Ipswich vs Chelsea prediction: ENGLAND: Premier League betting tips on match 2024-12-29 19:45.
[p]Ipswich never really threatened against Arsenal in a 1-0 defeat on Friday night and as a result, they’ll almost certainly end the year inside the Premier League’s relegation zone. They’ve lost five of their last six league fixtures (W1) – four of them without scoring – and they’ve only got a three-day turnaround before they take on another high-flying side in Chelsea.[/p]
[p]That’s the brutal reality of top-flight football, and it’s been a difficult season for the Tractor Boys, who are still searching for a first home league victory of the season (D4, L5). Failing to triumph here would make them just the fifth side in competition history to go winless across their first ten games of the season at home: three were subsequently relegated but the last team to do that, Brighton, eventually finished 16th.[/p]
[p]Chelsea endured a tough Boxing Day, suffering their first loss when leading as late as the 82nd minute in the Premier League since October 1999. Their 2-1 defeat to Fulham subsequently saw them lose further ground on leaders Liverpool, but they’re guaranteed to finish 2024 in the top-four, while closing calendar years strongly has become a habit for the Blues as they’re unbeaten in their final league game of the year since losing 3-1 to Aston Villa in 2011 (W8, D4).[/p]
[p]Manager Enzo Maresca maintains they’re not yet ready for a title challenge, but losing only one of their last 12 away league fixtures (W8, D3) – with the sole defeat coming against Liverpool – is the sort of form that will keep them in contention. They’ve also only lost one of their last nine visits to Portman Road (W4, D4), although as the latest of those games was before Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2002, a fresh challenge awaits here.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: A reported transfer target for Chelsea, Liam Delap has scored 38% of Ipswich’s league goals this term (six), with three of them arriving before the 20th minute. Maresca, who worked with him at Manchester City, is an admirer but he’d like to see wing-back Marc Cucurella continue the form that’s seen him directly contribute to three goals across his last four appearances in all competitions (G2, A1).[/p]
[p]Hot streak: Ipswich received exactly two yellow cards in each of their last three home league fixtures (L3).[/p]
[p][i]Written by John Pennington[/i][/p]