Premier League | Gameweek 29

Mar 15, 2025 at 3pm UK

Portman Road Stadium

Ipswich vs Nott'm Forest

Match preview

In what could be a harbinger of things to come, Ipswich failed to win their first nine games of a calendar year for the first time in the club's history after succumbing to Ismaila Sarr's strike at Selhurst Park last week.

Kieran McKenna's men did enough to keep a Jean-Philippe Mateta-less Crystal Palace side at bay until Sarr's moment of brilliance in the final 10 minutes, while Eagles number one Dean Henderson also made a number of vital saves to keep Ipswich at bay.

McKenna could have taken the positives from a spirited display in the English capital, but the Ipswich boss would have preferred to take at least a point home, as the East Anglian side remain in a precarious 18th place in the Premier League table.

Six points separate Ipswich from Wolverhampton Wanderers in 17th, and the Tractor Boys are currently in an unwanted club of their own, as they are the only side in England's top four still waiting for their first league win of 2025.

The hosts' goalscoring prowess had given them at least a fighting chance, but the 1-0 defeat to Palace ended a seven-match run of scoring at least once, while they have conceded at least two goals in each of their last four defeats at Portman Road.

As England boss Thomas Tuchel prepares to name his first Three Lions squad for March's World Cup qualifiers, Callum Hudson-Odoi - one of his former Chelsea protégés - put his hand up for a call-up by scoring the crucial goal to sink reigning champions Man City last weekend.

Lighting up a dull contest that would otherwise have been relegated to the back pages of the footballing annals, Hudson-Odoi beat Ederson at his near post to fire the Tricky Trees to another statement win that ended their three-game losing streak in the top flight in stunning fashion.

Forest's top-four credentials may have been called into question after taking just one point from nine games prior to their visit to City, but the Garibaldians remain safe in third, just four points adrift of striker-less Arsenal in second.

The ever-smiling Santo will now take charge of his 50th Premier League game in charge of Forest on Saturday, although recent history suggests it may not be a memorable milestone for the Portuguese, with the visitors having been beaten in each of their last three top-flight away games.

However, Forest have beaten Ipswich twice this season, beating the Tractor Boys 1-0 in the Premier League in November and on penalties in the FA Cup fifth round less than a fortnight ago, when Jack Taylor was unfortunate to see his spot-kick saved by Matz Sels.

Recent Performance

Ipswich Town Premier League form:LLDLLL

Ipswich Town form (all competitions):WDLLLL

Nottingham Forest Premier League form:LWLLDW

Nottingham Forest form (all competitions):WLLDWW

Team News

The injury front for Ipswich this weekend is likely to be the same, with Axel Tuanzebe (thigh), Arijanet Muric (shoulder), Chiedozie Ogbene (Achilles), Wes Burns (knee), Sammie Szmodics (ankle) and Conor Chaplin (knee) all still on the sidelines.

Tuanzebe could return after the international break, but Dara O'Shea is likely to continue at centre-back for the time being, with Luke Woolfenden set to start in the centre alongside Jacob Greaves.

Further up the pitch, star striker Liam Delap faces a two-match ban if he picks up a yellow card, having been booked nine times in the Premier League - unsurprisingly, given that he has committed more fouls than any other player this season (60).

Elsewhere, Forest's injury situation remains the same, with Santo only likely to be without goalkeeper Carlos Miguel (hamstring) for this weekend's trip to Portman Road.

Having comfortably held Man City at bay last Saturday, the Tricky Trees boss will see no reason to change his starting line-up as Morgan Gibbs-White moves closer to making club history.

By setting up Hudson-Odoi's winner last weekend, Gibbs-White registered his 39th Premier League goal for Forest, just five short of Ian Woan's club record of 44.

Possible starting lineup

Ipswich Town possible starting lineup:

Palmer; O'Shea, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis; Cajuste, Phillips; Hutchinson, Enciso, Philogene; Delap

Nottingham Forest possible starting lineup:

Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Dominguez; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood