Ipswich Town

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.

This week he takes on Eats Everything, aka DJ & producer Daniel Pearce.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Ipswich missed the suspended Liam Delap in their heavy home defeat against Newcastle. He will be back for this game, but I don't see him making much difference to the outcome.

Saturday was the kind of thumping that might put a massive dent in Ipswich's confidence and this is a big test for them. I know they have already won in north London this season, when they saw off Tottenham in November, but it is hard to see them getting anything at Emirates Stadium.

It is important for Arsenal that Gabriel Jesus is back in the goals. They are going to miss the injured Bukayo Saka for the next few weeks but they will still have too much firepower for Ipswich.

The Tractor Boys are in the relegation zone at Christmas and I want to say that I feel sorry for my daughter's teacher Mr Fields, who is an Ipswich fan. To be honest, that's nothing new, though - I always feel sorry for all Ipswich fans.

Being serious, I still think they have got a chance of staying up and I still rate their manager, Kieran McKenna, very highly - but that Newcastle defeat was a big blow for them. They are still without a home win this season and that has to change quickly if they are going to have any chance of beating the drop.

Eats Everything's prediction: 3-0

If Arsenal turn up there is no contest, really. Ipswich gave United a good game and they are not a bad team, but they concede too many goals.

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna says Friday's Premier League game against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium "is a fantastic one in the journey for this group of players and for the club".

He added: "We need to show the right mentality, first of all. It is a chance to show our togetherness, our spirit and resilience.

"Our organisation is going to have to be really good and we are going to have to show bravery in moments of the game as well to take them on in the way we want to."

On cutting down on individual errors - which proved costly in the heavy home defeat by Newcastle - he said: "It is about trying to develop the group, educating the players on different moments of the game and different situations, and what is the most appropriate decision to make in each situation.

"Then it is about working with them in that process because they are human beings.

"They are not going to get every judgement right in the level that we are operating at - the time and the margins to make your decisions are so, so, so fast."

Image source, Getty Images

For me, wherever I played, I'd always see where the first game was, where the last game was, and where we were at Christmas.

There is such a big difference between being at home on Boxing Day versus being away because, depending on what your manager is like, if you've got an away game there is a chance you're training on Christmas Day.

Some of the toughest times I had was when we had away games on Boxing Day and we had to come in to train at four or five on Christmas. That's when everything is just starting at home and everyone is really enjoying themselves and you have to leave.

If you lose you are sat in the hotel having walked away from friends and family all for no points. It's not the best feeling and as a consequence you bring home some of that disappointment with you.

But, in reality, you just know it is the busiest time of the year. The floodlights are always on for the games, the conditions get that little bit tougher, you've got games it feels like every three or four days.

I think it's an exciting part of the season because you can gain real, significant momentum but ultimately it comes down to are you winning games.

I think the Christmas period itself can be tough if you have got family but in reality it always feels nicer when you get that win on Boxing Day. The atmosphere in the stadiums is a little bit different, the atmosphere among the players is a bit different.

You're very thankful to get the chance to do what you do, but if you end up losing on Boxing Day or around that spell it is rubbish because it almost feels like it was a waste of time with all the efforts you put in.

But, I get it. The fans love it, there is a lot of clamour around it. You lose track of days just like everyone else does after Christmas and before New Year but it is great to play in front of those types of crowds and it just does feel different playing during that week or two.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Nat Hayward

Seb Brown
Fan writer

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The moment of 2024 was undoubtedly the full-time whistle on 4 May which confirmed Ipswich were 2-0 winners over Huddersfield on the final day of the Championship season and most importantly were promoted automatically to the Premier League.

At the start of the 2023/24 campaign most Town fans thought we would be competitive and push for a top half finish. The League One promotion a year earlier had a certain amount of expectation attached given the financial clout of the club at that level, the Championship was now a different pond altogether.

Ipswich had absolutely no right to go head-to-head with three newly relegated sides in Leicester, Leeds and Southampton and their parachute payments gave them all a vastly superior advantage. To come out ahead of two of them with 96 points and finish only one point behind champions Leicester was an incredible achievement.

What the other clubs did not have was the togetherness and never give up attitude which is now so instilled throughout the club, both on the field and off it. Whispers that we would fall away across the season and accusations of being 'lucky' given the amount of late goals scored were levelled at Town throughout the campaign but the players and management shut out the exterior noise and got on with the job with razor sharp focus and mentality. A 96th minute winner against Southampton in early April epitomised this attitude and resulted in celebrations and noise not seen at Portman Road for nearly a quarter of a century.

The final whistle on 4th May brought with it a release of 22 years of decline and, at times, despair. The sight of thousands of fans running onto the pitch to celebrate with the heroes that had delivered this moment was a sight I will never forget.

What a moment, what a season, what a club.

Find more from Seb Brown at the Blue Monday Podcast, external

Image source, Getty Images

Holly Bacon
BBC Sport journalist

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has been speaking to the media before Friday's Premier League game against Arsenal (kick-off 20:15 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On his midfield options to replace Sam Morsy who is suspended: "We've got a couple of options which we need to be honest. Massimo [Luongo] has been ill over the last week or two so we have to assess how he is as well. It was good to get Kalvin [Phillips] on the pitch in the second half of the Newcastle game. That was important, he is still working his way back. Jack [Taylor] had a good game against Bournemouth. Neither are necessarily like for like replacements for Sam but they can hopefully bring their own strengths to it."

• On Phillips' fitness he added: "I think he had a better week last week with his ankle. He said he didn't feel anything from the game and he trained well today. I guess 100% is when you have a few more games under your belt but I think from the ankle issue he had, much better."

• On having Liam Delap back: "He was a loss [against Newcastle], no doubt about it. He was always going to be. It's important to have him back, we're going to need his strengths in the game and we are going to need the other boys as well - that's for sure. It's nice to have him back."

• On Arsenal's set pieces: "They are a team who, set plays wise, you look at as a reference for everyone in the league. With some of the things they do, they have been excellent in that phase so we've got a few more days now to prepare over Christmas, a lot of hard work in the next 72 hours and we'll be as ready as we can be."

• On the approach to playing teams such as Arsenal and Chelsea: "For us as staff it's to try and come up with a game plan that gives us a chance to be competitive, to convince the players of that and then for the players to go again in a game they know they are going to be big, big underdogs in. But they go there with enough humility to know what the game is going to look like but also enough confidence to take the moments and opportunities when they come and to impose themselves and to find the belief that we can go there and try and get a result."

• McKenna added that they have spoken about the mental qualities needed for this game: "I think we need to show the right mentality first of all in the game. I think it's a chance to show our togetherness, our spirit, resilience, we're going to have to show a real mental strength. Our organisation is going to have to be really good and we're going to have to show bravery at different moments of the game as well to take them on in the way that we want to in different phases of the game. For me it's about the mental characteristics we want to show in the game, that's what we've spoken about this morning."

Follow all of Tuesday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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BBC Chief Football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.

Sienna asked: Do you think all three promoted sides will once again go straight back down again this season? If not, which of the non-promoted sides do you think could be relegated?

Phil Answered: I did predict before the start of the season that the three promoted sides would go back down and I still fear that will be the case.

Southampton have surely gone. Six points at Christmas is almost impossible to escape from, while Leicester City look a real concern defensively to me, as proved by losing so heavily to Wolves on Sunday.

I think Wolves have the quality to get themselves into a safe position under new coach Vitor Pereira while Everton and Crystal Palace also have enough to steer clear of the bottom three.

Strange as it may seem, Ipswich have looked OK to me at times this season but then you see results like Saturday's against Newcastle and it puts it all into perspective.

So, the three who came up will go back down in my opinion.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Ipswich Town and Newcastle United.

Here are some of your comments:

Ipswich fans

Peter: Men against boys. It was Premier League vs Championship. They bullied us, snapped at our heels all day and shrugged us off the ball with ease. They won every second ball, if not the first. I only remember one shot on target and that was half way through the second half. We seriously lack pace at the back, as they just continually put the ball over the top. This performance was bad, but we still believe.

James: When will Kieran McKenna realise that Muric is not Premier League standard? He looks a mistake waiting to happen and he doesn't seem to be able to play out from the back, which is a style McKenna seemingly wants to persist with.

Mel: We do not have the squad to keep playing out from the back - starting with Muric! How many goals have we given away this season? This game showed just how vulnerable we are, particularly against a side like Newcastle. I still think we should recall Christian Walton who, in my view, is a far better goalkeeper than Muric.

Jasmine: We really need more depth all over the pitch, but up front especially. Al-Hamadi is a League One player at best and we struggle when Delap is unavailable.

Newcastle fans

Mark: It finally seem to be clicking both in midfield and on the flanks. Murphy always seems to have a purple patch in him - and long may this one last! Tonali and Bruno look excellent in midfield. We are suddenly five points off the top four with two huge games next! Best of luck for the rest of the season, Ipswich - hope you stay up!

Barry: Very impressive, with the midfield linking well. Isak took his chances but the others could have been more clinical. The rain and a slippery surface helped neither team.

Neil: The perfect start. We pressed well and did not let Ipswich settle. A confident display, comfortable win and clean sheet.

Andrew: Absolutely delighted with performance. For me, Murphy was outstanding, along with Isak and Gordon. I'm looking forward to the Aston Villa and Manchester United games, with confidence that we can end the year with another two wins.

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Former Premier League striker Alan Shearer and defender Ashley Williams have criticised Ipswich Town defender Leif Davis' positioning during their 4-0 defeat by Newcastle United at Portman Road.

Speaking on Match of the Day, Shearer said: "They were very naive with pushing him forward because Newcastle picked them off so many times. All it took was one ball over the top of Leif Davis [for them to be on goal].

"Leif Davis was in such a forward position and Newcastle punished Ipswich down that side so many times. They could have scored another two or three goals."

Williams added: "Look at where your left-back is. If I'm Cameron Burgess [the centre-back], I'm having serious words with Leif Davis. He was doing it all game.

"He has taken himself out of the backline and into wild high positions, and then his centre-back [Cameron Burgess] is having to track back because Leif Davis doesn't want to defend at all.

"If you are Ipswich and you want to stay in the Premier League - you need clean sheets and you want to be solid.

"You cannot have your left-back all the way up the pitch like that, leaving your defence exposed. If I'm Burgess and I'm the centre-back, I don't care what my coach says - I want my left-back defending right next to me."

Catch up on Match of the Day here

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures, including Manchester City's visit to Aston Villa and the London derby between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• West Ham 1-1 Brighton

• Crystal Palace 1-5 Arsenal

Michael Emons
BBC Sport journalist

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It could be a long and painful Christmas for Ipswich Town fans.

Town conceded after only 26 seconds, despite kicking-off themselves. That set the tone for a truly miserable performance as they suffered their heaviest defeat of the season, losing 4-0 at home to a rampant Newcastle side with Alexander Isak scoring a hat-trick.

And the fixtures don't get any easier for Kieran McKenna's team with a trip to Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal on 27 December, minus suspended captain Sam Morsy, before entertaining Chelsea at Portman Road three days later.

After conceding the early goal, Ipswich never looked like getting back into the game, with a few shots off target and away goalkeeper Martin Dubravka not having to make a real save throughout the 90 minutes.

Ipswich desperately missed suspended six-goal top scorer Liam Delap, but once more goalkeeper Arijanet Muric will come under the spotlight for his role in Newcastle's third goal, scored just before half-time which ended the game as a contest.

Following back-to-back promotions after being in League One when McKenna took over almost exactly three years ago, the Ipswich fans would have expected days like this on their return to the big stage.

This was a painful one and one Ipswich need to quickly learn from.

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the heavy defeat: "A difficult day for us. The opponent was strong and they, of course, scored the goal in the first seconds, which makes it difficult.

"We had moments during the first-half where we had the ball and managed to play through them, but overall we weren't able to stop their attacking threats. They had too much for us.

"I don't think our game management in general was good enough. They are a very good side. We needed to show more resilience, stay in the game until half-time and keep the game tight. We didn't recognise the state of the game well enough and we didn't make enough good decisions to stay in the game and attack the second-half."

On what he said during half-time: "Bits about the first-half and how we managed it. There were also opportunities there for us and we were getting into good positions, but it was mostly about needing to show the right characteristics in the second-half.

"[We needed to] show humility, we needed to defend better, we needed to show a better level of organisation and resilience, and we needed to get the next goal. If we had done that then the game could go in one direction.

"Of course they got the next goal, and then you are really trying to see out the game in the best way you can.

"We know how well we have been doing to be competitive. It is a huge jump for the group and we don't have to be far off for games to run away from us.

"We were off our level. If we do that against a good side, like Newcastle, then they can open you up. It's a lesson for us. It's probably going to happen a few times in the season."

On Sam Morsy's suspension: "That's disappointing. We are [already] missing some players that are really important for us and we will be against Arsenal, so that's a challenge, but it's up to us to rise to that."

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich suffered their heaviest home defeat in any competition since April 2018, against Aston Villa in the Championship (also 0-4).

The Tractor Boys are only the sixth side to fail to win each of their opening nine home games of a Premier League season (D4 L5) - after Crystal Palace (1997-98), West Ham (2002-03), Sunderland (2005-06), Aston Villa (2015-16) and Brighton (2020-21).

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Ipswich player Conor Chaplin has been speaking to Premier League Productions about the defeat: "A tough day, definitely. We were second best. I don't think we helped ourselves. We need to be better at game management, when we are up against it, and make better individual decisions to see the threat off.

"The team are disappointed, it's a tough one to take, but we will stick together. There are lessons we will learn going into the next one. We have to find solutions.

On facing Arsenal next: "We will focus on that in the next few days. We believe we can go there and get a result."

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Ipswich's performance

What did you make of Newcastle's display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies

There are 10 Premier League teams in action on Saturday:

• Aston Villa v Manchester City (12:30)

• Brentford v Nottingham Forest

• Ipswich v Newcastle

• West Ham v Brighton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Crystal Palace v Arsenal (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

All kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all the action and reaction here

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against a variety of guests.

For week 17, he takes on Reverend & the Makers singer Jon McClure.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Maybe I should mention Mr Fields - an Ipswich fan who teaches my daughter - every week so the Tractor Boys stand a better chance of winning?

It worked for them last week, when they beat Wolves, but I am not sure it will have the same effect this time.

The strength of the Premier League means the table is so congested at the moment, with only six points separating Nottingham Forest in fourth and Manchester United in 13th.

Newcastle are 12th and have been very average at times, but they strike me as being a team who are in a false position, compared to what they are capable of.

The busy Christmas period could change the look of the table dramatically, and a couple of wins could catapult someone towards the top four.

Could that team be Newcastle? Yes, if they click, and I definitely fancy them here. Ipswich have not won at home yet this season and I don't see that changing this weekend.

McClure's prediction: 0-2

Newcastle should edge this. They have not been sparkling this year and Ipswich are decent, but Newcastle have got too much quality in wide areas.

Read the full predictions and have your say