Brighton & Hove Albion vs Ipswich Town

Brighton & Hove Albion’s dream Premier League start faces a potentially routine task as newcomers Ipswich Town arrive at the Amex Stadium.

It’s been a scintillating start to life under new manager Fabian Hurzeler for Brighton as they headed into September’s international break unbeaten in all four competitive games under the 31-year-old tactician. Back to East Sussex after a dramatic 1-1 draw against back-to-back Premier League runners-up Arsenal, the Seagulls look to maintain their formidable form in September. They’ve emerged victorious from six of their last eight league matches in September, scoring at least three goals in four most recent triumphs over the course of the month. As if that’s not encouraging enough, they have only lost once across their last 13 top-flight outings at the Amex (W5, D7). Moreover, Brighton won both home matches in August by an aggregate score of 6-1, including a late 2-1 victory against Manchester United.

On the other hand, Ipswich Town couldn’t have hoped for a worse way to introduce themselves to the Premier League after 20+ years than facing Manchester City (1-4) and Liverpool (0-2) in their opening two league outings. A gut-wrenching League Cup exit at the hands of lower-league AFC Wimbledon further dampened Ipswich’s spirits before a 1-1 draw against Fulham last time out offered the traveling fans some consolation. Given the strength of their opponents in the first two rounds, it’s barely surprising that the Tractor Boys entered the international break as the division’s joint-worst defensive team with seven goals conceded. Perhaps it’s time for a change of scenery, considering they’ve claimed two wins ‘to nil’ across their last four visits to the Amex (D1, L1).