At 22:00 on August 24th, Manchester City will host Ipswich Town in the second round of the 2024/25 Premier League season. Manchester City are the reigning Premier League champions, while Ipswich Town secured promotion to the top flight as the second-place finisher in the Championship. In terms of strength, there is a clear disparity between the two sides. Manchester City’s squad is valued at €1.31 billion, while Ipswich Town’s squad is valued at just €133 million.
In their opening match, Manchester City defeated Chelsea 2-0 with goals from Haaland and Kovačić. However, City were missing several key players from last season, with Rodri not even making the matchday squad, and Foden starting on the bench. Pep Guardiola boldly opted for a 3-back system, leaving Aké, Stones, and Walker on the sidelines. From the performance, it was clear that this Manchester City team lacked the dominance they displayed in previous seasons. The tactical shift, however, unexpectedly unlocked the potential of former Chelsea midfielder Kovačić. The Croatian midfielder was impressive with his passing, dribbling, attacking, and defending, making him a worthy replacement for Rodri. New signing Savio also impressed, narrowly missing out on scoring his first goal for the club.
Ipswich Town, despite their status as newly promoted, have significantly strengthened their squad over the summer, making them a team no one can take lightly. They have spent nearly €90 million, bringing in Hutchinson for €23.5 million, defender Greaves from Hull City for €21.5 million, and signing Phillips on loan from Manchester City. They have also signed Johnson, a winger who was previously at West Ham. It is clear that Ipswich are not planning to follow the path of the three previous promoted teams and face immediate relegation. In their opening game against Liverpool, they demonstrated an unyielding spirit and fearlessness in the first half. However, throughout the match, McKenna’s team struggled to cope with the high intensity and physicality of the Premier League. Their attack lacked structure and their defense was disorganized, a far cry from the “3D surround-sound attack” they showcased in the Championship.
Prior to this match, Manchester City welcomed back their captain from their treble-winning season, İlkay Gündoğan. The German’s unexpected return is a significant boost for Guardiola, providing another option alongside Rodri. In this summer transfer window, Manchester City have taken a different approach, focusing on efficient player departures rather than frenzied acquisitions. They sold Alvarez to Atlético Madrid for over €90 million and also let go of several academy players. They generated almost €120 million in transfer income, a surprising move for a club like Manchester City. However, this indicates that their squad is already exceptionally strong and does not require major overhauls.
Ipswich manager McKenna narrowly missed out on replacing Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford. As a former Manchester United assistant manager, he has led Ipswich to two promotions in three years, demonstrating his exceptional coaching abilities. While facing the world-renowned Pep Guardiola, Ipswich may not have a guaranteed victory, but they will certainly not surrender without a fight.
According to statistics, the two teams have met 57 times in history, with Manchester City winning 19, drawing 14, and losing 24. This is quite surprising, as Manchester City actually have a worse head-to-head record against Ipswich. However, their last encounter was in the FA Cup in the 2001/02 season. They have only met twice in the Premier League, with Manchester City losing both games to Ipswich. At that time, Manchester City were still considered a mid-table or even lower-level team in the Premier League, so losing to Ipswich was not unexpected. Now, Manchester City have evolved into a world-class team, and the current situation is vastly different. One team is reaching for the stars, while the other is looking to make a splash in the Premier League.
Ahead of the game, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola stated: “Gündoğan will be in the squad for this match. Rodri’s fitness is not yet at its peak. Savio is recovering well and his availability will be assessed. He also mentioned that unless there are any unforeseen circumstances, such as injuries, Manchester City’s transfer activity for this summer is essentially over.” Ipswich manager McKenna commented: “Manchester City are the best team, and this is a great opportunity to test his team. Ipswich have always been the team that puts the most pressure on their opponents in the attacking third, whether it’s in League One or the Championship. This may be difficult to achieve against Manchester City. However, the defeat in the previous game provided valuable experience and lessons for the team.”
While several key players are doubtful, Manchester City appear to be finding solutions for their “Rodri dependency.” Ipswich have started their season with a lack of luck against strong opponents, but McKenna is determined not to let his team submit without a fight.
>>”>For more prediction schemes for this game, please click >>>
This article is from a user submission and does not represent the views of Soccer News Pick. If you repost it, please indicate the source: https://www.soccernewspick.com/premier-league/21965.html
