A look ahead to a Friday-night clash that Iraola & Liverpool really need to win

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/o-neil-gary/4rSZHs2M/"]Gary O'Neil[/a] saw his side beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a] on matchday one, before being humbled by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Man Utd[/a] at Old Trafford last time out.[/p][p]Andoni Iraola's Liverpool have drawn both of their games by the same 2-2 scoreline, and in both matches, they've gone behind, equalised, gone behind again and then scored late on, something that the Spaniard is likely to be keen to avoid under the lights in Suffolk.[/p][infobox id="c5ce5f5a-ccb6-468f-9fce-bb4a330c372a" /][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a]'s superb record against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ipswich/thqhB2MB/"]Ipswich[/a][/h2][image alt="Ipswich v Liverpool - Recent head-to-head record" id="028675e2-cc70-4c94-b914-57f76de4bc19" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="037539ac-bd1f-41ed-b90f-d7e0f70d750b" original-width="2160" original-height="2702" /][p]He'll want his players to lean into their enviable record against Ipswich, which has seen them win all four of their last encounters by an aggregate score of 17-1.[/p][p]In fact, Liverpool are unbeaten at Portman Road in their six Premier League matches there (W4, D2), which is the most matches that they've ever played at one away ground without losing.[/p][p]The Merseysiders also haven't lost in 20 games against newly promoted sides (W15, D5), though the last time that they did lose against a team that had just come up (March 2023), it was a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bournemouth/OtpNdwrc/"]Bournemouth[/a] side managed by O'Neil.[/p][p]How the Ipswich manager would love for lightning to strike twice.[/p][h2]No clean sheets in 21 for the hosts[/h2][p]Although the hosts haven't won successive home games in the Premier League since January 2002, they are unbeaten in their last 18 games at home, taking into account their Championship fixtures in 2025/26, and Liverpool haven't won in their last six matches (D4, L2).[/p][p]It's a match that also promises goals, given that Ipswich haven't managed to keep a clean sheet in their last 21 Premier League games, and only one in their last 36, which came in a 2-0 victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] in December 2024.[/p][image alt="Ipswich's current Premier League position" id="490314e5-39c9-4b07-9779-b027203ced97" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="668c211c-7747-43a0-b8b5-45713bc591a4" original-width="2160" original-height="2702" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/isak-alexander/p41IV42c/"]Alexander Isak[/a], who was recently amongst the goals for Liverpool, has scored four in his two appearances against Ipswich, all of which came whilst he was playing for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Newcastle United[/a].[/p][p]As three of those came in a hat-trick, he ended up, incredibly, as the second joint top scorer at Portman Road last season behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/delap-liam/6cfkytBh/"]Liam Delap[/a].[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wirtz-florian/0Q5gjImi/"]Wirtz[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fataw-issahaku/bZdUUhdL/"]Fatawu[/a] the danger men[/h2][p]He'll want to add to those on Friday, and with Florian Wirtz already having made 11 line-breaking passes this season (only [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandes-bruno/GYvAMDm2/"]Bruno Fernandes[/a] has more - 13), there's every chance that the Swede and the German can together can penetrate the hosts' defence.[/p][p]For Ipswich, they'll be relying on the excellence of Abdul Fatawu, who has created more chances (five), played more passes (nine) and won more one-on-ones (14) than any of his colleagues.[/p][embed guid="61a3d3e4-ecbe-4002-a499-e8299d8b8662" url="https://x.com/IpswichTown/status/2094371613084959202" social-type="twitter" /][p]His 120 pressures applied are second only to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/enciso-julio/f19S9MEi/"]Julio Enciso[/a], too, so Iraola will be keen to ensure that his influence is diluted in this game.[/p][h2]Win needed for draw-specialist Iraola[/h2][p]Iraola became the master of drawing games whilst he was at Bournemouth, and the Cherries actually ended last season with 18, which was the most in the whole of the Premier League and at least four more than any other team, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/leeds/tUxUbLR2/"]Leeds[/a] having the second most (14).[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/ipswich-thqhB2MB/liverpool-lId4TMwf/?mid=CIuslOyP"]Follow Ipswich Town v Liverpool with Flashscore![/a][/b][/p][p]That he's started his Anfield tenure with two more isn't necessarily a concern, but he will need to start converting those shared points into wins as he gets his feet further under the table.[/p][p]For O'Neil, just ensuring some stability for Ipswich, so that they don't become a 'yo-yo' club, has to be the aim this season.[/p][image alt="Ipswich v Liverpool - win probability" id="a2680d2c-02f4-436a-b222-2e0f1e785b27" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="318a46d4-0ca1-43f9-8dc6-53ad831d9ad2" original-width="2160" original-height="2702" /][p]Even a 17th-place finish might be acceptable as it would allow them to consolidate for at least one more campaign, and potentially build from that position.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/taylor-jack/tGd5gpeR/"]Jack Taylor[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/philogene-bidace-jaden/YV4xT3YE/"]Jadon Philogene[/a] will miss this one for Ipswich, with all of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/emersonn/48J66oWK/"]Emersonn[/a], Florentino Luis and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/matusiwa-azor/Q5uPXvlA/"]Azor Matusiwa[/a] facing late fitness tests to determine their availability.[/p][p]For Liverpool, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bradley-conor/GM6fgd0p/"]Conor Bradley[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ekitike-hugo/ltVXPlJU/"]Hugo Ekitike[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gomez-joe/SKt9dxk8/"]Joe Gomez[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leoni-giovanni/GdON0JjJ/"]Giovanni Leoni[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/danns-jayden/Q7DEw71b/"]Jayden Danns[/a] are out, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chiesa-federico/jHMlMUC4/"]Federico Chiesa[/a] rated as 50/50 to play some part in the match.[/p][infobox id="8a8311c3-81b3-440e-8b49-36091db073d1" /]