Ipswich squander chances, but keep climbing the table | OneFootball

Ipswich Town picked up a convincing 4-1 win away at Swansea last Saturday, keeping their four-game unbeaten run alive and moving to just two points off the play-off places in seventh in the Championship table, with a game in hand over Blackburn Rovers.

It’s been an impressive run, including a 4-1 win at QPR, a 1-0 home victory against West Bromwich, and a 1-1 draw with Watford.

Yet, despite this momentum, the Blues also top a less flattering chart this season: most big chances missed across England's top four tiers, with 31 squandered opportunities.

George Hirst leads the way for the Tractor Boys with nine, while Ivan Azon has seven, and Sammie Szmdics and Marcelino Nunes have three apiece. Only Middlesbrough’s Tommy Conway (10) has missed more in the league.

According to Opta, a “big chance” is a situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score - usually a one-on-one, a very close-range shot, a penalty, or a clear path to goal under low to moderate pressure. While Ipswich have missed some sitters, the stat also highlights how many opportunities they are creating.

Kieran McKenna's have 26 goals from 14 games - joint-second in the Championship behind Coventry’s 40 - and their xG of 27.58 suggests they’re performing largely in line with expectations. With their current form, those near-misses may soon turn into more goals and more wins.