Arsenal recently achieved a 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace in the English League Cup, progressing to the semi-finals. They also faced Crystal Palace in a Premier League match last weekend.
Currently, Arsenal holds 3rd place in the Premier League, 4 points behind 2nd place Chelsea and 6 points behind the leaders, Liverpool. Earlier in December, Arsenal dropped points in draws against Fulham (1-1) and Everton (0-0), which allowed 4th-placed Nottingham Forest to narrow the gap to just 2 points.
Ipswich has struggled since the beginning of the season and is fighting to avoid relegation. The newly promoted team sits in 18th place, the first relegation spot, and has yet to secure a home win.
They endured three consecutive defeats before finally achieving a 1-2 victory at Wolverhampton two weeks ago. Last Saturday, they hosted Newcastle, aiming to improve their position.
Arsenal will be without several key players due to injuries, including full-backs White, Calafiori, and Zinchenko, as well as backup Tomiyasu. Midfielder Rice might return after recovering from a physical setback. In attack, Saka and Havertz, both with five Premier League goals each, remain vital to the team’s offensive efforts.
Ipswich will visit Emirates Stadium with striker Delap, who has scored 6 goals, returning from suspension. However, they will still miss forward Ogbene, who has not scored, and center forward Hirst, who has been out for a month. Additionally, full-back Tuanzebe and senior defender Greaves might also be unavailable. Irishman Szmodics, with 3 Premier League goals, remains a key player supporting Delap.
Prediction
Ipswich has struggled on the road, losing nine of their 13 away matches in League One. Meanwhile, Arsenal has regained form, winning two of their last three league games.
Prediction: Arsenal 4-0 Ipswich.
