Arsenal should beat Ipswich 4-0 at the Emirates
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Arsenal take on Ipswich at the Emirates on Boxing Day, as they aim to keep the pressure on Liverpool in the Premier League title race.
The Gunners have finished 2nd in the previous two campaigns, losing out to Manchester City. Now, they must hunt down Liverpool if they are to win their first league title since the invincible season under Arsene Wenger.
Mikel Arteta’s side put their struggles in front of goal behind them by beating Crystal Palace 5-1 at Selhurst Park at the weekend. Arsenal had been criticised for being overly reliant on set pieces, but they seemed lethal in open play.
Ipswich are back in the top flight after back-to-back promotions. Yet, remaining in the Premier League seems like a daunting challenge. They are two points from safety coming into the weekend, level with Wolves, who have just appointed Vitor Pereira.
The heavy defeat at home to Newcastle at the weekend will certainly have set alarm bells ringing. The Tractor Boys will have to improve drastically if they are to avoid another hammering here.
The probable lineup for Arsenal in the “system of play.”
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Odegaard, Havertz; Trossard, Martinelli, Jesus
The probable lineup for Ipswich in the “system of play.”
Muric; Clarke, O’Shea, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Cajuste, Hutchinson; Burns, Szmodics, Chaplin
Arsenal are in top form
The first of our Arsenal vs Ipswich predictions is for the home side to win by three goals or more.
Bukayo Saka came off injured after 24 minutes against Crystal Palace, yet the Gunners showcased their attacking prowess, scoring five goals from an xG of 2.87. Arsenal are unbeaten at home this season and are conceding just 0.75 goals on average in those matches, which doesn’t bode well for Ipswich.
The Tractor Boys have lost four of their last five matches, however, the 4-0 defeat against Newcastle marked a new low. They managed to force just two saves from Martin Dubravka, while the Magpies generated six big chances.
Gabriel Jesus has battled his way back into Arsenal’s starting lineup and is definitely delivering in terms of goals. Kai Havertz had been favoured by Arteta, the Germans’ struggles in front of goal have created an opportunity for Jesus.
The Brazilian has started Arsenal’s last two competitive matches, scoring five goals. Jesus has plenty of flair and loves to get involved in the build-up, but his goal output for the Gunners hasn’t been great. However, this latest run of form could represent a shift in how Arteta utilizes the striker.
Alexander Isak, Newcastle’s starting striker against Ipswich at the weekend, scored a hat-trick. This might be a great chance for Jesus to score a bunch of goals.
The last of our Arsenal vs Ipswich predictions is for the home side to keep a clean sheet.
Mikel Arteta has placed a lot of emphasis on being defensively solid in recent seasons. Arsenal have assembled one of the most physically capable squads in the Premier League, and it has paid dividends defensively.
Since the start of last season, they have conceded an average of 0.82 goals per game, the fewest in the Premier League. The Gunners have also kept a clean sheet in their last three home games.
Ipswich have scored the third-fewest goals in the league thus far, with an average of just 0.94 per game. Their xG of 0.95 per game is the lowest in the division.
With Arsenal in fine fettle in front of goal, it seems set to be a long evening for the Tractor Boys. Kieran McKenna is aware that his team are facing a tough challenge, and it’s hard to envision anything but a one-sided match.