Match Preview: Can Liverpool Extend Their Title Race Lead Against Ipswich Town? | OneFootball

Liverpool v Ipswich – The Premier League Preview

Date – 25th January 2025

Venue – Anfield

Kick-off – 15.00

After a successful midweek win against Ligue 1 side Lille, the Merseyside giants Liverpool can now settle in for a home game against Premier League strugglers, Ipswich. With an opportunity to move nine points clear of Arsenal before they head to Wolves on Saturday evening, this encounter could very well shape how the current title race unfolds.

Ipswich Team News

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna will be without several key players: Chiedozie Ogbene, Conor Chaplin, and Samuel Szmodics.

In terms of recent form, the Tractor Boys lost 0-6 at home to Manchester City, after losing 0-2 to Brighton also at Portman Road, following a hard fought 2-2 draw at Fulham. In the FA Cup third round, the Suffolk club were able to advance after a home 3-0 win against visiting Bristol Rovers.

After 22 matches in the top tier, the 2024 Championship runners-up have accumulated 16 points and sit 18th in the standings, reflecting a difficult return to the Premier League.

The predicted lineup for Ipswich, using a 4-2-3-1 formation, is as follows:

Arijanet Muric, Ben Johnson, Ben Godfrey, Jacob Greaves, Leif Davis, Kalvin Phillips, Massimo Luongo, Jack Taylor, Wes Burn, Liam Delap, Omari Hutchinson

Liverpool Team News

Liverpool will be without Joe Gomez, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, whereas both Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones are also unavailable for selection with undisclosed injuries.

In their most recent match, Liverpool secured a 2-1 win over visiting Lille in the Champions League group stage. In the Premier League, the Reds secured a 0-2 win at Brentford after an injury-time double by Darwin Núñez, following a 1-1 draw away at Nottingham Forest. With 21 matches played, Liverpool currently tops the Premier League standings with an impressive 50 points.

Here is the expected lineup that Arne Slot will field for this home match against Ipswich. Furthermore, at least one change is anticipated after the midweek visit of Lille.

Alisson Becker. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk (c), Kostas Tsimikas, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Mohamed Salah, Darwin Núñez, Cody Gakpo

How Will This Contest Play Out?

Liverpool are expected to start fast and dominate the pitch. The desire of Arne Slot to nullify the physical threat of Liam Delap will be vital in limiting the visitor’s counter-attacking patterns of play, with the hosts likely to score heavily against a team which is struggling to keep offensively superior teams at bay.

Player to Watch: Trent Alexander Arnold

Steven Smith’s Score Prediction:

Liverpool 3 – 0 Ipswich