- Norwich City have won three of their last five games (D1, L1)
- Ipswich Town are unbeaten in their last five (W2, D3)
- Ipswich Town have scored 1.72 goals per game and conceded 1.39 per game away from home in the Championship season
Cagey East Anglian Derby expected as promotion rivals meet
Ipswich Town are set to edge a cagey contest in the East Anglian derby when they visit Norwich City on Saturday.
Town won the head-to-head game 3-1 when these sides last met at Portman Road in the Championship six months ago, but Ipswich have been the better of the two in the division this season and we expect Kieran McKenna’s men to confirm their superiority on the day.
The Tractor Boys are currently in second spot on 72 points from 39 games while Norwich are ninth with 58 points from 41 matches. And although the Canaries did not lose to Ipswich at Carrow Road in their last meeting, there is every chance this changes on Saturday.
Norwich have the goalpower to cause Ipswich problems
Philippe Clement took charge of Norwich in November 2025 and has overseen a strong second-half of the campaign that has seen the Canaries win three, draw one and lose one of their last five. He is in charge of a rebuilding job at Carrow Road with his side playing in a structured possession-based system that employs wide wing-backs and pressing triggers.
Ipswich, on the other hand, play with a narrow, vertical style of attack that involves a lot of pressing and rapid transitions. McKenna, who took charge in December 2021, has instilled a high-energy, aggressive ethos on his team that sees them force turnovers and strike quickly.
Jovon Makama is Norwich’s top scorer in the Championship this season with 10 goals in 28 games and his cleverness and tenacity can cause problems for Ipswich, but the visitors have the quality to make Norwich’s defence work hard. Jack Clarke, in particular, has been a thorn in the side of many Championship defences this term with 14 goals in 39 games and can strike at any time.
Ipswich have better form and momentum
Norwich have won eight, drawn two and lost ten of their 20 home Championship games this term and Ipswich have won seven, drawn five and lost six of their 18 away trips. Norwich have won one and drawn one of their last two home games in the Championship while Ipswich have done the same for their two most recent away games, so there is little to separate these sides in terms of recent form.
However, Ipswich have kept their consistency levels high all season and this has seen them climb to second place in the table. Clement has made Norwich a much better side since taking charge, but they still have a little way to go to catch their East Anglian rivals and we will take Ipswich to get the win at 6/5 here.
Pelle Mattsson has been Norwich’s most prolific player recently, scoring three of their last six goals in the past five matches, and he can make the difference in this clash of styles.
