Big Bet Preview: Gameweek 1
Ipswich vs Southampton
(Sun 17 Aug, 12:00pm UK Time)
The first Big Bet of the season pits two of last years relegated Premier League teams against each other in an early six pointer considering both are amongst the favourites for promotion this year.
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Last years misery and a new beginning
Ipswich put up a bit more of a fight in the league last year than Southampton it has to be said, even so, both teams were not up to the intensity and the money seen in the Premier League, and fell well short of achieving safety, with 22 and 12 points respectively. However a new season marks a new beginning, with both seen as favourites for the title, and heavily backed to go straight back up for another go.
There first games saw slightly shaky starts for both, with Southampton taking on newly promoted Wrexham at home, needing a stunning free kick in the 90th minute from Ryan Manning, followed by another last gasp effort from Jack Stephens to steal all 3 points for the Saints after Wrexham had led the game 1-0 for 68 minutes beforehand. Before these goals, goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu provided a spectacular save to keep them in the game and give them any chance of achieving the comeback at all, ultimately ending in a 2-1 win, not the comfortable scoreline they would have been hoping for before kick-off.
Ipswich faced another one of last season’s promoted sides in Birmingham, although a world away from what can normally be considered a “first season championship side”. The money spent and the points achieved by the Blues last season in League One was nothing short of sensational, they essentially ended the season with a mid to high-mid table Championship team, and strengthened this team over the summer too with signings such as Kyogo Furuhashi, Taylor Gardner-Hickman, and Demarai Gray coming into an already stacked squad. A different proposition for Ipswich than Southampton then, and after Stansfield put Birmingham ahead on 55 minutes their nerves would have been jangling. Frankly, the performance was not the best, and if they had come away from the game losing 1-0 I don’t think many could have argued about it, but they were saved by a 95th minute penalty, converted by George Hirst, registering their only shot on target of the night at the same time. A close, edgy game that ended 1-1.
Head to Head
In the last 5 meetings between the two sides, both teams have won 2, and had 1 draw, and in terms of looking at the matches where Ipswich have been at home in particular, it paints a similar story: Southampton winning the last outing 2-1 and Ipswich winning the previous 3-2. One thing that can be almost guaranteed is goals. In fact, there last goalless match was back in 1992, so very slim chance of a bore draw in this one.
Looking at the full picture of their head to head record, Ipswich have the slight advantage with 27 wins to Southampton’s 24, whilst there has been a total of 21 draws between the two sides. So, in Tipple picks terms… it’s really anyone’s guess.
Squad News
Both teams come into the season with excellent squads for this level. On Ipswich’s side, it will be interesting to see how Sammie Szmodics links up with new incoming striker Chuba Akpom, recently arriving on loan from Ajax as his transfer saga finally comes to an end. Jens Cajuste has also arrived in the past few days, the midfielder returning for a second spell with the club on loan from Napoli, however whether he is quite match ready yet remains to be seen.. Away from this, they also have about another 15-20 excellent players for this level of football, so I don’t think squad quality or depth is of any concern for them coming into this game. The only injury concerns they have are with Connor Townsend suffering an ACL injury in preseason, however with Leif Davis covering that position that is not too much of a worry. Omari Hutchinson also missed Friday night’s opener due to a throat infection, with rumours about his departure circling he may also be a doubt for Sunday’s clash. Other than this, Jaden Philogene is the only other doubt, having suffered an ankle injury in pre-season.
Now looking at Southampton, Charlie Taylor may be set for a return to the squad after missing the opener on Friday night, after coming back into training last week. Will Smallbone, the 25 year old midfielder who played 18 times for them in the Premier League last season is missing with an ankle injury. The same for James Bree, and Taylor Harwood-Bellis looks set to be eased back into match action this week. All in all Southampton do have a fair few in the doctor’s office, but definitely have the capability to field a very strong side on Sunday, especially with a few faces returning to get some vital minutes in the EFL Cup during the week.
Big Bet angle
So why this as the big bet? Well, two recently relegated Premier League sides, extremely evenly matched, with a history of goals, and live on TV, an easy choice really.This match has an opportunity to throw up some surprises, and should provide for excellent viewing and a perfect opportunity to showcase why the big bet is worth the +5 extra bonus points.
With both sides desperate to lay down an early marker in the promotion race, this one feels like it could go absolutely anywhere. The talent on the pitch, the recent history of goals, and the fine margins between them make it the perfect opening Big Bet. You could play it safe with the home win, or try and achieve the maximum points possible by taking a risk. Whatever you choose, don’t expect a straightforward afternoon.
Tipple Difficulty Rating: 8/10
