Crystal Palace will host Ipswich Town at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon at 15:00 GMT. Ahead of the match, here’s a comprehensive preview of our upcoming opponents…
Factfile
Manager: Kieran McKenna
Current Position: 18th
Nickname: The Tractor Boys / The Blues
Stadium: Portman Road
Founded: 1878 (147 years ago)
What’s the story?
Ipswich Town’s rise has been remarkable. Many players in their squad have experienced the entire journey—from being 22nd in League One on 12th September 2021 to now returning to the top-flight for the first time since 2002.
Under Kieran McKenna’s management, Ipswich earned automatic promotion last season, defeating heavily favored Leeds United. Their style of play has earned praise for its attractiveness, and their knack for late drama, like the 97th-minute winner against Southampton last April, has become their trademark.
However, Ipswich now face a battle for survival in the Premier League. The focus is on securing vital points to ensure their return to the top tier is not short-lived.
Their historic win away at Tottenham Hotspur was followed by another vital victory at Wolves before Christmas, which gave McKenna’s side hope of avoiding an immediate drop back to the Championship. But, their form at Portman Road has been less than stellar, with only one home win so far this season—a 2-0 triumph over Chelsea just before the New Year.
The Boss
Ipswich fought off interest from some of the biggest clubs, including Chelsea and Manchester United, to keep Kieran McKenna, who signed a new contract last summer to stay on as manager in the Premier League. His managerial record explains why.
After joining the club in 2021 following a spell as Manchester United’s Under-18s manager, McKenna has turned Ipswich from League One relegation candidates into a Premier League side, known for their style of play.
Boot in Both Camps
Several players have represented both clubs, including Darren Ambrose, Damien Delaney, Shefki Kuqi, Conor Wickham, Jonny Williams, and Jonathan Parr.
Trevoh Chalobah spent time on loan at both clubs, playing 44 matches for Ipswich in the 2018/19 season before joining Crystal Palace on loan for the first half of this season.
Former Palace winger Andros Townsend also had a brief loan spell at Portman Road early in his career.
Forward Marcus Bent scored 14 of his 40 Premier League goals for either Palace or Ipswich.
Record Against Palace
Crystal Palace won the last encounter between the two in early December, which marked the first Premier League meeting in 29 years. Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the only goal of the game just before the hour mark.
Before that, the last meeting was a closely contested League Cup match in August 2017, where James McArthur scored both goals at Selhurst Park.
Ipswich’s last victory over Palace was in April 2013, when they won 3-0 at Portman Road. However, Palace triumphed 5-0 at home in November 2012 in the same season, with Glenn Murray netting a hat-trick.
Did You Know?
Ipswich Town has three stars on the back of their shirt, which were once at the top of their badge until being moved in 2022. These stars represent the three major trophies the club has won under legendary managers: the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1981 under Sir Bobby Robson, and the league title in 1962 under Sir Alf Ramsey.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, 8th March
Time: 15:00 GMT
Location: Selhurst Park
Opposition briefing: Everything you need to know about Ipswich and Kieran McKenna
