Ipswich Town take on Liverpool after 22 years away from the Premier League
After an absence of twenty-two years, Ipswich Town return to the top flight, hosting Liverpool at Portman Road on Saturday 17 August. Kick-off for this Premier League clash is at 12:30 (GMT+1). For Ipswich, it is an immediate opportunity to avenge — at least symbolically — the 5-0 defeat to that same opponent in May 2002, a result that sealed their relegation.
Ipswich Town back after twenty-two years
Ipswich Town's return to the Premier League is the story of the weekend. The Suffolk club made it back to the top flight thanks to an impressive run of two consecutive promotions: first out of EFL League One, followed by a runners-up finish in the EFL Championship. The goal for this season is clear: survival in the English top flight. To back up that ambition, the club spent heavily during the summer transfer window. With total expenditure of £73 million, Ipswich rank seventh among Premier League clubs in terms of transfer spending. Signings such as Omari Hutchinson, acquired from Chelsea for €24 million, and Liam Delap, who joined for €18 million from Manchester City, are expected to bolster the attack. Kalvin Phillips is also anticipated to arrive as a season-long loanee.
A déjà-vu the Blues would rather forget
The last meeting between Ipswich Town and Liverpool at Portman Road ended in a painful 5-0 defeat for the home side. That result in May 2002 sealed Ipswich's relegation and ushered in a period of more than two decades outside the Premier League. Twenty-two years on, The Blues get the chance to give that same Liverpool side a different answer. Encouragingly, Ipswich's record on opening day makes for positive reading: in their last ten season openers, the side have gone unbeaten, with six wins and four draws. Manager Kieran McKenna is expected to place his trust in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with new signing Delap leading the attack.
Liverpool without transfer signings, but with an unbeaten pre-season
Liverpool find themselves in a peculiar position: the Reds are currently the only Premier League club not to have spent a single euro on new players. New manager Arne Slot, the 45-year-old Dutchman who succeeded Jürgen Klopp, expressed confidence weeks ago that quality reinforcements would arrive, yet no major name has been added to the squad so far. Nevertheless, Liverpool's pre-season went promisingly. Slot remained unbeaten throughout the pre-season and claimed impressive victories over future league rivals Arsenal (2-1) and Manchester United (3-0). On Saturday, the Dutchman will look to keep Liverpool's unbeaten record at Portman Road intact — a record that stands at three wins and two draws, with no defeats. Darwin Núñez is expected to lead the line in Slot's 4-2-3-1 formation, while Bobby Clark is the only confirmed absentee. Liverpool finished third in the Premier League last season, and Slot knows he must meet high expectations at a club accustomed to competing on multiple fronts.
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Source: Sportmonks
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