Premier League, Sunday, 19/01/2025 at 5:30 PM
The crisis was actually over, is it starting again already? Manchester City just can’t get any rest, the Skyblues fear slipping into the next low. Whether a game at a promoted team is exactly what the tortured soul needs?
Of course, City mustn’t feel too safe, because this promoted team has already dragged Chelsea into a crisis.
In my Ipswich Manchester City betting tip, I will now tell you why I am thinking defensively and therefore have an eye on under 3.5 goals.
Four defeats in a row, one win in nine games, a crash in the table and the certainty: we will most likely no longer play a role in the Premier League master bets!
Manchester City entered a crisis at the beginning of November that lasted until Boxing Day. After that, or so they thought, the club, accustomed to success, slowly fought its way out of its low.
First they won 2-0 against Leicester, then 4-1 against West Ham. When the Citizens took a 2-0 lead against Brentford in the closing stages, many, including me, thought: That will be the third win in a row, the chase for the league title can begin.
Well, that would have been too simple, because suddenly it was 2:2! In the minutes 82 and 90+2, the opponent struck, catching Manchester cold. It’s not over yet, the crisis!
Twelve points behind the leaders, even though league leaders Liverpool still have a game in hand. For City, the first task is probably to stabilize their own form.
Of course, this also includes the defense, because this time it is really not among the best. Only four times in the entire season has there been a clean sheet, and of the last twelve results, eight have had at least two goals against.
Since the end of August, Pep Guardiola’s team has won exactly TWO away games, which is completely unacceptable given their own standards.
Leicester and Wolverhampton were defeated, two teams that are fighting bitterly against relegation. Since the first matchday, City have only managed to keep a clean sheet on one away game, the 2-0 win over Leicester.
The fans would of course like to see a result similar to that in the first half of the season. Back then, their team cruised to a 4-1 victory, with three goals coming from Erling Haaland – who, however, has only scored three times away from home since the end of August.
For the first time since 2001, the reigning champions are now returning to Ipswich for a league game, and for a long time the two clubs did not cross paths at all. And despite the crisis, one thing is clear: our tax-free bookmakers are naturally backing the Guardiola team.
The odds are on average 7.70 to 1.35. Well, Ipswich will have expected nothing less, after all, the Tractor Boys are still below the line and only have three wins to their name.
After a mini-series, the 2-0 win against Chelsea and a 2-2 draw against Fulham, they were recently defeated again, losing 2-0 to Brighton. It was already their eighth game without a goal, and with 20 goals in total, their offense is of course not one of the best.
Ipswich are particularly struggling at home, where they have conceded eight times in eleven games. They only managed a brace against Aston Villa and Chelsea, and have already gone five home games without a single goal.
The only win they have ever scored in their own stadium was a complete surprise against Chelsea. As if the offensive problems weren’t big enough anyway, two attackers, Sammie Szmodics and Omari Hutchinson, are also out of action.
Ipswich’s success is closely linked to Liam Delap, who, of all people, came from City. He has scored eight times and provided two assists – Ipswich have not lost in five of the seven matches in which Delap has scored!
crisis over? Think again! After two consecutive wins, Manchester City have been brought back down to earth with a bump, losing 2-0 at Brentford. Their defensive uncertainties remain.
So it’s a good thing, of course, that Ipswich have only scored eight goals at home and have only won once. But be careful: they got that three points against Chelsea, which nobody had expected at the time.
I therefore expect the guests to have to fight hard to take the points with them at the promoted team. Since the mood is not great and Ipswich doesn’t have much in attack anyway, I have decided on the following tip:
The 3.5 goals will not be cracked!
