Ipswich vs Sunderland Predictions

• Both teams have scored in five of Sunderland’s last six away Premier League games
• Both teams have scored in the last two head-to-head meetings of the clubs
• Brian Brobbey has scored in four of his last eight away league games for Sunderland

Ipswich’s spending mirrors Black Cats’ approach

Ipswich will hope significant summer investment leads to an instant return when the newly promoted club host Sunderland on the Premier League’s opening Saturday. The Tractor Boys have been the fourth-biggest spenders in the top-flight, albeit they may drop a place or two in the next few days, after signing a clutch of experienced top-flight players to bolster their survival hopes.

Former Fulham stars Issa Diop and Sasa Lukic should start, the latter joining ex-Benfica and Burnley ace Florentino in midfield, with Brazilian forward Emersonn adding something extra up front. The arrivals of ex-Strasbourg duo Julio Enciso and Abdoul Ouattara add quality and depth too while new goalkeeper Kjell Sherpen might be the best of the lot.

Sunderland arguably completed the best goalkeeper signing of last summer when they landed Robin Roefs and his predecessor in the Dutch Under-21 set-up has the potential to be just as impactful. In almost every way, Ipswich’s splurge mirrors what Sunderland did 12 months ago at the start of a campaign that ended with Europa League qualification.

Brobbey becoming a major menace

The Black Cats needed squad depth for their assault on Europe and so have spent less, achieving decent cover in most positions now.  Perhaps not improving their best XI will come back to bite them at some stage but they did hold on to their most important player – Granit Xhaka.

Brian Brobbey may be on his way to surpassing the Swiss in terms of importance and the Dutch striker only added to his reputation during the World Cup. He has returned in tip-top shape and scored in Sunderland’s 2-1 win over Rennes last weekend.

Brobbey bagged in four of his final eight away appearances for the club last season and will carry the greatest goal threat for them at Portman Road too, making him the obvious pick for an anytime scorer.

Both teams to score in potential draw

Both teams should create chances to get on the scoresheet in what looks like being quite an even contest. Ipswich lost only once at home in the Championship last season, but punters cannot ignore the fact that they won only once in the Premier League at Portman Road the year before.

The likelihood of a draw only goes up when you consider that Sunderland lost only one of their final six away league games last term, drawing two and winning three. A deeper dive into the analytics of their incredible campaign suggests they might not be able to sustain their success but they certainly have the structure and players to claim at least a point in Suffolk.