Why Norwich City should be licking their lips ahead of Ipswich Town | OneFootball

Norwich City haven't lost to bitter rivals Ipswich Town since 2009, which will inspire confidence for Canaries fans ahead of next weekend's clash.

The first East Anglian derby of the 2025/26 season is now less than a week away, and despite Norwich City fans having been largely uninspired by their side so far this season, one key statistic will inspire confidence in a fanbase that is sorely lacking in it right now.

The Canaries have yet to truly take off so far this season.

The Norfolk-based outfit has won two, drawn two and lost three of their opening seven Championship matches so far, with a 1-1 draw away to Stoke, where they faced immense pressure throughout the match, being their most recent result.

Whilst this most recent result means that they remain undefeated away from home in all competitions at this stage, they have yet to pick up a single point at home, which has divided the opinions of supporters.

This has resulted in manager Liam Manning, who guided Bristol City to a play-off place last season, coming under some scrutiny from fans of the club, who have been frustrated with their displays and results at Carrow Road.

A midweek fixture at home to West Brom will provide Manning with an early opportunity to turn fan opinions around, but it is their match away to bitter rivals Ipswich Town next Sunday which will matter most to Canaries fans.

With confidence sorely lacking around the club right now, there remains one shining glimmer of hope that Canaries fans will carry into the derby next weekend.

Norwich City haven't lost to Ipswich Town since 2009

Norwich fans will hold on to the fact that they haven't been defeated by their closest rivals since April 2009 as they head into Sunday's fixture.

It was a 3-2 defeat at Portman Road in April 2009 when the Canaries last suffered defeat to Ipswich, with goals from Alan Quinn, Giovani Dos Santos and Jon Stead giving the Tractor Boys their last three points against Norwich over 16 years ago.

Canaries fans will no doubt be desperate to keep this record intact ahead of the fixture, and will no doubt be reminding rival fans of such a record.

Ipswich are likely to head into the game as favourites, having suffered relegation from the Premier League last season and boasting a squad more than capable of challenging for the league title.

Norwich were not shy about spending this summer either, bringing in the likes of Mathias Kvistgaarden, Papa Amadou Diallo, Mirko Topic and Pelle Mattsson, among others, for multi-million pound fees.

With Norwich yet to get up and running this campaign, there will be an air of confidence and doubt on both sides, with the Canaries' superior head-to-head record and away form likely to play a part in the outcome of this fixture.

Norwich City fans will be reminding Ipswich Town of their superior record ahead of the derby

Norwich fans will, without a doubt, be taking any opportunity they can to flaunt their head-to-head record over Ipswich fans, and this week will be different.

Lacking full confidence in manager Manning will likely mean that Canaries fans will hold doubts ahead of the two sides' clash, and will use this week as maybe a final opportunity to remind Ipswich fans of their record against them.

Indeed, whilst Norwich have been the more successful of the two sides over the last 16 years, their head-to-head clash over all-time remains even, with each side having won 43 times and drawn 23 times.

If there were to be a winner in the fixture this weekend, it would not only provide bragging rights up until their next match in April, it would also mean that whoever were to win would also be the most successful in the derby of all time.

With both sides desperate for victory, as ever, the winner takes it all.