It’s been more than two decades since Arsenal last played a league game at Portman Road, but that changes this weekend when they travel to face Ipswich Town in the Premier League for the first time since December 1, 2001.
That last visit saw Freddie Ljungberg and Thierry Henry score in a routine 2-0 win against a struggling Ipswich side.
A few days later, the home team would go on to beat Inter Milan in Europe, but, domestically, it was Arsenal doing the damage.
Ljungberg opened the scoring after a mistake from Titus Bramble, then won a penalty which Henry calmly converted. The win moved Arsenal up to second in the table on their way to winning the title in May at Old Trafford.
Previous trips to Suffolk have rarely been dull. In 1994, Ian Wright scored a hat-trick in a 5-1 win. A year earlier, Arsenal won an FA Cup quarter-final 4-2, with Tony Adams, Kevin Campbell, and Wright again on the scoresheet. Later that same season, Paul Merson sealed a 2-1 league win with an 87th minute free-kick, moments after David Seaman had saved a penalty.
It’s been a long wait for a return to Portman Road, but Arsenal will arrive knowing the ground has been kind to them in the past.
Ipswich vs Arsenal match facts
Arsenal head to Portman Road this weekend with a dominant record over Ipswich Town behind them. The two sides have met 11 times in the Premier League, and Ipswich have never won.
The record stands at nine wins for Arsenal and two draws, the most games Ipswich have played against any team in the competition without ever winning.
For Arsenal, only Portsmouth have proven more amenable opponents, with 14 unbeaten meetings in the Premier League.
Across all competitions, Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 14 league meetings with Ipswich, winning 11 of those and drawing the other three. They’ve also won their last four league games against the Tractor Boys without conceding.
The last time Ipswich beat Arsenal in a league match was back in September 1984, a 2-1 victory at Portman Road.
Away from home, Arsenal have won six of their last eight visits to Ipswich in all competitions, with just one defeat and one draw in that run. That defeat came in January 2011, a 1-0 loss in the first leg of a League Cup semi-final.
This will also be Ipswich’s first-ever league match played on Easter Sunday. For Arsenal, it will be their third in a row, following a 2-2 draw with Liverpool in 2023 and a goalless draw with Manchester City last year.
Liverpool are also scheduled to play later in the day, matching Arsenal’s recent Easter Sunday streak.
Ipswich vs Arsenal team news
Ipswich
Ipswich Town head into their clash with Arsenal dealing with significant injury problems, with several key players ruled out and others facing late fitness tests.
Wes Burns (ACL), Chiedozie Ogbene (Achilles), and Samuel Szmodics (ankle) are all confirmed long-term absentees. Jaden Philogene-Bidace is also set for a spell on the sidelines with suspected MCL damage following a knee injury.
Former Arsenal youngster, Omari Hutchinson, and Kalvin Phillips will be assessed closer to matchday, though both are currently doubtful due to thigh and Achilles-related issues, respectively.
Arijanet Muric is awaiting specialist advice on a new shoulder injury and may require surgery, while Liam Delap, who has scored more than a third of his team’s Premier League goals this season, is rated 50/50 due to a rib injury and faces a late fitness test.
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta will also be without several key players for the game.
Gabriel, Gabriel Jesus, and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain long-term absentees, while Kai Havertz and Riccardo Calafiori are nearing returns but won’t feature against Ipswich.
Jorginho and Lucas Nygaard are also still sidelined.
With a Champions League semi-final on the horizon, Arteta will again need to lean on his squad depth.
Ipswich vs Arsenal current form
Arsenal head to Ipswich in sticky league form, having dropped points in three of their last five games, managing just two wins. The dream of a league title is gone for the Gunners this season but they would be remiss to put all their focus on the Champions League. Newcastle are just four points behind them in third place and the two sides still have to meet at the Emirates in the penultimate game of the season.
Ipswich, meanwhile, are just playing out time until they are relegated. With 21 points after 32 games, and a 14-point gap to West Ham in 17th, they have even less chance of achieving safety than Arsenal do of catching Liverpool, although there’s not much in it.
The Tractor Boys have won just four games all season and have lost 19, conceding 67 goals along the way. A West Ham win at home against an already-relegated Southampton on Saturday, coupled with a defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, would see their fate sealed.
Arsenal will likely make the same sort of changes as we saw for the game against Brentford so it should still offer a stern test, with Ipswich literally fighting for their Premier League lives.
Ipswich vs Arsenal officials
- Referee: Chris Kavanagh
- Assistants: Dan Cook, Richard West
- Fourth official: Tom Nield
- VAR: Darren England
- Assistant VAR: Steve Meredith