Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
Ipswich Town and Bournemouth are set to meet in one of the crucial games in the bottom half of the Premier League log in early December. The two sides have made a poor start to the season as of the time of writing. While many expected the Premier League new boys to struggle, the Cherries have posed some excellent results in recent weeks.
As of the time of writing, Ipswich Town are ranked 19th on the log with 8 points, while Bournemouth are 13th with 15 points from their opening 12 games of the season.
Ipswich Town's return to the Premier League for the first time in 22 years has barely taken off. The Tractor Boys, who are aiming to beat the drop, have struggled expectedly in this PL campaign. After losing their first two Premier League games of the season to Liverpool and Manchester City, Ipswich Town went ahead to secure four consecutive draws against the likes of Fulham, Brighton, Southampton, and Aston Villa.
As of the time of writing, Ipswich have won just a game, lost five, and drawn the remaining five games. Their solitary win came against Tottenham and not many people gave them a chance before that game. Truth be told, the points against some of the established teams in the Premier League are quite fantastic but they still have to do more. One man who has been pushing the team has to be Liam Delap - who has scored six goals in the Premier League after his summer move from Manchester City.
The win against Spurs was their first of the season, and manager Kieran McKenna spoke to BBC Match of the Day after the big win, saying: "So proud. It's been a long time for the club, 22 years since the supporters saw a win in the Premier League. The journey to get here has been a big one. It feels a bit special today. We believe we've been improving. We've picked up five out of 10 results but were waiting for the first win to validate the work and improvements. It's a massive moment, one to cherish.
"The first half it was everything [you'd want] for a team in our context against Tottenham. A good balance. Moments where we played a good tempo and moments where we slowed it down.
"A top half away from home. In the second half we showed good resilience. We didn't give away too many chances. We defended well and were a threat on the break. A top performance.
"It was really important [to hang on]. If we'd conceded at the end it would have been a big blow. To get one over the line like that we've deserved for quite a few weeks. A big boost for everyone. The players are delighted. They know it's a win to cherish," the former Manchester United assistant concluded.
On the other hand, Bournemouth reached their highest point tally ever last season and manager Andoni Iraola is keen to see his side maintain that status or go even a bit further. Based on that performance, Iraola signed a contract extension that will keep him at the Premier League club until the end of the 2025-26 season just at the start of the season.
Defensive midfielder Lewis Cook also signed a new contract that will keep him at Vitality Stadium until 2028, while Antoine Semenyo signed a new five-year contract with the Cherries. In addition to the renewals, the side spent a lot in the summer and they have improved from their early season slump to stay in mid-table.
As of the time of writing, Bournemouth have won four games in the Premier League this season and they have already lost to Liverpool, Brentford, Leicester and Chelsea. However, they have beaten Manchester City and Arsenal at home. Just after the international break in November, the Cherries lost 2-1 to Brighton at home - a rare feat this season. This is a winnable game for them by all standards but the Tractor Boys could be motivated by playing in front of their fans.
In the head-to-head, Ipswich Town and Bournemouth have met 4 times since 2013 and all those meetings did not produce a winner.
This match at Portman Road in Ipswich kicks off on Sunday 8th December 2024, at 14:00 GMT.
The 29,673-capacity stadium is the place for this clash between two sides aiming to stay up in the division.
Getting Ipswich v Bournemouth tickets could take a lot of work given the standard of this game. Hence, you are advised to search ticket reselling sites should they be expectedly sold out on each club's channels.
Line-ups
Ipswich do have what can be described as a clean bill of health as of the time of writing. However, some players are nursing some minor injuries who could be back for this home game. So, Kieran McKenna is unlikely to make too many alterations from the side that he has deployed on multiple occasions this term.
Ipswich Town XI: Muric (GK); B. Johnson, Tuanzebe, Burgess, O'Shea, Davis; Hutchinson, Morsy, Cajuste, Szmodics; Delap.
Striker Evanilson is beginning to find his feet in the Premier League and the manager will be pleased with that. The Cherries have Tyler Adams as the only long-term absentee in the squad. The American struggled with injuries and barely played for Bournemouth during the entire duration of the 2023-24 campaign. Other key players like Semenyo and Senesi are expected to be available for selection.
Bournemouth XI: Kepa; Smith, Zabarnyi, Senesi, Kerkez; Adams, Cook; Semenyo, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson.
Both teams are separated by seven points on the log as of the time of writing. The Tractor Boys have started picking up and it will not be long before they will rack up consecutive wins in the Premier League. For the fans, getting your Ipswich Town tickets early is important.
Meanwhile, Bournemouth have played some fine football this season, as well as pick up outstanding results. The Cherries have won once on the road this season, and based on the position, another triumph is possible.
However, this game is finely balanced to finish in a stalemate.
Ipswich Town 1-1 Bournemouth
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