Brighton are looking for their first Premier League win since November when they take on Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Thursday night.
After starting the season so strongly under young German manager Fabian Hurzeler, Brighton have slumped lower half of the table after a winless December. The Seagulls have been battered by injury after injury over the winter, but their recent performances have earned them more points.
They have managed four draws in their previous four league outings and were able to let off steam at the weekend when they hammered Norwich City 4-0 in the second tier. FA Cup.
Ipswich fans would no doubt have had a smile on their faces when they saw Saturday’s result at Carrow Road, and their weekend was made even better the following day when Kieran McKenna’s side overcame Bristol Rovers to progress to the fourth round.
Recent indications suggest that Ipswich will not go down without a fight this season. They got their first home win of the league campaign against Chelsea to round out 2024 and were denied a win at Fulham by a stoppage-time penalty from Raul Jimenez last time out.
here it is 90 minutes Thursday guide Premier League shock
Head-to-head results Ipswich vs Brighton (last five games)
Current form (all competitions)
|
Ipswich |
Brighton |
|---|---|
|
Ipswich 3-0 Bristol Rovers – 12/01/25 |
Norwich 0-4 Brighton – 11/25/01 |
|
Fulham 2-2 Ipswich – 25/05/01 |
Brighton 1-1 Arsenal – 25/01/04 |
|
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea – 30/12/24 |
Aston Villa 2-2 Brighton – 30/12/24 |
|
Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich – 27/12/24 |
Brighton 0-0 Brentford – 27/12/24 |
|
Ipswich 0-4 Newcastle – 21/12/24 |
West Ham 1-1 Brighton – 21/12/24 |
|
country |
TV channel/live broadcast |
|---|---|
|
united kingdom |
Discovery+, discovery+ app, TNT Sports 2 |
|
united states |
royal peacock |
|
canada |
fuboTV Canada, Fubo Sports Network 2 Canada |
The hosts are without a couple of key attacking players on Thursday, with Omari Hutchinson set for a brief spell on the sidelines after missing Sunday’s win over Bristol Rovers with a groin injury. McKenna also won’t be able to call on Sammie Szmodics due to an ankle problem.
Ipswich have already lost Chiedozie Ogbene for the season after rupturing his Achilles, while Axel Tuanzebe and Conor Chaplin are also out.
Liam Delap has been the star for Ipswich this season and will lead the line for the Tractor Boys at Portman Road this Thursday.
Ipswich’s expected line-up against Brighton (5-2-3): Walton; Johnson, O’Shea, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis; Morsy, Cajuste; Broadhead, Delap, Clarke.
There have been many moans from north London about injury problems, but no team has been hit harder by forced absences than Brighton.
The List of seagull injuries remains extensive, and they could be without a new first team on Thursday.
Joao Pedro is the latest out, with a rolled ankle that leaves his status for the next few games in doubt. Hurzeler will also be without Ferdi Kadioglu, James Milner, Jack Hinshelwood and newcomer Diego Gomez available for this one.
Georginio Rutter and Yankuba Minteh are both doubts, but Lewis Dunk and Tariq Lamptey should be fit to return. Danny Welbeck is also back in action, which is a huge boost for the visitors.
Brighton predicted line-up against Ipswich (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen; Veltman, Dunk, Van Hecke, Stupinan; Look, it was; Gruda, Enciso, Mitoma; Welbeck.
It’s been too long since Brighton won Premier Leagueand while Ipswich’s resilience deserves great credit, they will struggle during Thursday’s game in the absence of Szmodics and Hutchinson – Delap’s impressive supporting acts.
Hurzeler’s team were merciless at the weekend, and the steam coming off at Carrow Road should ease the tension on Thursday night. They may well enjoy trips to East Anglia, and we could see Welbeck, on his return to the Premier League XI, inspire a long-awaited triumph for the visitors.
