🔊 Can Ipswich Town wrap up their stay in the English Premier League with a victory? They're up against West Ham, a team with a decent squad but plenty of on-field issues. This gives the "Tractor Boys" a chance to delight the crowd at Portman Road, even though they aren't the favorites. We'll explore various scenarios to make a well-founded prediction.

Head-to-Head

📊 The only head-to-head encounter between these teams took place in October during the first round of the current competition. West Ham secured a comfortable victory on their home turf, winning 4-1. By the sixth minute, both sides had already found the net. From then on, it was all about the Hammers, who could have won by an even larger margin if not for Arijanet Muric, who made nine saves.

Ipswich Town Team Overview

🚜 Ipswich Town have struggled to step up to the next level. They've stuck to their style of play that brought them success in the Championship. As a result, they've conceded many goals, although they outscored two other underperformers this season. While Leicester and Southampton wrap up their seasons on a relatively positive note, Ipswich can only boast draws against Chelsea (2-2) and Everton (2-2) over the past month and a half.

🔗 In the last round, they visited Leicester, who were bidding farewell to Vardy. Ipswich conceded a goal in each half, suffering a 0-2 defeat. However, they were at least as good as their opponents, evidenced by 20 shots on goal and expected goals statistics favoring Ipswich. But the scoreline tells the story.

❗ Ipswich's standout player is Liam Delap. Despite the team's relegation to the Championship, the 22-year-old forward is likely to remain in the Premier League. There is demand for him, with Manchester United considered favorites to secure his signature. This season, the Englishman has netted 12 goals (a third of Ipswich's total). Only Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest) has scored more. However, Delap last found the back of the net in early April. Since then, he hasn't always started, possibly to avoid injury before a potential transfer. As a result, he has dropped out of the Premier League's top 10 scorers, falling to 16th place. Nevertheless, he still has something to prove at Portman Road.

West Ham United Team Overview

⚒ West Ham had to endure a lengthy wait for their first win in the spring portion of the Premier League. It took nine rounds before they managed to defeat Manchester United at Old Trafford with a 2-0 victory. This triumph allowed them to surpass not only the Red Devils but also Tottenham in the standings. However, the season remains a challenging one for the Hammers.

🔗 In their last outing, West Ham had a chance to claim points against Nottingham Forest. Yet, a more driven opponent found the net twice by the hour mark. It was only then that the Hammers were allowed to seize the initiative. Late in the game, Jarrod Bowen managed to reduce the deficit, but it was not enough (1-2).

❗ As captain, Jarrod Bowen is nearly single-handedly carrying West Ham. Over a stretch of seven matches, he has scored five goals and provided two assists, despite not being a traditional forward. His goals often prove crucial in securing points. Unsurprisingly, the England international boasts the highest rating on his team for the season at 7.1. Additionally, he is their top scorer with 12 goals.

Latest news

Ipswich Town

🎙 Following the defeat to Leicester, Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna stated he has no intention of leaving the club despite the loss. He also mentioned his efforts to persuade Liam Delap to remain with the team.

📝 Ipswich Town have not obstructed Liam Delap from negotiating with other clubs. He has already met with representatives from Manchester United to discuss potential collaboration. Arsenal and Chelsea may also express interest in the player.

❌ Ipswich are dealing with a considerable number of injured players. Recent matches have highlighted the absence of Arijanet Muric in goal. The team could also be influenced by players like Kalvin Phillips, Jaden Philogene-Bidace, and Sammie Szmodics. There are also less prominent players on the injury list.

West Ham United

🎙 Jarrod Bowen believes West Ham let their fans down in the match against Nottingham Forest: "We wanted to finish the season on a high note for the supporters who have backed us all season, even though it’s been a disappointing one. We feel like we let them down today."

📝 In the upcoming fixture, Danny Ings, Vladimir Coufal, Aaron Cresswell, and Lukasz Fabianski are expected to see playing time as they bid farewell to West Ham.

❌ However, Michail Antonio and Crysencio Summerville will definitely not feature, as they have been sidelined for some time.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The match will be officiated by Tim Robinson, who has taken charge of 15 Premier League games this season. On average, he hands out 4.47 yellow cards per match, although in only 2 of his last 9 games has he shown more than four cautions.

On average, matches involving these teams see around four yellow cards. The upcoming fixture is expected to be quite disciplined. However, not all recent games have been marked by a low number of bookings. For instance, in the last round, West Ham and Nottingham Forest combined for nine yellow cards, and in 4 of West Ham's last 5 games, there have been at least three cards. In this context, a bet on total yellow cards over 2 seems reasonable.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

The game holds no significant tournament implications. Therefore, it's unlikely that the teams will play defensively. We're likely to see plenty of attacking opportunities from both sides. Additionally, in 6 of the last 7 matches at Portman Road, at least three goals have been scored. In their first-round head-to-head, West Ham alone surpassed this mark. Thus, a potential bet could be on total goals over 2.5.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Both teams enter the match with a trend towards fewer corners. West Ham have recorded no more than five corners in 10 consecutive away matches. The same applies to Ipswich in their last eight rounds. Therefore, a bet on total corners under 10.5 emerges as a logical choice.

For both teams, the upcoming match is a chance to end a disappointing season on a high note, and we believe they'll focus on attacking play. We're backing over 2.5 goals, which has hit in six of Ipswich's last seven home Premier League games. West Ham's trend of matches with both teams finding the net also suggests a high likelihood of a goal-filled encounter.