EPL Ipswich vs Manchester City Preview: Tips, Odds, and Prediction

Returning to the top-flight after 22 years away was always going to be a hard task for The Tractor Boys.

Despite recently earning four valuable points from West London clubs Fulham (2-2) and Chelsea (2-0), they just crashed at home to Brighton this week with a 2-0 defeat in front of their faithful yet fearful fans.

They have only won three games all season and are perilously positioned in the drop zone in 18th position, sharing the same points and goal difference as Wolves.

Their ‘six-pointer’ win over relegation rivals Wolves on December 14 was a pivotal moment for Ipswich and offered a glimmer of hope, but has since been overturned, as the team they defeated have gone on to win against Leicester and Man Untied, plus a valuable draw away to Tottenham, with new manager Vitor Pereira boosting the players, who are finding form and confidence at a critical time. However, two 3-0 defeats in a row have kept Wolves tied with Ipswich in the league, so the two teams are battling against each other for survival.

Ipswich have already lost 4-1 away to Man City this season, so they may have a better chance against the reigning champions at home, but their record at Portman Road doesn’t suggest so. They have only won once at home all season and have the third worst home record in the league.

That home win was against Chelsea in the last game of 2024, where their main man Liam Delap scored a penalty in the 12th minute and set up ex-Chelsea player Omari Hutchinson to seal victory in the 53rd. Neither one of these goalscorers were even born when Ipswich last won a Premier League match at home, back in 2002.

They registered a 3-0 over Bristol Rovers, who are 20th in League One, to advance to the FA Cup fourth round. This year, Ipswich have won, drawn and lost their three games so far.

Ipswich boss McKenna has shown he has tactical acumen and has been praised for his ability to develop young players, but he faces a tough task to steer the team clear of relegation this season.

Manchester City became the first team to ever win four consecutive league titles last year, but they haven’t been able to maintain that form in the 2024-25 season.

They have won the Premier League six times in the last seven years, but this season has been uncharacteristic for The Citizens after losing six games in their first 17 matches.

They have managed to go unbeaten in their last five games, but prior to that they were beaten by Aston Villa, Manchester United, Juventus, Liverpool, Tottenham twice, Brighton, Sporting CP, and Bournemouth all within 52 days of each other.

They have now gone unbeaten since Boxing Day and appear to be back on track with 17 goals scored in their last five games, which includes their lopsided 8-0 win over League Two outfit Salford City.

However, in their last game against Brentford, Phil Foden netted twice to put City 2-0 up at 78 minutes, only to concede twice in the 82nd and 92nd minutes to throw two points away carelessly. The Bees actually almost won, but missed their chance to put the game to bed.

As Brentford roared into life, Manchester City visibly waned, so they will need to address their fitness issues if they are to seriously mount a challenge for a top four finish this season.