Opposition Report: Ipswich stand in the way of a strong start | OneFootball

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Six games unbeaten to start 2026-27 for Everton, who have three wins under their belt.

Two of those have come in the League Cup, though, and as we prepare to head into the extended international break, Everton could really do with a victory to turn what has been a relatively decent start to the season into a strong one.

Ipswich Town visit Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, and here’s what to expect from the Tractor Boys.

LAST TIME OUT

Ipswich lost 4-2 to Premier League champions Arsenal at Portman Road on Tuesday, as Gary O’Neil’s team exited the League Cup.

That match rather summed up Ipswich as it stands. They can definitely offer a big threat going forward, but defensively, they are weak.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Everton have faced Ipswich on 61 occasions, and they have won 26 of those matches.

Ipswich have taken 15 wins from meetings with the Toffees, while there have been 20 draws.

Everton have only won one of their last six meetings with Ipswich, dating back to 2000, with that win coming at Portman Road in October 2024. The last match between these teams was in the penultimate game at Goodison Park, when the Tractor Boys came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2.

IPSWICH’S FORM

Here are Ipswich’s last six competitive results:

August 22nd: Ipswich Town 2-1 Sunderland

August 25th: Ipswich Town 3-1 Leicester City

August 30th: Manchester United 5-2 Ipswich Town

September 4th: Ipswich Town 0-2 Liverpool

September 12th: Crystal Palace 2-3 Ipswich Town

September 15th: Ipswich Town 2-4 Arsenal

ONE TO WATCH

Julio Enciso has been Ipswich’s standout performer this season, and he has previous against Everton, having netted a stunner in the 2-2 draw at Goodison Park.

Only Abdul Fatawu (7) has created more chances for Ipswich in the league this term than Enciso (5), who leads the Tractor Boys for shots, with 10.

Enciso is yet to score in the top flight this term, but he is likely to be up against Vitalii Mykolenko, meaning the Ukrainian will have to be at his sharpest.

Leif Davis offers a treat from left-back, while Zian Flemming — who netted on his Ipswich debut in their win at Crystal Palace — could prove a really astute signing.

WHAT CAN EVERTON TARGET?

O’Neil has never got the better of Moyes in the Premier League, and Everton should be setting out to make it five wins from five top-flight meetings for the Scot with the new Ipswich boss.

Ipswich have conceded 10 league goals so far, which ranks joint-second-worst, after Palace (11). That is despite Ipswich only giving up chances worth 6.7 xG, so the Tractor Boys have been unfortunate to ship as many goals as they have.

However, Everton’s creative players should be able to find enough space to craft those moments they need to beat a newly promoted team at home, and a team that, even with Everton’s small squad, the Toffees are better than.