Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest: Premier League preview and team news

Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest meet in a Premier League fixture on Friday, 23 October, with the Tractor Boys looking to build on an encouraging start to their return to the top flight. The match is one of the most closely watched contests of the weekend for fans searching for ipswich town vs nottm forest, as the two sides have made very different starts to the season.

Contrasting starts

Ipswich enter the game in 10th place with nine points from seven matches. Gary O'Neil's side has won three of its opening seven league games and scored 11 goals, showing a willingness to attack even against the division's strongest clubs.

That approach was on display in last weekend's 3-2 defeat to Manchester City. Ipswich became only the second team this season to score more than one goal against City, and they stayed in contention until the final whistle. Earlier, they had beaten Fulham 2-1. A win on Friday would move them within reach of the European places, with only one point separating them from sixth.

Forest sit 19th with five points and one win from seven games. Oliver Glasner's side has lost three in a row, most recently 1-0 to Arsenal, a match in which they limited the defending champions to one shot on target but struggled to create chances of their own. Forest have scored a league-low five goals this season, although their defence has conceded nine, compared with 15 for Ipswich.

Key tactical questions

O'Neil has switched to a back four to get more attacking players on the pitch. He indicated the shape could shift during the game, saying the team may at times look like a back five. "We want as many attacking players on the pitch as we can," he told Sky Sports.

O'Neil also identified the main threat from Forest. He said Ipswich must keep possession securely, because losing the ball in central areas could allow Forest to reach goal quickly. Forest's direct style and their set-pieces will also be a test, he said, describing it as a different challenge from the ones Ipswich have faced so far.

Head-to-head and team news

History favours Forest. They are unbeaten in their last six meetings with Ipswich, winning five, including a 4-2 victory in March. Their best results this season have come away from home, with their only league win coming at Aston Villa in September.

Ipswich may keep largely the same line-up that faced Manchester City. Zian Flemming, who scored from the bench in that match, offers another attacking option, and Sasa Lukic could return from a groin problem. For Forest, Morgan Gibbs-White is working back from a muscular problem, while Igor Jesus and Nicolo Savona have been ruled out. Former Ipswich striker Liam Delap is expected to lead the attack, looking for only his second league goal of the season.

What we know so far

The match pits Ipswich's early momentum and attacking intent against Forest's stronger recent record in this fixture and their more resilient defence. Team news on Gibbs-White and Lukic had not been confirmed in the reports at the time of writing, so supporters should check official club announcements before kick-off.

Fans in the United States can watch the match live on USA Network, according to Syracuse.com, which noted that a free trial is available through DIRECTV.