Sunderland's Season Begins with a Trip to Ipswich Town
Saturday's match between Ipswich Town and Sunderland marks the start of the new Premier League season for both teams.
This is the second time in my lifetime that Sunderland begin a season after finishing seventh in the top-flight of English football. The previous occasion saw the team replicate the feat, but in modern times, this will prove to be more difficult.
Nine of the twenty Premier League managers have just taken charge of their club this summer, and other than maybe Arsenal, the traditional top six that were almost a guarantee a few years back, are now unknown quantities.
Sunderland has the type of stability that the majority of top-flight sides would give their last half a billion quid for at the moment. The team's manager will be looking to capitalize on this stability and make a strong start to the season.
Ipswich Town, on the other hand, has had a change in management, with Gary O'Neil taking over after Liam Rosenior left his position as manager at Strasbourg.
The betting suggests that Sunderland is the favorite to win the game, with the bookies having the Lads at 6/4 to win. Ipswich are 17/10 to take all three points, and the draw is 11/5.
The head-to-head statistics at Portman Road favor Ipswich, with the team having won 17 matches and Sunderland winning 6. The two teams have drawn 6 times.
The last time the two teams met at Portman Road was in the Championship on January 13th, 2024, with Ipswich Town winning 2-1.
Sunderland's prediction for the match is a 2-1 win for the Lads. However, only time will tell if this prediction comes true.
The match is set to kick off at 15:00 at Portman Road, and fans can follow the live commentary on BBC Radio Newcastle.
Source: Yahoo Sports