Ipswich Town vs Liverpool Prediction
| Ipswich Town Odds | +750 |
| Liverpool Odds | -300 |
| Draw | +450 |
| Over / Under | 2.5 -225 / +175 |
After a brutal, soccer-less month since the Euros, the 2024 Premier League season is finally upon us. What better way to kick off the beginning of the new season than breaking down a match between two Premier League managerial debutants in Kieran McKenna and Arne Slot as Liverpool travel east to take on Ipswich Town.
Let’s dive right into my preview for the early morning fixture for us State-side viewers in Ipswich Town vs Liverpool.
Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town are one of the newly promoted teams in the Premier League this season, making their first League appearance in the last 22 years. Kieran McKenna will also get to make his debut as a Premier League manager, after having spent some time managing Ipswich since 2021, while also managing Manchester United’s U-18 side for a few seasons.
Ipswich Town will have their eyes set on delivering an inspiring performance in front of their home crowd at Portman Road, a place likely to give some established teams a hard time securing points throughout the course of the season.
Liverpool Picks
Coming off a very successful offensive season, Liverpool look to secure another top-four finish in the Premier League table. Unfortunately for some, this Liverpool season will be without the piercingly white and shiny veneers of Jurgen Klopp. In the early offseason, Liverpool hired Arne Slot to take the reins as their new gaffer.
Prior to joining Liverpool, Slot was appointed as the manager of Feyenoord in 2021, leading the team to the 2022 UEFA Europa Conference League final in just his first season. With a mountain of expectations, Slot looks to keep up the winning tradition that Liverpool has built in the last decade. Not a whole lot has changed in terms of the starting 11 for Liverpool as the Reds have retained almost entirely the same. I do anticipate Cody Gakpo to get the nod ahead of Darwin Nunez, as Gakpo’s positive play in the Euros this summer has earned him the starting spot in my eyes for the first game of the season.
We know what to expect from star-winger Mo Salah, who is nothing short of exceptional. He'll be looking to provide an outlet on that dangerous right-hand side, providing quality distribution and top-level finishing in the final third.
Ipswich Town vs Liverpool
Prediction
To a casual fan, this may seem like a no-brainer. Liverpool, one of the biggest and most successful clubs in all of England, playing a team who hasn’t played in the Premier League since 2001, Ipswich Town. However, I expect Portman Road to have a buzzing atmosphere, along with a performance that is sure to leave a lasting impression on Liverpool, regardless of the outcome.
I anticipate Arne Slot to keep the same overall style that Klopp instilled in Liverpool by pressing high and trying to cause as many problems as possible high up the field, which should prove to be very challenging for McKenna’s side that likes to play out of the back. This is likely to cause Ipswich some problems in managing the amount of high turnovers they concede, which can very quickly turn into a Liverpool goal. On the flip-side, Ipswich are a club used to winning, albeit not at the highest level.
This is a team that has secured back-to-back promotions, with their form at home being a huge factor in the club's success. Looking back at their season in The Championship, no team scored more goals at home than Ipswich did, registering 59 goals in 23 home matches. With these points about each team in mind, I do expect Ipswich to get on the board with a goal, with Liverpool returning the favor. Another aspect to consider is that over the past few seasons, Liverpool have not really shown any fear of the underdog, resulting in a loss last season to Crystal Palace and a few close games against Brighton, Luton and Fulham.
