Key events
Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
Some thoughts and questions from reader David Wall on Erling Haaland’s mega-deal:
Does Haaland’s new contract make it more difficult for Liverpool to re-sign Salah? As the outstanding forward in the league at the moment Salah might justifiably 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 length of contract but he might be asking Liverpool to stretch to half a million a week as a sign they really value him. You’d think Liverpool could never agree to that. Is announcing Haaland’s contract now, as opposed to the end of the season, a bit of mischief from City, or is it just a happy side effect that it might harm their rivals for next season?
6 min: Nunes is actually playing as a right-back (ish), with Josko Gvardiol in his usual left-back role. The former runs out of grass trying to latch on to a De Bruyne through-ball.
5 min: Ipswich are a team brimming with big lads and you suspect they’ll be backing themselves from set pieces today.
It’s now City’s turn to pass it around, with Ipswich seemingly unafraid to press high.
3 min: Ipswich get some early joy down their right, where Godfrey and Hutchinson combine and turn Nunes around. A sloppy mistake from the Portuguese then allows the hosts a corner.
2 min: The home side knock it around with a good degree of confidence in the opening minute or so, before Delap wins the first free-kick of the game. Good strength from him.
KICK OFF
After a minute’s silence applause in memory of Denis Law, we get under way.
City, all in burgundy, kick us off. There’s plenty of noise from the stands on what feels like a pretty big occasion for the town of Ipswich.
Guardiola is well wrapped up in a fluffy scarf on the touchline. It’s a chilly old day in East Anglia.
McKenna has changed three of his usual back five, including giving Ben Godfrey – on loan from Atalanta – a debut for this one.
We’re ready to rock and roll at a packed-out Portman Road.
An email has dropped from the well-named Kieran McKintosh:
That scene from A New Hope where Vader and Obi-Wan fight and Vader says: ‘When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the master’ comes to mind ahead of this match. Ipswich, thrashed 4-1 at the Etihad, now look a lot more like giving City a run for their money. Especially with Delap, the 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. That’s a far cry from the football philosopher we used to know, isn’t it?
The return of Rúben Dias to the defence is a definite boon for City, while it will be interesting to see the makeup of the rest of the back four (or three?). Matheus Nunes at left-back? Ilkay Gündogan dropping deep? We’ll see.
The match reports from those 2pm games will be rolling in soon, but at Portman Road kickoff is drawing ever closer. It feels like the battle of the classic big men this afternoon with Liam Delap gunning to prove a point against his former employers, while Erling Haaland will be keen to lay a marker down and justify that new 65-year contract City have given him.
Full time results:
-One regular day of Barclay’s, that’s all I ask for …
It’s bizarre to take a look at the Premier League table and see Manchester City in eighth.
The only consolation for City fans is that United (who are losing again – shock!) are marooned down in 13th. City could climb to fifth today, maybe even fourth if they secure a hefty 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, resigned by Aston Villa and then sold by Aston Villa to Ipswich. He’s 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. Philo-gene etc etc.
Lovely stuff, this. Jonny Liew on Liam Delap.
While Ipswich versus Man City may have seemed like it could be the league’s biggest mismatch at the outset of the campaign, the two teams are just a point apart in the current form table.
The Tractor Boys seem to have found their feet somewhat of late, while City’s struggles are far from over, despite going unbeaten in their past four in all competitions. Pep Guardiola’s side ought to be big favourites this afternoon, of course, but they might not have everything their own way.
Confirmed team news
Ipswich: Walton; Godfrey, O’Shea, Burgess; Johnson, Cajuste, Morsy, Davis; Hutchinson, Clarke, Delap.
Subs: Muric, Burns, Taylor, Townsend, Luongo, Hirst, Broadhead, Tuanzebe, Philogene.
Manchester City: Ederson; Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Nunes; Kovacic, Gundogan, De Bruyne; Docker, Holland, Foden.
Subs: Ortega, Grealish, Bernardo, Savinho, Mubama, Alleyne, O’Reilly, Lewis, McAtee.
Well, there’s been no shortage of action in the earlier games. In a surprise to nobodyBrighton scored early at Manchester United and Nottingham Forest stormed into the lead against suffering 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
Welcome! Manchester City have taken an upturn in recent weeks after being absolutely ruddy awful for a surprisingly long time. They’ve been boosted by Erling Haaland signing his life away this week and the fact lots of players are lined up to join the club.
Ipswich are in the drop-zone but have surprised some of the big hitters and beat Chelsea at Portman Road last month. Kieran McKenna must have taken some influence from Pep Guardiola, judging by his style of play and will be eager to test him against the Catalan once more. The same can be said of Liam Delap who looks like a cracking No 9 and was moulded in the City academy before being sold of to the Tractor Boys.
Here’s to a cracker this afternoon!
Kick-off: 4.30pm GMT
