Ipswich vs Aston Villa Prediction

Form guide

Ipswich have had a mixed run at home. They've beaten Fulham 2-1 and Sunderland 2-1, but they also shipped five against Manchester United and lost late at Everton. Their most recent home outing ended 1-1 with Nottingham Forest, so a decent day and a tough one have come back to back.

Ipswich: 20 completed matches; Aston Villa: 20 completed matches.

Ipswich

20 matches

Win

45% 9 / 20

Draw

20% 4 / 20

Loss

35% 7 / 20

Scored

35

Conceded

32

Difference

+3

Aston Villa

20 matches

Win

45% 9 / 20

Draw

15% 3 / 20

Loss

40% 8 / 20

Scored

34

Conceded

31

Difference

+3

Aston Villa's schedule has been unusual, packed with Champions League football alongside the league. In the Premier League alone they've beaten Manchester City and won away at Newcastle, but they've also lost to Arsenal, Brighton and Nottingham Forest. They can look sharp one week and stretched the next, especially with European trips mixed in.

Neither side arrives with a settled run of results, so home advantage could carry a bit more weight than usual.

Comparative Team Statistics: Ipswich vs Aston Villa

Head-to-head

The last two meetings between these clubs, in the Premier League, both finished level: 1-1 and 2-2. Earlier meetings stretch back to their Championship days, when Villa generally had the upper hand, but that was a different competition and a different version of both squads.

The recent head-to-head record points to tight, closely fought games rather than one side dominating.

Where they stand

Ipswich currently sit tenth with nine points from seven games, just above Aston Villa in twelfth with eight points from the same number of matches. There's barely anything between them in the table, which fits with how even this fixture looks.

Players to watch

Emersonn and L. Davis have both scored twice in Ipswich's last five matches, while Jeremy Enciso has set up two goals in that same spell. For Villa, John McGinn has been their main creative source lately with two assists.

Ipswich:

Best scorers:

Emersonn - 2

L. Davis - 2

Best assist providers:

J. Enciso - 2

Penalty cards:

A. Fatawu x 1 x 3

S. Lukić x 2

Aston Villa:

Best assist providers:

J. McGinn - 2

Penalty cards:

João Gomes x 1 x 1

J. McGinn x 2

Discipline is worth a mention too. Ipswich's Abdul Fatawu has picked up a red card and three yellows in his last five games, and Villa's João Gomes was sent off in one of his last two appearances. Both sides have had moments of ill discipline recently.

How this one could go

With both teams level on points and their last two meetings ending level on the scoreboard too, there's no obvious favourite here. Ipswich's home form has been patchy rather than dominant, and Villa's recent weeks have been split between league and continental football.

A tight, cagey game with goals at both ends wouldn't be a surprise given how both sides have performed lately.