Ipswich Town vs Aston Villa

Portman Road forms the backdrop for the first Premier League encounter between Ipswich Town and Aston Villa since March 2002.

It’s been a difficult top-flight return for Ipswich. Kieran McKenna’s men hauled back a halftime deficit to hold fellow promoted rivals Southampton to a 1-1 draw last weekend. However, they head into proceedings as one of only six Premier League sides yet to win after six league matches (D3, L2) while lamenting the division’s second-worst scoring record. As only one of Ipswich’s three league goals this season came at home, the impending return to Portman Road may not help the Tractor Boys arrest a six-game winless run in all competitions. A seventh consecutive game without a win would mark their longest wait for a victory since September 2021, and the opposition couldn’t be more formidable. Indeed, they’ve only won one of the last 14 matches against Aston Villa (D3, L10).

Unlike their hosts, Aston Villa maintained their dream Premier League start with a come-from-behind 3-1 home win against Wolverhampton last weekend, making it four victories from the opening five league rounds (L1). That’s their best start to a top-flight season since 198/99, suggesting another top-four finish could be on the cards this term. Unai Emery’s charges must improve defensively to bolster their lofty ambitions after failing to keep a clean sheet in their last ten league outings since beating title-bidding Arsenal in April. Given Villa’s defensive woes, it’s barely surprising that eight of their nine most recent outings have featured over 2.5 goals, highlighting the potential for a high-scoring contest.