Ipswich Town host Nottingham Forest at Portman Road Stadium on Friday 23 October 2026 (kick-off 8pm) in Gameweek 8 of the Premier League. The two clubs sit nine places apart, but the numbers suggest the gap in quality is smaller than the table shows.
Where the teams stand
Ipswich are 10th with nine points from seven games, having won three. Their goal difference is minus four. Forest are 19th on five points, with one win from seven and the same goal difference. Only Sunderland, on four points, are below them.
Ipswich average 1.57 goals per game and 1.29 points per game. Defence is the worry: they concede 2.14 per game and have yet to keep a clean sheet. Forest have kept one, concede 1.29 per game, but score only 0.71 and pick up 0.71 points per game.
Form and the numbers behind it
In their last five, Ipswich have won two and lost three. They beat Crystal Palace 3-2 away and Fulham 2-1 at home, but lost 3-2 at Manchester City, 1-0 at Everton and 2-0 at home to Liverpool.
Forest have won one, drawn one and lost three. They won 2-1 at Aston Villa and drew 0-0 with Tottenham, but lost to Arsenal (1-0), Crystal Palace (3-1) and Coventry City (1-0).
Expected goals data via Fantasy Premier League, which measures the quality of chances created, is kinder to Forest. They average 1.68 xG for and 1.22 against per game, compared with 1.54 for and 2.08 against for Ipswich. Forest have created better chances than their goals tally suggests.
The same source shows where the threats lie. Emersonn leads Ipswich on 2.48 xG and has scored twice in 464 minutes. Flemming has two goals from 1.54 xG in only 91 minutes, and Davis has two goals and two assists. For Forest, Delap has 2.17 xG but one goal, Ndoye has 2.07 xG and two goals, and Gibbs-White has 1.87 expected assists and two assists. FPL lists Clarke and Gibbs-White as the first-choice penalty takers.
Availability and history
FPL lists Ipswich's Lukić as doubtful with a groin injury, a 75% chance of playing. For Forest, FPL lists Savona (knee) and Igor Jesus (calf) as injured, each with a 0% chance of playing and no known return date.
Forest have had the better of recent meetings. They won 4-2 at Ipswich on 15 March 2025, drew 1-1 at home on 3 March 2025 and won 1-0 at home on 30 November 2024. Ipswich have not won any of those three.
MFF prediction
MFF's match model predicts a 2-1 win for Ipswich Town. It gives the hosts a 40% chance of a home win, 24% for a draw and 36% for a Forest win, so it expects a close game.
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