Ipswich vs Nottingham Forest: Two Sides Chasing Different Things at Portman Road
Ipswich sit tenth after a busy start; Forest are 19th, winless in their last three and yet to score at home in the league.
Ipswich Town host Nottingham Forest at Portman Road on Friday (kick-off 19:00 UTC) in Premier League Gameweek 8, with the two clubs sitting at opposite ends of the early-season picture.
Where they stand
Per Sports Mole's preview, Ipswich are 10th with nine points from seven matches (three wins, four defeats), having scored 11 and conceded 15. They are one point behind sixth-placed Brentford. Torch's own data has their recent form as LWLWL, currently on a one-match losing run: a 2-1 home win over Fulham on 10 October was followed by a 3-2 defeat at Manchester City.
Forest are 19th with five points from seven (one win, two draws, four defeats), and Torch's data has them on three straight league losses, the latest a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal after a 3-1 loss at Crystal Palace. Sports Mole notes they have the fewest goals in the league this season (five) and, remarkably, have not scored in a Premier League game at home. Their last win was on 12 September, away at Aston Villa.
The history
The head-to-head leans Forest's way. Sports Mole reports that Ipswich have not beaten Forest since December 2017, and that Forest have won five of the last six meetings, including a 4-2 win at Portman Road in March 2025.
Team news
Team news is not confirmed, so treat what follows as expectation rather than fact. Sports Mole expects Ipswich boss Gary O'Neil to largely keep the side that lost at City, with Sasa Lukic (groin) expected to be cleared but not confirmed. For Forest, the preview says Oliver Glasner is hopeful Morgan Gibbs-White (muscle problem) can start, while Igor Jesus (calf) and Nicolo Savona (knee) are out. Liam Delap is expected to lead the line.
What to watch
The numbers frame the contest neatly: an Ipswich side that has scored regularly but also conceded plenty, against a Forest team that struggles to score at all. Forest's home goal drought makes this a chance to find the net away from the City Ground, but they are also short of recent results. For Ipswich, a win would be a rare one against this opponent and would help them stay in touch with the top half.
Sports Mole's own forecast is a tight 1-1 draw — a prediction, not a certainty. The next fixtures after this are away at Hull City and home to Bournemouth for Ipswich, according to the same preview.