After the release of the 2024/25 Premier League fixtures, Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical battles on the opening weekend.
Match analysis - Ipswich Town v Liverpool
Kieran McKenna and Arne Slot will both make their Premier League managerial debuts at Portman Road in Saturday 17 August’s early kick-off, in a match-up that promises to be a cracking spectacle.
Free-scoring Ipswich have earned back-to-back promotions by playing an exciting brand of attacking football and they may feel it is a good time to catch Liverpool cold. In turn, former Feyenoord head coach Slot will also be eager to make a positive first impression, with nothing less than a strong performance and three points on his radar.
Lack of pace
Ipswich’s weak spot last season was in defence, where a lack of pace across the back four proved problematic on occasion. Summer reinforcements could change the picture, but up against one of the division’s quickest attacks in Liverpool, McKenna may look to be a touch more pragmatic than usual. Sitting in a deeper block would make sense as they try to cope with players such as Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota.
When that happens, Slot will undoubtedly encourage his front players to run at the home defenders in 1v1s at every opportunity. Ball-carrying was one of the signatures of his Feyenoord side last season, who registered more completed dribbles per 90 minutes than any other team in the UEFA Champions League.
Most completed dribbles in Champions League 23/24
Club Per 90
Feyenoord 12.8
Bayern Munich 12.2
Paris Saint-Germain 12.0
Barcelona 11.9
Milan 11.6
Slot will certainly have plenty of individuals who like to travel with the ball, so expect to see plenty of that on the opening weekend. Doubling up on the Reds' wingers will be of paramount importance to Ipswich.
Press resistant
McKenna's side enjoy playing out from the goalkeeper, confidently moving the ball around before finding a progressive forward pass into midfield. In the Championship, they had enough quality to bamboozle many opponents, but a well-drilled Liverpool side, intent on impressing their new head coach, have the potential to cause Ipswich issues with their press.
If he mimics what he did at Feyenoord, Slot will use a 4-2-3-1 shape that converts into a 4-4-2 when his players close down the man in possession.
In all three seasons at Feyenoord, his team recorded either the second or third-lowest PPDA (passes per defensive action), which measures pressing intensity, so his trap could be tough for Ipswich to break free of.
Opta’s "Start Distance" metric measures how far upfield a team start their open-play sequences on average, reflecting the areas where they regain possession.
Interestingly, only two of the 32 Champions League teams in 2023/24 had more impressive stats than Feyenoord in this department: Real Sociedad and Manchester City, both renowned pressing machines.
Start Distance in 23/24 Champions League
Club Ave. (metres)
Real Sociedad 48.4
Man City 47
Feyenoord 45.3
Galatasaray 44.8
Arsenal & Barcelona 44.6
These numbers indicate how important the press will continue to be for Liverpool. To navigate their way into the opposition half and final third, Ipswich’s ball retention will need to be outstanding in Matchweek 1.
Liverpool must also be wary of the home side's strength on the counter-press.
McKenna’s men are well-drilled, and as soon as they lose possession, they hunt in packs to manufacture an immediate regain. At Championship level only one club produced more shots from high turnovers than Ipswich.
With possession potentially hard to come by in this specific encounter, Ipswich will place a strong emphasis on profiting from transitions.
Most shots from high turnovers Championship 23/24
Club Total
Southampton 82
Ipswich 77
Leeds 69
Late drama
Supporters and the millions watching this match on TV globally would be advised to stick around until the final whistle. Both teams were brilliant at scoring late goals in 2023/24, with Ipswich and Liverpool topping their respective league rankings for the most goals scored from 76 minutes onwards, with 26 and 27 respectively.
If there is stoppage-time drama in Suffolk, do not be surprised.