Nottingham Forest are closing in on a place in next season's Champions LeagueNottingham Forest are closing in on a place in next season's Champions League (Image: PA)
Nottingham Forest (H)
When: Saturday, March 15th (3pm)
Where: Portman Road
Nottingham Forest are a familiar foe for Ipswich, both over the years and this season. When it comes to the latter, the Reds have had the upper hand.
Both of those matches were at the City Ground. The first, in the league, saw Chris Wood’s spot-kick prove decisive. The second, in the FA Cup, ended in a 1-1 draw, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side progressing to the quarter-finals on penalties after a competitive 120 minutes.
In theory, Town should have the advantage at Portman Road. Given that they have won there just once in the league this season, picking up seven points from 14 matches, that may not be the case.
Of course, Forest are in excellent form. They sit third in the table, four points clear of Manchester City in fifth after beating Pep Guardiola’s side last weekend. They will be full of confidence as they close in on a place in the Champions League.
Prediction: It's hard to look past what’s happened in recent weeks. I'm predicting another even clash, but one where a moment of magic from someone like Callum Hudson-Odoi or Morgan Gibbs-White could make the difference.
Ipswich 0-1 Nottingham Forest
AFC Bournemouth have surprised fans this seasonBournemouth are on course for their highest ever league finish (Image: PA)
Bournemouth (A)
When: Wednesday, April 2nd (7:30pm)
Where: Vitality Stadium
This looks like another daunting test. Bournemouth have been in excellent form and are competing for a place in Europe. Despite some damaging injury issues earlier in the campaign, they are in pretty good shape heading into the run-in.
The reverse fixture saw Ipswich lead until the final stages, when Bournemouth struck twice to take all three points on Suffolk soil. The Cherries, however, are really impressive on the road, boasting the third best away record in the division with 23 points from 15 matches.
Andoni Iraola’s men have also claimed some big scalps on home soil – beating Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham before thrashing Nottingham Forest a couple of months later.
However, they are winless in three league games ahead of hosting Brentford on Saturday, most recently throwing away a 2-0 lead at Spurs to draw 2-2. Their next three matches are all at the Vitality Stadium, which includes a colossal FA Cup tie against Man City just three days before they host Town.
Kieran McKenna’s side will come back from an extended international break and may feel refreshed for it.
Prediction: More reasons to be confident here. What sort of shape will Bournemouth be in after the game against Man City? I reckon the Blues will be well-suited to this one, which may be enough to earn a result in Dorset.
Bournemouth 1-1 Ipswich
Wolves are still at risk of dropping into the relegation zoneWolves are still at risk of dropping into the relegation zone (Image: PA)
Wolves (H)
When: Saturday, April 5th (3pm)
Where: Portman Road
The BIG one. If Ipswich are still in touching distance of Wolves by the time they meet at Portman Road, this will probably be a season-defining match. At this stage, that’s a big if.
Wolves were in pretty dire condition when the two teams clashed back in December. Town won that game 2-1 thanks to Jack Taylor’s stoppage-time header, which saw manager Gary O’Neil lose his job as a result.
They have improved under new boss Vitor Pereira, but not enough to steer clear of relegation danger. Outside of the current bottom three, Wolves are the only side at risk, but recent wins against Aston Villa and Bournemouth – coupled with Saturday’s draw at home to Everton – have put them in a good spot.
With winnable games away at Southampton and home to West Ham on the horizon, they will hope to be well clear of the relegation zone by the time they head to Suffolk. With star attacker Matheus Cunha suspended and facing an extended ban, it might not be that easy.
Prediction: There’s a chance that the high-pressure environment will work against Town, like it did in previous home games against Leicester and Southampton. This is undoubtedly a ‘must-win’ clash, but I’m not sure that they will manage it.
Ipswich 1-1 Wolves
Chelsea are unbeaten at Stamford Bridge in 2025Chelsea are unbeaten at Stamford Bridge in 2025 (Image: PA)
Chelsea (A)
When: Saturday, April 12th (3pm)
Where: Stamford Bridge
The final top-six trip of the season sees Ipswich head to Stamford Bridge to face a Chelsea side that are still hoping to return to the Champions League.
Town took all three points in the reverse fixture when the two teams met at Portman Road at the end of 2024, but they haven’t won a league match since then. Chelsea, on the other hand, sit fourth in the table with 49 points from 14 wins, seven draws and seven defeats.
Only two sides have won at Stamford Bridge this season – Man City and Fulham. Chelsea's recent performances haven’t been particularly convincing, but they manage to get the job done. Cole Palmer’s dip in form hasn't helped them.
McKenna is unbeaten in three games against Enzo Maresca, but going to Chelsea and getting a result is a big ask – especially given that this won’t be a dead rubber for them.
Prediction: I'm going with a defeat, unfortunately. I expect that this will be another battling display, but one where the gap in quality will be too much.
Chelsea 2-0 Ipswich
Arsenal are set to fall short in the title raceArsenal are set to fall short in the title race (Image: PA)
Arsenal (H)
When: Sunday, April 20th (2pm)
Where: Portman Road
I think that there are more negatives than positives when it comes to Arsenal at the moment.
Realistically, the title is out of reach now. Liverpool are 15 points clear at the top of the table, which means that a maximum of five more wins will be enough to get them over the line.
I think it will happen earlier than that, however, with the Reds kicking off at Leicester shortly after Arsenal’s game at Portman Road has finished. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the decisive weekend.
The Gunners will head to Suffolk off the back of a second-leg Champions League quarter-final tie against either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid, which will surely be their main focus as their only chance of silverware.
Their injury issues are well-documented, especially up front, where Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz have been ruled out for the season. Sure, Bukayo Saka will probably be back, but how desperate will Arsenal be to beat Ipswich? It won’t help them move any higher than second in the table.
Prediction: I think Town pull off a bit of a shock and get something from this game. The Gunners have had plenty of draws on the road this season and I think this could be another.
Ipswich 2-2 Arsenal
The Blues will need to put a run of wins together if they are to avoid relegationThe Blues will need to put a run of wins together if they are to avoid relegation back to the Championship (Image: Ross Halls)
Conclusion
From Ipswich’s next five games, I have them drawing three and losing two, giving them three points from a possible 15.
Would that be enough to keep them in the Premier League? No, it probably wouldn’t. Ultimately, recent results suggest that wins will be hard to come by, even if the performances are at a decent level.
Wins are what will help them avoid relegation, at the end of the day, and they will need more between now and the end of the campaign than they have managed in their 28 matches so far this season.
20 points from 33 games would probably see the gap to Wolves increase, which would be difficult to overturn in the run-in. Their next five fixtures are easier than Town’s and they are picking up points at a better rate.
That being said, it certainly isn’t impossible that the Blues’ form improves, particularly with a lengthy international break coming up. They just have to ensure that they hang on in the fight for as long as they can.