Ipswich v Albion
PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Portman Road
Date: Thursday 16th January 2025
Kick-off: 19:30 GMT
Referee: Tony Harrington
Assistants: Marc Perry, Matthew Wilkes
Fourth Official: Matthew Donohue
VAR: Michael Salisbury
Additional VAR: Richard West
TEAM NEWS
Ipswich will assess Omari Hutchinson, who could return from a groin issue earlier than anticipated, but Sammie Szmodics is expected to miss out after hurting his ankle against Fulham on 5 January.
Fit-again striker George Hirst made his first appearance for two months at the weekend and is in contention but this game comes too soon for Axel Tuanzebe and Conor Chaplin.
Ben Godfrey is available to make his league debut, having started Sunday's FA Cup win against Bristol Rovers following a loan move from Atalanta.
Brighton defender Igor Julio will miss the remainder of the season because of a hamstring injury.
Fellow centre-back Lewis Dunk has been passed fit but Joao Pedro, Georginio Rutter and Yankuba Minteh will need to be monitored.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- The last top-flight meeting between the sides at Portman Road was on 15 January 1983, when John Wark and Alan Brazil scored in a 2-0 win for Ipswich.
- The four most recent league meetings have produced a total of three goals, with September's reverse fixture ending 0-0.
- The Blues have earned four points and scored four goals in their past two league games, as many as in their previous seven matches.
- Their tally of 122 shots from open play this season is the lowest in the division.
- Ipswich have kept two Premier League clean sheets this term, with only Leicester having recorded fewer, although one of those came against Brighton in September.
- Town have dropped 17 points from winning positions in the top flight this season, a total exceeded by only Brighton (18) and Fulham (19).
- Excluding own goals, all of Ipswich's Premier League goals this season have been scored by players born in England, albeit Sammie Szmodics and Jack Taylor represent the Republic of Ireland at international level and Sam Morsy has been capped by Egypt.
- The Seagulls are winless in eight Premier League games, though six of those have been drawn. It is their longest run without a top-flight victory since an 11-match sequence ended in December 2021.
- They could draw five successive league games for the first time since April 2000.
- Six of their last eight top-flight fixtures against newly-promoted opposition have ended level (W1, L1), including each of the past four.
- Brighton have attempted 106 shots from outside the penalty area in this season's Premier League, the third highest total prior to the midweek fixtures.
- Julio Enciso is averaging 3.4 shots on target per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, the highest rate of any player to play at least 90 minutes, but the Paraguayan is yet to score.
Fabian Hürzeler's Ipswich Press Conference
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