AI-written editorial preview · updated 2026-09-02 19:11 UTC
Ipswich host Liverpool as Portman Road welcomes Friday night football
Friday night at Portman Road sees Ipswich Town return to home soil for matchday 3 of the Premier League. They face a Liverpool side looking to find their rhythm after a pair of draws to open their campaign.
Team news and expected lineups
Ipswich Town face a significant hurdle as they prepare for this encounter, with forward Emersonn confirmed as an injury absence. The expected XI for the hosts features Kjell Scherpen in goal, protected by a defensive line of Leif Davis, Jacob Greaves, Issa Diop, and Dara O'Shea. In midfield, Abdul Fatawu, Sasa Lukic, and Marcelino Nunez are expected to provide the engine, while Daizen Maeda and Julio Enciso lead the attacking threat.
Liverpool are expected to field a formidable side, with Alisson Becker in goal behind a defence comprising Jeremie Frimpong, Jeremy Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk, and Milos Kerkez. The midfield and attack are expected to feature the creative talents of Florian Wirtz alongside Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Victor Munoz, Cody Gakpo, and Alexander Isak. This setup suggests a highly mobile and attacking approach from the visitors.
The road to Portman Road
Ipswich Town enter this match following a challenging 5-2 defeat away to Manchester United in the Premier League. Prior to that, they showed their resilience with a 2-1 league victory over Sunderland and a 3-1 win against Leicester City in the EFL Cup. The hosts have demonstrated a tendency to strike late, with six of their goals across their last 10 matches arriving after the 75th minute.
Liverpool arrive at Portman Road having shared the spoils in their opening Premier League fixtures. They recorded a 2-2 draw away at Newcastle United before another 2-2 stalemate at home against Nottingham Forest. While they have yet to secure a win in the league this season, their ability to find the net remains a consistent feature of their play.
A history of encounters
Historical meetings between these two clubs have favoured the visitors. In their most recent Premier League encounter on 25 January 2025, Liverpool secured a 4-1 victory. Earlier that season, on 17 August 2024, Liverpool also claimed a 2-0 win at Portman Road. Ipswich will be looking to reverse this trend and secure a statement result in front of their home supporters.
The tactical challenge
This match presents a classic clash between a side looking to establish their footing in the top flight and a team aiming to find their stride early in the season. With Liverpool expected to control possession through their dynamic midfield, the focus for Ipswich will be on defensive discipline and clinical counter-attacking. The late-game threat posed by the Ipswich attack could prove vital if the scoreline remains tight as the match enters its final stages.
Liverpool
4-2-3-1
● Confirmed
9
⚽⚽↓64′
Isak
23
↓64′
Munoz
7
↓90′
Wirtz
18
Gakpo
8
Szoboszlai
10
↓84′
Mac Allister
6
Kerkez
4
van Dijk
5
Jacquet
33
Araujo
1
Becker
Bench (14)
Bradley Barcola ↑64′ · Ryan Gravenberch ↑64′ · Trey Nyoni ↑84′ · Lewis Koumas ↑90′ · Wataru Endo · Konstantinos Tsimikas · Giorgi Mamardashvili · Jeremie Frimpong · Rio Ngumoha · Hugo Ekitike · Giovanni Leoni · Joseph Gomez · Conor Bradley · Federico Chiesa
Coach · Andoni Iraola
Confirmed by FIFA officials.
All Predictions
What each AI model picked for Ipswich Town vs Liverpool
Every pick each model placed, market by market — with the odds they took.
Model
1X2
O/U
BTTS
AH
GS
CS
DeepSeek
+4.9% ROI
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Le Chat
+4.8% ROI
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Nemotron
+3.0% ROI
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Nova
+2.7% ROI
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Qwen
+2.5% ROI
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Gemini
+1.9% ROI
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ERNIE
+1.8% ROI
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Kimi
+1.0% ROI
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ChatGPT
+0.9% ROI
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Claude
+0.3% ROI
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GLM
-0.4% ROI
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Grok
-1.5% ROI
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WizardLM
-2.3% ROI
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Seed
-2.9% ROI
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Recent Form
Ipswich Town and Liverpool's recent form
Last ten matches each side.
Ipswich Town
7
Wins
0
Draws
3
Losses
21
Scored
14
Conceded
3
Clean sheets
6
BTTS
30 AugPREManchester United5–2Ipswich TownL
25 AugEFLIpswich Town3–1Leicester CityW
22 AugPREIpswich Town2–1SunderlandW
15 AugFRIUnion Berlin2–4Ipswich TownW
8 AugFRIIpswich Town3–0Rayo VallecanoW
4 AugFRIIpswich Town1–0Le HavreW
1 AugFRIWycombe Wanderers1–2Ipswich TownW
1 AugFRIOxford United2–0Ipswich TownL
29 JulFRIIpswich Town1–2OsasunaL
2 MayCHAIpswich Town3–0Queens Park RangersW
Liverpool
3
Wins
4
Draws
3
Losses
18
Scored
18
Conceded
3
Clean sheets
7
BTTS
29 AugPRELiverpool2–2Nottingham ForestD
23 AugPRENewcastle United2–2LiverpoolD
16 AugFRILiverpool2–0ComoW
16 AugFRILiverpool0–0ComoD
9 AugFRILiverpool2–3MonacoL
2 AugFRILiverpool2–4Leeds UnitedL
29 JulFRILiverpool1–0WrexhamW
25 JulFRILiverpool4–2SunderlandW
24 MayPRELiverpool1–1BrentfordD
15 MayPREAston Villa4–2LiverpoolL
Head to Head
Ipswich Town vs Liverpool·recent meetings
0Ipswich Town wins
0Draws
2Liverpool wins
25 Jan ’25Liverpool4 – 1Ipswich TownPremier League
17 Aug ’24Ipswich Town0 – 2LiverpoolPremier League
