Ipswichvs.Southampton

While only one place separates the two newly-promoted clubs in the relegation zone, the hosts are in with a fighting chance of survival, while Ivan Juric's team need a miracle to preserve their top-flight status.

Match preview

Having been hit for six at home to Manchester City in gameweek 22, Ipswich fans could have been forgiven for harbouring fears of an even more humiliating scoreline at Anfield, where Liverpool taught the Tractor Boys a footballing lesson as widely expected.

Kieran McKenna's men ultimately did not suffer as bad a fate as they did against the champions, but the champions-elect still made light work of them in a 4-1 romping, as Dominik Szoboszlai, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo (two) struck before Jacob Greaves gave the travelling faithful something to smile about.

However, little joy can be taken from the hosts' three-match winless run in the division, one that has plunged them back down below the dotted line into 19th spot, although a one-point gap to Leicester City in 17th is hardly insurmountable.

Home woes have played a huge part in Ipswich's current predicament, as only Saturday's visitors have collected fewer points on their own patch than the Tractor Boys' seven, and five of their last six Premier League battles at Portman Road have ended in defeat.

The one aberration for McKenna's men in that sequence was a momentous 2-0 success over title outsiders Chelsea, though, and perhaps for the first time in the current Premier League season, the Tractor Boys might head into Saturday's showdown as the favourites.

An unfamiliar sense of optimism may have briefly engulfed the St Mary's crowd last weekend, where long-serving centre-back Jan Bednarek headed Southampton in front against Newcastle United with just 10 minutes gone, but such hope was quickly extinguished by a Swedish sensation.

Indeed, Newcastle marksman Alexander Isak quickly notched his 16th and 17th goals of the Premier League season from the penalty spot to propel the Magpies into the lead, before Sandro Tonali gave Eddie Howe's men a comfortable two-goal cushion early in the second half.

Mateus Fernandes's disallowed goal rubbed salt into the wounds for the Saints, who remain rooted to the foot of the table with just six points on the board after 23 games; at this rate, they will break Derby County's unwanted record for the lowest-ever Premier League points total.

Condemned to defeat in each of their last six top-flight matches, the Saints are currently on course to amass a paltry 10 points when all is said and done, although there have been some green shoots of recovery for Juric to work with in recent weeks.

Southampton were not humiliated by Manchester United or Nottingham Forest by any means, but they could now lose seven straight league games for the very first time, and they were cruelly denied a precious win over Ipswich in September courtesy of a last-gasp Sam Morsy leveller.

Ipswich Town Premier League form:

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Ipswich Town form (all competitions):

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Southampton Premier League form:

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Southampton form (all competitions):

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Team News

Insult was added to injury for Ipswich against Liverpool, as McKenna lost attacker Wes Burns to a knee injury with just 29 minutes gone, and the Tractor Boys boss is fearful that the 30-year-old has done some serious damage.

Burns joins Sammie Szmodics (ankle), Conor Chaplin (knee) and Chiedozie Ogbene (Achilles) in the Portman Road treatment room, but influential left-back Leif Davis - who came off at half time at Anfield due to illness - and Jens Cajuste, rested last time out, should be OK to play.

Ben Johnson was given the nod to replace Burns against the Reds, but McKenna could also now elect to hand a full debut to Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Julio Enciso, who came off the bench last weekend and provided the assist for Greaves's consolation.

Speaking of attacking injury woes, Southampton are expected to cope without the much-coveted Tyler Dibling for another couple of weeks at the very least due to an ankle injury, while Kamaldeen Sulemana - linked with a return to France - is nursing a hamstring complaint.

However, Dibling might be the visitors' only absentee for Saturday's game, as all of Aaron Ramsdale (muscle), Ross Stewart (calf), Jack Stephens (unspecified) and new signing Albert Gronbaek (fitness) seemingly have good chances of making the cut.

Ramsdale will no doubt displace Alex McCarthy in between the posts if fit, but any minutes for Rennes loanee Gronbaek should come from the bench, as Juric persists with the Lesley Ugochukwu-Joe Aribo double pivot.

Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:

Walton; Tuanzebe, O'Shea, Greaves, Davis; Phillips, Cajuste; Hutchinson, Enciso, Philogene; Delap

Southampton possible starting lineup:

Ramsdale; Bree, Bednarek, Harwood-Bellis; Sugawara, Aribo, Ugochukwu, Walker-Peters; Fernandes; Armstrong, Onuachu

We say: Ipswich Town 2-2 Southampton

The form book may make for grim reading for the visitors, but there have undoubtedly been positives for Juric and co to take from their last three displays, even if they all went unrewarded.

Written by

Ben Knapton

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