlight the obvious problem.
Sloppy moments have been punished, but the Liverpool fans have not seen the kind of signings made that could improve the defensive performances. It could mean a difficult and inconsistent four months ahead before January offers another opportunity to the board, but Iraola will know he cannot rely on excuses and instead has to help Liverpool produce positive results.
Liverpool will have seen the chances that Ipswich Town gave away to Manchester United last Sunday and will believe they can exploit this defence, but they will be foolish to ignore the attacking qualities that The Tractor Boys have displayed.
Gary O'Neil will want his team to get forward and test a Liverpool defence that has conceded a lot of big chances already, although risking too many players getting forward could play into the away team's hands.
Two years ago, Kieran McKenna's Ipswich Town put Liverpool under a huge amount of pressure throughout the first half at Portman Road, but failed to break the deadlock. That proved costly and Gary O'Neil will be hoping his team that have scored four goals already in the Premier League are far less wasteful in the final third.
It should be a game in which Ipswich Town create problems, but containing Liverpool could be challenging if they defend as they did at Old Trafford.
Liverpool have a decent record when visiting newly promoted clubs over the last couple of years and this feels like a fixture in which they can finally exert a bit more authority in the final third and use that earn a first three points of the season.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Ipswich Town 1-2 Liverpool
