Everton v Ipswich prediction, line-ups and tips

There is a version of this fixture that Ipswich supporters will not want to think about. It is the one where a promoted side, still working out how to defend at this level, walks into a home side that has not lost a single Premier League match all season. Everton go into the weekend unbeaten after five rounds. Ipswich arrive having shipped ten goals in their last four matches. The story here is not complicated, it is a question of whether Ipswich's occasional flashes in front of goal can offset a defence that has looked exposed every time the opposition has had the ball in good areas.

Everton sit seventh in the Premier League table on 9 points from five games, with two wins, three draws and no defeats, a record built on a goal difference of plus three from seven scored and three conceded. The underlying numbers over the last four matches show a side that controls games without necessarily dominating them: an average of 1.25 goals scored against 0.75 conceded, with two clean sheets in that span but an average possession share of just 41.5%, according to the supplied form data.

That combination, low possession but a tidy defensive record, suggests Everton have been comfortable playing without the ball and picking their moments. Their season stats show 60% of their goals this term have arrived in the final quarter of matches, a pattern that fits a side content to sit in and strike late. Three of their last four league outings have been draws, against Tottenham, Manchester United and Bournemouth, but none of those have been losses, and the run of form has kept them in touch with the top six rather than dragging them backwards.

Ipswich have won two and lost two of their last four league matches, but it is the goals against column that stands out. They have conceded ten times in that spread of four games, an average of 2.5 per match, and have kept zero clean sheets across the sample. Their heaviest defeat came away at Manchester United, beaten 5-2, while they also lost 0-2 at home to Liverpool, according to the supplied form data.

There is enough going forward to make this a competitive fixture on paper: an average of 1.75 goals scored per game over the same four matches and three instances of both teams scoring in that run. Ipswich beat Crystal Palace 3-2 away in their most recent outing, evidence they can still hurt teams who leave space in behind. But a side conceding at that rate on the road is unlikely to find Everton's settled backline an easy touch.

Everton's underlying form reads WDDDW across their last five in the league, a run that has produced only one defeat-free week where they have failed to find a winning gear beyond that single victory. Ipswich's form is choppier: a win over Crystal Palace either side of back-to-back defeats to Liverpool and Manchester United. On the surface, Everton's is the steadier platform, built on defensive solidity rather than firepower, while Ipswich's form is more volatile, capable of a result against mid-table opposition but exposed against sides who move the ball quickly.

Everton sit seventh with 9 points from five games, level on points with Liverpool and Brentford but with a goal difference of plus three that keeps them within touching distance of the Champions League places occupied by Manchester City, Arsenal and Brighton at the top. A win here would nudge Everton back into that conversation heading into the international break period of the fixture list.

Ipswich's position lower down the table reflects a defence that has conceded ten goals in four matches, the kind of run that tends to keep a promoted side anchored near the relegation zone rather than pushing for mid-table security. Another defeat at Hill Dickinson Stadium would extend a difficult opening to life back in the Premier League, while any points taken from Everton would represent a notable marker for Ipswich this early in the campaign.

Everton and Ipswich have met twice in the Premier League according to the supplied history, with Everton winning one, Ipswich none, and one game drawn. The average of three goals per meeting and a 50% rate for both teams to score and for the game to go over 2.5 goals point to two entertaining, open fixtures rather than tight, low-scoring affairs. The last meeting finished 2-2 at Goodison Park on 3 May 2025.

Two fixtures is too small a sample to call a settled pattern, but the goal totals line up with what both sides are showing in isolation this season: Everton scoring in bursts, Ipswich conceding in bunches. If that trend from the two previous meetings repeats, the goals markets, over 2.5 and BTTS, look more attractive than a cagey correct-score punt, even with Everton the stronger side on current form.

The clearest gap in the supplied data is defensive solidity. Everton have conceded 0.75 goals per game over their last four league matches with two clean sheets, while Ipswich have conceded 2.5 per game with none. A near two-goal swing in defensive output between the two sides is the kind of mismatch that tends to decide games long before the ball is kicked.

Possession offers a smaller but relevant edge for Ipswich, who have averaged 44% of the ball to Everton's 41.5%, alongside a marginally higher expected-goals-for figure of 1.56 against Everton's 1.27. That suggests Ipswich can create, but their expected goals against of 1.63 shows they are conceding chances at a similar rate, which is where the story of this fixture is likely to be written.

Kick-off was Saturday 19 September 2026 at 15:00 BST, inside the UK's Saturday 3pm blackout window. The match is not shown live on TV or streaming services in the UK. Highlights are available on Match of the Day, with updates through our live blog for those unable to watch.

The clearest value on the board sits with Everton's unbeaten record against Ipswich's leaking defence, but the goals markets carry weight too given both sides' recent scoring rates. The full breakdown below covers the result, the correct score, the goals lines and the anytime scorer market, plus a bet builder that leans on the same data.