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Ipswich Town has made history with back-to-back promotions, finding themselves in the Premier League after just over a year in the third division. Finishing second in the Championship, only one point behind the leaders, Ipswich boasted the best attack in the league with 92 goals.
They ended the season strongly, remaining unbeaten in their last five games, including victories over Coventry (2-1) and Huddersfield (2-0), which nearly secured them the title. However, their FA Cup run was less impressive, ending in a round-of-16 exit to Maidstone (2-1). In preparation for the Premier League, Ipswich began with a 2-1 defeat against Fortuna Düsseldorf but are looking to bounce back in upcoming matches against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Hoffenheim, and Nice.
Liverpool, on the other hand, fell short in the title race against Manchester City and Arsenal but secured a solid third-place finish, earning them a spot in the Champions League. Despite being hampered by injuries, the Reds started the year strongly but faltered towards the end. They ended the season on a high note with a run of unbeaten games, including wins over Tottenham (4-2) and Wolves (2-0), and draws with West Ham (2-2) and Aston Villa (3-3).
Additionally, they won the EFL Cup final against Chelsea (1-0), reached the FA Cup quarter-finals, and made it to the Europa League semi-finals. In their summer friendlies, Liverpool recorded victories against Real Betis (1-0) and Arsenal (2-1), with fixtures against Manchester United and Sevilla still to come.
To prepare for the Premier League, Ipswich has made some key signings, including central defender Jacob Greaves from Hull, Ben Johnson from West Ham on a free transfer, and attackers Liam Delap from Manchester City and Omari Hutchinson from Chelsea. These new arrivals will join the key players who were instrumental in Ipswich’s promotion, such as forwards Chaplin (13 goals, 8 assists) and Broadhead (13 goals, 3 assists), along with captain Sam Morsy and full-back Leif Davis.
Liverpool, meanwhile, saw the departure of club veterans Matip and Thiago Alcantara but retained most of their core squad. Key players like Alisson, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, and Alexander-Arnold remain, along with emerging talents Quansah and Bradley. The midfield is well-stocked with Endo, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Elliott, and Gravenberch, while the attack is spearheaded by Luis Diaz, Gakpo, Nunez, Salah, and Jota.
Liverpool has consistently played away games with three or fewer goals, with this pattern occurring in 16 of their last 18 Premier League away matches, including the last 11 consecutively. Similarly, Ipswich has seen under 3.5 goals in 18 of their last 20 home games in the league.
Prediction: Ipswich 1 : 1 Liverpool
