Liverpool vs Ipswich LIVE commentary: Title-chasing Reds welcome relegation-strugglers to Anfield – kick-off time, team news and how to follow
Liverpool continue their pursuit of the Premier League title with a home tie against Ipswich this weekend, and it’s live on talkSPORT. The Reds have a six-point lead at the top of the table, with Arsenal and Nottingham Forest the closest challengers. Liverpool needed some Darwin Nunez heroics to ensure they beat BrentfordGetty However, it could have been a very different story for Arne Slot‘s men last time out. Liverpool were drawing with Brentford until stoppage time when Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score twice and secure another vital three points. Meanwhile, Ipswich are embroiled in a relegation battle and head into this one off the back of a brutal 6-0 home defeat to Manchester City. Liverpool vs Ipswich: Darwizzy There is no getting away from the fact Nunez is a frustrating player. The striker isn’t exactly clinical in front of goal and has found himself playing more of a bit-part role this season. Luis Diaz has become the favoured option to start up front, with Cody Gakpo in great form on the left. However, despite struggling to make too much impact so far this year, that double he scored in south west London could be huge. He will hope that performance also leads to more regular starts. Nunez has had a mixed season so far Liverpool have won their last three league games against Ipswich by an aggregate score of 13-0 – they last won four in a row against the Tractor Boys between 1963 and 1969. Ipswich have won two of their last three away league games against Liverpool, having failed to win any of their first 27 visits to Anfield beforehand (D8 L19). Their last visit ended in a 5-0 defeat on the final day of the 2001-02 season, however. Liverpool have won their last 10 Premier League home games against promoted sides by an aggregate score of 34-7 since a 1-0 loss to Fulham in March 2021. Liverpool vs Ipswich: Team news The Reds are definitely without Joe Gomez as he recovers from a hamstring injury. Diogo Jota is also looking unlikely to play with a muscle complaint. Curtis Jones faces a late fitness test after coming off at half time in midweek against Lille. For the visitors, Kalvin Phillips can return after being ineligible to face his parent club. However, Kieran McKenna is going to have to make do without Sammie Szmodics and Conor Chaplin. Chiedozie Ogbene has been ruled out for the season. But new man Julio Enciso could make his debut, having joined on loan from Brighton for the remainder of the season. Phillips should come back into the Ipswich starting XIGetty Liverpool remain unbeaten in their last 17 Premier League games (W12 D5), with their only defeat this season coming back in September (0-1 v Nottingham Forest). In Arne Slot’s case, it’s the longest unbeaten run any Liverpool manager has had in their first Football League season with the club since William Edward Barclay, who avoided defeat in all 28 games in the Reds’ first ever such campaign in 1893-94 (second tier). Liverpool have a higher xG total than any other side in the Premier League this season (50.2), while only Southampton (52.6) have a higher xG against than Ipswich (45.8). Only Crystal Palace (59%) have earned a higher proportion of their Premier League points this season in away games than Ipswich Town (56% – 9/16), who have earned two of their three league wins this term on the road (vs Tottenham in November & Wolves in December). Liverpool vs Ipswich: What has been said? Tuesday saw Mohamed Salah score his 50th European goal for Liverpool – the only player to do so. Speaking about the Egyptian’s latest achievement, Slot said: “Special is I think the word that describes most of Mo’s performance at this club the best. “Maybe, there are even better words to use, but he’s been outstanding for this club for so many years and still he does [it]. “Today, [it was] a great goal. If Mo goes on a one-v-one there’s a serious chance that he is going to score, but this goal we scored probably tells you a lot about why we are top of the league and why we are doing so well, because the work-rate from the players that won the ball back before Curtis [Jones] gave a great pass towards Mo, that tells you why we’re doing so well.” Salah continues to break recordsGetty Liverpool have conceded the first goal in each of their last three Premier League home games, last having a longer such run between January and April 2021 (7). Five of Cody Gakpo’s six Premier League goals for Liverpool have come in home games, with the forward netting in each of his last four such appearances at Anfield. Only two Dutchmen have scored in five in a row at home in the Premier League – Ruud van Nistelrooy (August 2003) and Robin van Persie twice (March 2012 and January 2013). Only Dominic Solanke (853) has applied more pressures than Ipswich’s Omari Hutchinson in the Premier League th
Liverpool continue their pursuit of the Premier League title with a home tie against Ipswich this weekend, and it’s live on talkSPORT.
The Reds have a six-point lead at the top of the table, with Arsenal and Nottingham Forest the closest challengers.
However, it could have been a very different story for Arne Slot‘s men last time out.
Liverpool were drawing with Brentford until stoppage time when Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score twice and secure another vital three points.
Meanwhile, Ipswich are embroiled in a relegation battle and head into this one off the back of a brutal 6-0 home defeat to Manchester City.
Liverpool vs Ipswich: Darwizzy
There is no getting away from the fact Nunez is a frustrating player.
The striker isn’t exactly clinical in front of goal and has found himself playing more of a bit-part role this season.
Luis Diaz has become the favoured option to start up front, with Cody Gakpo in great form on the left.
However, despite struggling to make too much impact so far this year, that double he scored in south west London could be huge.
He will hope that performance also leads to more regular starts.
- Liverpool have won their last three league games against Ipswich by an aggregate score of 13-0 – they last won four in a row against the Tractor Boys between 1963 and 1969.
- Ipswich have won two of their last three away league games against Liverpool, having failed to win any of their first 27 visits to Anfield beforehand (D8 L19). Their last visit ended in a 5-0 defeat on the final day of the 2001-02 season, however.
- Liverpool have won their last 10 Premier League home games against promoted sides by an aggregate score of 34-7 since a 1-0 loss to Fulham in March 2021.
Liverpool vs Ipswich: Team news
The Reds are definitely without Joe Gomez as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
Diogo Jota is also looking unlikely to play with a muscle complaint.
Curtis Jones faces a late fitness test after coming off at half time in midweek against Lille.
For the visitors, Kalvin Phillips can return after being ineligible to face his parent club.
However, Kieran McKenna is going to have to make do without Sammie Szmodics and Conor Chaplin.
Chiedozie Ogbene has been ruled out for the season.
But new man Julio Enciso could make his debut, having joined on loan from Brighton for the remainder of the season.
- Liverpool remain unbeaten in their last 17 Premier League games (W12 D5), with their only defeat this season coming back in September (0-1 v Nottingham Forest). In Arne Slot’s case, it’s the longest unbeaten run any Liverpool manager has had in their first Football League season with the club since William Edward Barclay, who avoided defeat in all 28 games in the Reds’ first ever such campaign in 1893-94 (second tier).
- Liverpool have a higher xG total than any other side in the Premier League this season (50.2), while only Southampton (52.6) have a higher xG against than Ipswich (45.8).
- Only Crystal Palace (59%) have earned a higher proportion of their Premier League points this season in away games than Ipswich Town (56% – 9/16), who have earned two of their three league wins this term on the road (vs Tottenham in November & Wolves in December).
Liverpool vs Ipswich: What has been said?
Tuesday saw Mohamed Salah score his 50th European goal for Liverpool – the only player to do so.
Speaking about the Egyptian’s latest achievement, Slot said: “Special is I think the word that describes most of Mo’s performance at this club the best.
“Maybe, there are even better words to use, but he’s been outstanding for this club for so many years and still he does [it].
“Today, [it was] a great goal. If Mo goes on a one-v-one there’s a serious chance that he is going to score, but this goal we scored probably tells you a lot about why we are top of the league and why we are doing so well, because the work-rate from the players that won the ball back before Curtis [Jones] gave a great pass towards Mo, that tells you why we’re doing so well.”
- Liverpool have conceded the first goal in each of their last three Premier League home games, last having a longer such run between January and April 2021 (7).
- Five of Cody Gakpo’s six Premier League goals for Liverpool have come in home games, with the forward netting in each of his last four such appearances at Anfield. Only two Dutchmen have scored in five in a row at home in the Premier League – Ruud van Nistelrooy (August 2003) and Robin van Persie twice (March 2012 and January 2013).
- Only Dominic Solanke (853) has applied more pressures than Ipswich’s Omari Hutchinson in the Premier League this season (716). Meanwhile, only Solanke again (399) and Erling Haaland (297) have applied more pressures in the final third (399) than Ipswich forward Liam Delap (295).
- Ipswich’s Leif Davis is the only player to have created 20+ chances from both open play (21) and set play (20) in the Premier League this season. Meanwhile, among defenders, only Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold (42) has created more chances overall in the competition this term than Davis (41).
Liverpool vs Ipswich: talkSPORT coverage
This Premier League game is set to take place on Saturday, January 25.
Kick-off at Anfield is scheduled for 3pm.
talkSPORT will have live and exclusive coverage from Merseyside, with Adrian Durham serving as your presenter.
Commentary will come from Ian Danter and former Watford striker Troy Deeney.
talkSPORT.com will also have updates throughout via our dedicated live Premier League blog.
To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
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