Ipswich vs Aston Villa: Match preview, predicted line-ups, head-to-head record, key players, and match prediction

Aston Villa travel to newly-promoted Ipswich Town this weekend as they look to continue their impressive start to the season. Villa have four wins from five in the Premier League so far, and sit third in the table, while the Tractor Boys sit just outside the relegation zone having drawn two and lost three of their opening five games. The game is live on Sky Sports (2 pm kick-off) on Sunday 29th September.

Head-to-head record

Thanks to Aston Villa Statto (@AVFCStatto) you can see the recent history between the two sides. Villa hold a positive recent record against Ipswich having won three and lost just one of their previous meetings. Each of those five games came in the Championship, and the two teams have not met since 2019 when a Tammy Abraham double helped secure a win just before the incredible run to an ultimately successful play-off campaign. The last time these two teams faced off at Portman Road, they played out a 1-1 draw after Jonathan Kodjia had opened the scoring for the visitors.

In terms of Premier League meetings between the two sides, they have met ten times since the Premier League's modern formation in 1992. Villa have won seven of those meetings and Ipswich just the one. The two teams have not come up against one another in the top flight for 22 years.

Ipswich slowly adapting to life back in the Premier League

Despite not winning a game yet this season, Ipswich Town and their fans will be fairly happy with how the team have started their first Premier League campaign since 2002. Their only two losses of the season so far came fairly expectedly after coming up against Liverpool and Manchester City in their first two games. Since then, Ipswich has shown some good quality and has been unlucky not to have achieved their first victory. Hard-fought draws against Fulham, Brighton and fellow Premier League new boys Southampton were both good points gained but also some opportunities missed.

Conceding just two goals in their last three games, and with one clean sheet to their name, the Ipswich defence has been resolute in their approach and been difficult to break down. Like many clubs that achieve promotion from the Championship, however, Ipswich have so far struggled to score goals and have only hit the back of the net three times so far. Ipswich maintain the lowest shots per 90 minutes across the Premier League so far averaging just 7.6 shots per game. Compare this to Villa, who averages 12.4 shots per game, there is a big gap in attacking threat between the two teams.

Team news

There is a fresh injury concern for Villa centre-half Diego Carlos. The Brazilian was named on the bench for the midweek trip to Wycombe Wanderers, but he pulled out of the game after feeling a niggle during the warm-up. It is unlikely he will be a part of the squad for Sunday's game.

He therefore joins captain John McGinn on the sidelines, who will be out for several weeks with a hamstring injury. Matty Cash will not be ready for the trip to East Anglia but is nearing full recovery following his thigh injury picked up around a month ago. Jaden Philogene will also remain out through injury. Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings are not yet ready to be a part of the matchday squad but will hope to be in the next two weeks.

For Ipswich, Nathan Broadhead picked up a hamstring injury during pre-season and was made available for selection last weekend. The 26-year-old wasn't named in the match day squad but will push to be a part of proceedings this week. Kalvin Phillips is a doubt for this weekend's game after having to miss last weekend's clash with Southampton with a minor thigh injury.

Key players to watch

For Aston Villa, Ollie Watkins appears to be starting to hit the heights that Villa fans know he is capable of. After a slow start this season, Watkins has three goals in his last two games and despite admitting he is still not 100% fit, he is looking sharp and deadly once again in front of goal. The England international historically has a habit of going a few games without a goal before then going on a long goalscoring run and this feels like the start of a good streak for last season's Premier League Playmaker of the Season.

Ian Maatsen will be hoping that after several positive cameos from the substitute bench and a solid performance in Tuesday's victory over Wycombe Wanderers, he will be in line to start at Portman Road. Against a team that has not possessed much of an attacking threat so far this season, Villa may look to be more attacking with their full-back options and the Dutch international could come in for Lucas Digne. Should he do so, I would expect Maatsen will be keen to create opportunities down the left with his pace and dribbling ability whilst overlapping the likes of Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Rogers. The £37.5 million signing from Chelsea this summer is yet to start a league game for Villa.

For Ipswich Town, the goal threat will heavily rely upon Liam Delap. Signed from Manchester City for a fee in the region of £15 million in the summer, Delap has one goal to his name so far this season and it was a stunning goal in the team's draw at home to Fulham. Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna says, "He's getting better, getting stronger and learning" and his raw talent could pose problems for a Villa team yet to keep a clean sheet in the Premier League this season.

Another name from the Ipswich line-up that has impressed so far this season is Omari Hutchinson. Although he has yet been unable to register a goal or an assist this season, the winger has looked sharp and consistently performed at a good level so far. The young Jamaican international was one of the stand-out players for Ipswich in the Championship last season, scoring 10 goals and producing six assists in 44 games. He was awarded with Ipswich Town's Young Player of the Season. He will look to cause the likes of Maatsen and Bogarde problems with his dribbling ability.

Predicted line-ups

Aston Villa: Martinez, Nedeljkovic, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen, Tielemans, Onana, Rogers, Ramsey, Bailey, Watkins

Ipswich Town: Muric, Davis, Greaves, O'Shea, Tuanzebe, Cajuste, Morsy, Burns, Hutchinson, Szmodics, Delap

Match prediction

I would expect Aston Villa to dominate the ball for large periods of the game, and with the quality they possess in the attacking areas, they should be more than capable of winning this game. Villa have won both of their away games in the league so far and this game, against a team yet to win this season, should represent a good chance to maintain their 100% away record.

Ipswich 1-2 Aston Villa (Watkins x2)

UTV