Chris Sutton Changes Stance, Aligns with Paul Merson on Leicester City vs. Ipswich Prediction

Football pundits Chris Sutton and Paul Merson have both predicted a challenging weekend for Leicester City, forecasting a 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town in their upcoming match.

Leicester heads into this game following a tough stretch, having suffered a 3-1 Premier League loss to Nottingham Forest, and a heavy 5-2 defeat to Manchester United in the Carabao Cup midweek.

These recent losses have left the Foxes in a difficult position as they prepare to take on Ipswich at Portman Road.

Ipswich, meanwhile, is also coming off a frustrating loss.

Last weekend, the Tractor Boys let a 2-0 lead slip away against Brentford, ultimately falling 3-2, and they are still searching for their first league win of the season.

Despite their struggles, both Sutton and Merson see Ipswich clinching victory on Saturday.

Writing for BBC Sport, Sutton explained, “I previously said I wouldn’t predict another Ipswich win this season, but I’ve changed my mind.

They were very unlucky against Brentford, and I feel they deserved more from that match.”

He added, “Alan Shearer pointed out on Match of the Day just how poor their stats are; they rank last in the Premier League for shots, expected goals, and touches in the opposition box, and they’re second-last for shots on target, goals conceded, and errors leading to goals. Despite this, they managed to go 2-0 up last time.

To find themselves trailing 3-2, down to ten men, only to equalize, and then lose in stoppage time due to Bryan Mbeumo’s cross was a hard pill to swallow.”

Sutton continued, “I’m not entirely convinced by Leicester, but if Ipswich doesn’t win this game, it could deal a severe blow to their confidence.

They’ve had a tough time in the top flight and could face relegation, so getting three points soon is essential. Sutton’s prediction: 2-1.”

Paul Merson, former Aston Villa and Arsenal midfielder, echoed these sentiments in his column for Sportskeeda, stating, “Ipswich were up 2-0 against Brentford, then fell behind 3-2, managed to level things with just minutes left, and still ended up losing.

It’s worrisome to see teams like Ipswich and Southampton struggle to get their first wins. If Ipswich loses again, they’ll fall eight points behind Leicester, making it 10 games without a victory.”

Merson further emphasized, “That gap is a huge mountain to climb. This match feels like a cup final for Ipswich.

I sense they have a good chance to come out on top this time. Leicester’s recent loss to Nottingham Forest would have taken a toll on their confidence as well.”

He drew comparisons to other teams that have managed to survive relegation and used those experiences to grow stronger: “Nottingham Forest’s survival last season is a great example of how much teams can progress once they stabilize in the league.

Avoiding relegation widens the gap between your team and those in the Championship, as Crystal Palace demonstrated with their recent wins. Now, Palace isn’t going down.”

Both pundits agree that Ipswich needs a win to turn around their season and build momentum, making this match a pivotal opportunity.