Manchester City face a complicated away match vs. Ipswich Town! Match day is here and City should be ready and roaring to go.

Venue: Portman Road, Ipswich, England

Time and Date: Premier League Sunday 19 January 2025, Kickoff at 16:30 GMT, 11.30 am EST, USA

Referee: Sam Barrott.

Assistants: Timothy Wood, Richard West.

Fourth official: Tim Robinson.

VAR: Paul Tierney.

Assistant VAR: Nick Hopton.

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Preview + Form

A tricky match up, and seeing the form of these clubs, one would back some sort of resurgence by City here. However, this could be a great get back right win for City, who need more results in the worst of ways.

For the opponent, this is a real tricky spot as they have a motivated side in front of them and are a decent in form team in themselves.

The key battle will be the forwards chosen vs a their defense. An interesting match up is in tow. Who will play?

Which team will come out in front? We are in store for a fun match.

Previous Meeting

Our last trip to Portman Road came in January 2002 in the FA Cup fourth round, where we secured an emphatic 4-1 victory after a brace from Shaun Goater, added to by goals from Eyal Berkovic and Darren Huckerby for Kevin Keegan’s side.

We also met the Tractor Boys in the league earlier this season at the Etihad and sealed another 4-1 victory, with Erling Haaland netting a treble and Kevin De Bruyne also getting on the scoresheet.

Team News

City’s side have an unavailable/questionable list of Rodri, John Stones, Ruben Dias, & Oscar Bobb who are out or doubtful.

The Bee’s have Tuanzebe, Ogbene, Chaplin and Szmodics out/doubtful.

Prediction

Manchester City 3-1 Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town new boy Jaden Philogene could come straight into the Tractor Boys’ starting lineup when they host Manchester City in Sunday’s Premier League contest at Stamford Bridge.

The 22-year-old completed his permanent move to Portman Road from Aston Villa in midweek but did not arrive in time to make his debut in Thursday’s 2-0 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion.

However, Kieran McKenna should now have no qualms about throwing Philogene in from the first whistle on Sunday, where he may also be tempted to sacrifice an attacker for an extra defender.

Ipswich lined up with a back five against Arsenal last month, frustrating the Gunners despite suffering a 1-0 defeat, and such a tweak on Sunday could also see Ben Godfrey make his first Premier League appearance for the hosts.

The ex-Everton man would be protecting Christian Walton alongside Leif Davis, Dara O’Shea, Jacob Greaves and Luke Woolfenden, as Axel Tuanzebe is still out with a thigh injury.

Kalvin Phillips cannot face his parent club, so Sam Morsy should fill the void in midfield alongside Jens Cajuste, while Omari Hutchinson is the most obvious candidate to join Philogene up top after returning from a groin issue.

The pair will operate in support of chief attacking threat Liam Delap, who spent five years at Man City from 2019 to 2024 but only made six appearances for the senior team.

Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:
Walton; Woolfenden, Godfrey, Greaves; O’Shea, Cajuste, Morsy, Davis; Hutchinson, Delap, Philogene

Joao Pedro should have been sent off for Brighton during their win over Ipswich following a challenge on opposition goalkeeper Christian Walton, Keith Hackett has said.

The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that the attacker knew exactly what he was doing when he collided with Walton in Thursday night’s (16 January) game.

Fabien Hurzeler’s side ended an eight-game winless run in the Premier League with a 2-0 win over the Tractor Boys at Portman Road.

The first of those goals through Karou Mitoma 59 minutes in, but Hackett believes Brighton should have been given a man disadvantage moments before that, following Pedro’s challenge.

With 54 minutes on the clock, Pedro had been chasing a loose ball into the Ipswich penalty area, only to see Walton get there well before him, and clear it away.

Despite that, the Brighton attacker kept on running at speed, and leading with his shoulder, collided with Walton – who was playing against his former club – to leave the goalkeeper on the ground seemingly in need of treatment.

Referee Tony Harrington then elected to show Pedro a yellow card for the challenge, with VAR confirming that decision rather than suggesting a review.

Hackett though believes that the attacker should have been dismissed for the offence, and that the officials will be spoken to about their decision not to award one.

When asked by Football Insider if the Brighton man should have been sent off for his challenge on Walton, the former referee said:

“This is a nailed on red card for Serious Foul Play. He knows exactly what he is doing. This is a challenge with excessive force that endangers the safety of the goalkeeper.

“Referees should not await the outcome to see if the goalkeeper has s injured or not. Totally unacceptable and I would suggest that the Referee and VAR require some operational advice.

“Here is the law: Serious foul play:

“A tackle or challenge that endangers the safety of an opponent or uses excessive force or brutality must be sanctioned as serious foul play.

“Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force or endangers the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play.”

Following that win, Brighton are now ninth in the Premier League, four points adrift of a European place as things stand.

For their part, Ipswich are now 18th in the Premier League, having dropped into the relegation zone by virtue of goals scored following that defeat to the Seagulls.

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Wolverhampton Wanderers and Ipswich Town have both been linked with the Nigeria international, who has 56 caps for his country.

According to Football Insider, Leeds have now registered their interest in securing Iheanacho’s services.

He would arguably be a major coup for the Whites, especially considering he has spent the bulk of his career in the Premier League.

The report claims he could be available for a loan move late in the January window, although his signature may prove hard to secure if there is interest from the top flight.

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If Leeds were to make a move, they would be negotiating with a familiar face. Victor Orta, the club’s former director of football, is Sevilla’s sporting director.

Joel Piroe has been Daniel Farke’s lone forward of choice this season, with Mateo Joseph second in the pecking order.

Patrick Bamford has been third-choice, while fourth-choice Joe Gelhardt has been loaned to Hull City for the remainder of the season.

Piroe has a reputation as a clinical finisher, although his work away from the box has come under scrutiny this term.

The opposite can be said for Joseph, who is often lauded for his movement and pressing but has faced criticism for his lack of composure in front of goal.

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Michael Carrick has explained why he wants to make George Edmundson a permanent Middlesbrough signing this month – with the defender’s loan form and overall career experience the biggest factors.

Boro have decided to try and make Edmundson’s loan move to Boro a permanent one this month, though parent club Ipswich Town rejected the first bid believed to be £350k, with a further £350k on top if Boro win promotion. Talks are continuing between the two clubs to try and come to an agreement.

Boro’s move comes despite Edmundson’s loan deal keeping him at Boro until the summer, at which point his Ipswich contract expires and he will be available on a free transfer. Wanting to remove any uncertainty or potential competition though, as well as free up a potential loan spot in the squad, Carrick and Jonathan Woodgate have pushed for Boro to make Edmundson’s move a permanent one, with both delighted with what he’s added to the side – both on and off the pitch.

Carrick explained: “George has done really well. We brought him in on loan. It was one of those where it fitted all parties. I’ve said it a number of times, it’s not always simple, there’s a lot of parties involved. Sometimes you go in and you know exactly what you’re getting out, sometimes it’s a little bit in the balance.

“George has done fantastically well for us. He’s settled in really well. We’re really happy with him. I think it’s getting the balance right as well, in terms of recruitment and the dynamics of the squad. That’s really important.

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna felt his team were the better side for an hour of tonight’s 2-0 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.

A fiercely competitive game of few clear cut chances got away from the Blues after Kaoru Mitoma’s shot squirmed past Christian Walton in the 59th minute.

Substitute Georginio Rutter bagged a killer second in the 82nd minute meaning that Town have slipped below Wolves, and back into the Premier League relegation, on goals scored.

Asked if he felt there was nothing between the sides up until the deadlock was broken, McKenna replied: “Exactly that. I thought it was, at best, evens. I thought we were the more threatening team. They had more possession, certainly in the early parts of the game, but not really in threatening areas. I thought we had more threat and got to better areas.

“That was the first real threat that we had on our goal. We didn’t defend the situation as well as we would have liked and should have stopped the goal. That changed the game really.

“From our point of view it changed it disproportionately to what we’d want. I think we could have found a better reaction than what we did. It looked like our confidence dropped and theirs certainly went up. They’ve got very good substitutes that they brought on fresh and were the better team in the last 30 minutes.”

In the 53rd minute of the game, with the score goalless, Brighton striker Joao Pedro jumped into Town keeper Walton with the ball long gone. It was a heavy collision, with many feeling the Brazilian could have seen red rather than yellow.

“I’ve not watched it back,” said McKenna. “Look, I think he’s left a little bit on the goalkeeper. I think he knows what he’s doing. It is what it is. It’s football, it happens. The referee dealt with it and gave a yellow card. It’s not something we’re going to cry about too much.

“Maybe it’s worse than what I first thought. Was it a red card? I wasn’t screaming for one at the time.”

With Wolves, Leicester and Everton all losing last night, did McKenna feel this was a missed opportunity for his side?

“Not given the results last night, but more so due to the fact that we were in the game for so long,” he replied.

“I think if Wes (Burns) scores with the shot that goes just past the post then you think ‘yeah, we probably have just about earned that’ in terms of the way we grew into the game.

“We’ve competed on an even keel with a really good side. If I’m honest, the game was much more even than when we played them earlier in the season (and drew 0-0). When you’re in that position you want to push on in the game and get points from it.

“The way they took the game away late on probably changes the feel from what was a really competitive game we were in a really good position in.”

New Ipswich Town signing Jaden Philogene says he picked the Blues over a host of other clubs – and wants to become the best player he can be under boss Kieran McKenna,

The 22-year-old winger finally signed from Aston Villa late last night, in a deal worth £20m plus add-ons.

He wasn’t signed in time to play in tonight’s clash with Brighton (7.30pm, TNT Sports), but could make his debut against defending Premier League champs Manchester City in Suffolk on Sunday (4.30pm, Sky Sports).

In a short first interview with the club on TownTV, Philogene was asked if there was interest from other clubs this month.

“Yeah, of course,” he replied. “But I picked Ipswich.”

Of what excites him about signing for Town, he added: “Playing in the Premier League and showcasing my skills in front of a beautiful crowd.

“I know they have great players, and I know some of them off the pitch as well.”

Boss Kieran McKenna has wanted to sign Philogene for some time, with the winger almost heading to Suffolk in the summer before Villa activated their buyback clause.

So, now he’s a Town player, what has McKenna said to him?

Philogene revealed: “Getting me in and playing as many games as possible, get my head down and work hard, and just be the best player I can be.”

Of what fans can expect of him as a player, he added: “As a player I just like to dribble, link up play, do skills, score and assist.”

Philogene has already played at Portman Road this season, having come on as a 64th minute sub for Villa in their pulsating 2-2 draw with Town back in September.

And, with home games surely key for the Blues as they bid to stay in the Premier League, Philogene confirmed that the vocal home faithful make it a tough place to play for visiting teams.

“It’s a challenge!” he revealed. “You guys were… you don’t look like a team that’s just been promoted to be fair, a very strong team.”