By Opta Analyst | Created at 2024-11-24 19:04:27 | Updated at 2024-11-24 21:23:40
2 hours ago
After drawing with Manchester United on Sunday, Ipswich Town remain without a home win in the Premier League this season in six attempts, and the omens aren’t good for them.
Nothing is decided in November, except maybe which ostentatious advent calendar you’re going to treat yourself to.
When it comes to the Premier League, the sheer unpredictability of it usually leaves us all captivated until the final few games of the season.
However, after their 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday, Ipswich Town are going to have to do something no newly promoted team has done in Premier League history if they want to avoid relegation.
The latest result at Portman Road means Kieran McKenna’s side have failed to win any of their first six home games in their first season back in the Premier League since 2001-02 (D4 L2).
After Matchday 11, they were already the only team remaining in England’s top flight without a home win in 2024-25. That remains the case following their MD 12 draw with United, in which they recovered from the early set-back of going a goal down inside 81 seconds to rescue a point. They did look like the more likely to find a winner, but ultimately had to settle for failing to win yet again.
Only five newly promoted sides have failed to win any of their opening six home matches of a Premier League campaign, and all of them were ultimately relegated: Swindon Town in 1993-94, Crystal Palace in 1997-98, Norwich City in 2004-05, Sunderland in 2005-06, and Burnley in 2023-24.
In order to stay up, Ipswich will have to break that particular streak.
Of course, there is still plenty of hope. The Tractor Boys aren’t only in the relegation zone on goal difference, on nine points after 12 games.
They secured what remains their only league win of the season in their last away game, shocking Tottenham 2-1 just before the latest international break in front of celebrity fan and shareholder Ed Sheeran. If they don’t win at home soon, the world-famous popstar will presumably be singing Take Me Back to London again.
It is quite the difference to last season when Ipswich had the best home record in the Championship, winning 16, drawing six and losing just one of their 23 home league games on their way to promotion.
So far this season at Portman Road they have drawn with Fulham, Aston Villa, Leicester City and United, and lost to Liverpool and Everton. They have four more home fixtures in the Premier League before the turn of the year, against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Newcastle United and Chelsea, and will be eager to stop their winless run as soon as possible.
Don’t fret just yet Ipswich fans. Of those previous five promoted teams who were unable to overcome failing to win any of their first six home games, Swindon had just five points after 12 games in 1993-94 (D5 L7), rivals Norwich had eight points at the same stage in 2004-05 but were without a victory home or away (D8 L4), Sunderland had five points in 2005-06 (W1 D2 L9), while Burnley had just four points last season (W1 D1 L10).
Crystal Palace had a 15 points after a dozen games in 1997-98 but eventually succumbed to relegation after a horror period when they lost 11 of their first 12 matches of the new year.
There are still 26 games to go. We’re not even a third of the way through the season yet. But if Ipswich want to spend more than just the one campaign back in the big time, they’re going to have to get over their home discomforts, and soon.
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