Ipswich v Manchester City: Premier League – Live | Premier League

Ipswich 0-2 Manchester City (Kovacic, 30)

29 min: It’s a big blow for Ipswich, who had been holding out. City had a good few minutes of possession. Foden is certainly back in form for his club now, after a very slow start to the season.

GOAL! Ipswich 0-1 Manchester City (Foden, 27)

25 minutes: O’Shea then rises highest from the corner – also from the left – but his header is simple enough for Ederson to save. A couple of really good chances for Ipswich go by.

24 min: Davis puts it back for Hutchinson from the free-kick and the winger’s left-footed shot is clipped away for a corner. It wasn’t a million miles away.

22 min: Tell you what, Ipswich can play some zippy stuff when the mood takes them. Clarke looks sharp in the inside left zone and Delap is busy with the City defense – he wins another free-kick.

20 minutes: Gundogan almost collects Foden’s shot, tries to take it into his stride and spin towards goal…and he was not far from doing it.

“10 more years, 10 more years, Erling Haaland,” reads the latest bid from the City supporters.

19 min: Leif Davis wastes a good position after driving down the Ipswich left, his cross too close to Ederson, who catches. Doku then gets City a corner.

Match reports from earlier FYI:

17 min: Ipswich are getting a bit sloppy and that is creating chances for the visitors. This time it falls to Kovacic, who leans back too much and sweeps his effort over the bar. Warning signs for the hosts!

16 min: Great save from Walton! Haaland was released by Kovacic and was one on one, but the Ipswich keeper came out and rose to punch it away. He then saves from Doku’s effort after the resulting corner kick.

15 minutes: “Who the hell is Man United?” is the chant of City’s traveling contingent at the corner of Portman Road.

Answer: The 13th best team in the league.

13 min: It feels like a pattern has already been established in this game and it goes like this:

Town edge forward with some neat and tidy passing and attempts to break down Ipswich; Ipswich sit on the edge of their area; then the hosts burst into space down the flanks looking for a quick counter.

11 min: My thoughts on David’s email below is that Haaland’s big bumper contract is a statement of intent from a club coming under fire over financial fair play. Nothing to see here! Of course, we’ll soon find out if that’s the case or not. Tying Haaland down long-term is not something a club would do if they believed they would be forced into relegation or even a large points deduction. Or is it all just smoke and mirrors?

8 min: Jack Clarke’s dancing feet get Ipswich away and move through the middle where Delap then tries to cut inside, only for City to rush their body back to block. Haaland then steams off in the break, but City have stalled. End to end!

Some thoughts and questions from reader David Wall on Erling Haaland’s mega deal:

Does Haaland’s new contract make it harder for Liverpool to re-sign Salah? As the outstanding striker in the league at the moment, Salah can rightfully ask for equivalence with the top earner in the league (and not just the top earner at Liverpool). Of course, he won’t expect a similar contract length, but he might be asking Liverpool to stretch to half a million a week as a sign that they really value him. You’d think Liverpool could never agree to that. Is the announcement of Haaland’s contract now, as opposed to the end of the season, a bit of a fuss from City, or is it just a happy side effect that it could hurt their rivals for next season?

6 min: Nunes actually plays at right-back (ish), with Josko Gvardiol in his usual left-back role. The former runs out of grass and tries to latch on to a De Bruyne through ball.

5 minutes: Ipswich are a team full of big boys and you suspect they will be backing themselves from set pieces today.

It’s now City’s turn to send it around, with Ipswich seemingly not afraid to push high.

3 minutes: Ipswich get an early joy down the right where Godfrey and Hutchinson combine to turn Nunes over. A sloppy mistake from the Portuguese then gives the hosts a corner kick.

2 minutes: The home side are knocking around with a good amount of confidence in the opening minute or so before Delap wins the first free-kick of the game. Good strength from him.

KICK OFF

McKenna has changed three of his usual five back, including giving Ben Godfrey – on loan from Atalanta – a debut for this one.

We’re ready to rock and roll on a packed Portman Road.

An email has dropped from the aptly named Kieran McKintosh:

From that scene A new hope where Vader and Obi-Wan fight and Vader says, ‘When I left you I was but the learner. Now I’m the champion’ comes to mind ahead of this match. Ipswich, beaten 4-1 at the Etihad, now look much more likely to give City a run for their money. Especially with Delap, Prem’s answer to Luke Skywalker, having a point to prove.

I also enjoyed this from Peter Oh who said: “It’s +-=÷× £$€¥¢ the derby!”

Guardiola tells the TV cameras that “it doesn’t matter how we do it”, he is just desperate to pick up three points today. It’s a far cry from the football philosopher we used to know, isn’t it?

The return of Rúben Dias to the defense is a definite advantage for City, while it will be interesting to see the composition of the rest of the back four (or three?). Matheus Nunes at left back? Ilkay Gündogan drops deep? We’ll see.

The match reports from these matches at 14.00 will roll in soon, but at Portman Road, kick-off is getting ever closer. It feels like the classic big men clash this afternoon with Liam Delap having to prove a point against his former employers, while Erling Haaland will be keen to put down a marker and justify the new 65-year contract City have given him .

Full time results:

An ordinary day with Barclay’s, that’s all I ask for…

It’s bizarre to look at the Premier League table and see Manchester City in eighth place.

The only consolation for City fans is that United (who lose again – shock!) are marooned down in 13.. City can climb to fifth today, maybe even fourth if they secure a big win.

Since 2022, Jaden Philogene has been loaned from Aston Villa to Stoke, loaned from Aston Villa to Cardiff, sold by Aston Villa to Hull, terminated by Aston Villa and then sold by Aston Villa to Ipswich. He is on the bench and could make his debut for Kieran McKenna’s side today after completing a January transfer to East Anglia.

Good video, this one. Phylogeny etc. etc.

Nice stuff, this. Jonny Liew on Liam Delap.

While Ipswich against Man City may have seemed like it could be the league’s biggest mismatch at the start of the campaign, the two teams are just one point apart in the current form table.

The Tractor Boys seem to have found their feet a little too late, while City’s struggles are far from over, despite going unbeaten in their last four in all competitions. Pep Guardiola’s side should of course be heavy favorites this afternoon, but they may not have it all their own way.

Confirmed team news

Well, there has been no shortage of action in the previous games. In one more surprise noBrighton scored early at Manchester United and Nottingham Forest stormed into the lead against struggling Southampton … while Everton’s three-goal haul in 45 minutes at home is much more of a shocker – especially for Spurs.

Follow it all with Rob Smyth.

Preamble