Ipswich Town — Nottingham Forest: Preview
We have the lineups for the match between Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest in the eighth round of the 2026/27 Premier League.
"Ipswich" with nine points has unusually found itself in the upper half of the EPL table. "Nottingham" is already used to fighting for survival: five points have barely kept them out of the relegation zone.
Key moments
Ipswich Town
1. Ipswich’s matches are characterised by their scoring ability, but they still suffer more defeats than victories. After seven rounds, Ipswich is one of two teams in the league that has scored and conceded more than ten goals. With two League Cup matches, in nine games of the season with Ipswich 16 goals have been scored and 20 conceded, resulting in four wins and five losses. Unfortunately, Ipswich has recently disappointed its fans, with only one win in the last four matches. In the last round, Gary O’Neil’s players were worthy against Manchester City, but lost in another contest 2–3.
2. The team will return to the 4‑2‑3‑1 formation
In the match against Manchester City, Gary O’Neil changed for the first time this season to a more defensive tactic with three central defenders, but in the game against Nottingham the return to the usual setup is expected. The return of Sasha Lukich to the centre of defence is anticipated, who missed the match against City due to a minor injury. In the winger position, high competition keeps Daizen Maeda on the field and Abdu Isahaku on the right.
3. Ipswich has not beaten Nottingham in a long time
From 1997 to 2019, Ipswich regularly faced Nottingham in the Championship, but first‑tier meetings resumed only in 2024. In the three direct matches since then, Ipswich scored four goals against Nottingham, but this only led to a penalty shootout in the FA Cup, where they ultimately lost. The 2024/25 season matches also ended in defeats. Ipswich’s last win over Nottingham was in 2017, but since then the “tractors” have faced the “forests” on their own ground only twice, with less favourable statistics for the visitors.
Nottingham Forest
1. Nottingham suffered its third consecutive defeat
Last weekend, Nottingham hosted the current champions Arsenal at their stadium and came close to earning points, but ten minutes from the end of the second half the opponent managed a shot on goal. Oliver Glasner’s players are no longer at their best this season, with only one win on the road at Aston Villa (2–1). The other seven Premier League and League Cup matches yielded two draws and five defeats.
2. Nottingham’s captain will return to the field
Oliver Glasner has chosen the starting XI, except for the right‑back central defender position, where there is rotation between Ola Aina and Murillo. Adjustments are needed for medical reasons. Igor Jesus, who was initially loaned by Liam Delap, missed a match due to a muscle injury. The loss of attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs‑White was more serious, as he missed the match against Arsenal due to muscle discomfort, but the coach assured that the captain has recovered and is ready to play. Nikola Mileković’s return to the centre of defence is also expected, having missed four matches due to injury.
3. Nottingham only scores away
The success ratio of Nottingham at home and away this season is almost anomalous: in five home matches across all competitions, the forests have not surprised fans with goals. However, on the road they have frustrated opponents five times in three encounters, also scoring two goals against Champions League teams Liverpool and Aston Villa. At home, the forests allow an average of one goal per match, while away the figure is two goals per encounter.
Estimated lineups 4‑2‑3‑1
Walton 3, Davis 6, Diop 26, O’Shaughnessy 42, Wattara 12, Luis 23, Lukich 10, Cesar Enisso 38, Maeda 7, Isahaku 19, Emerson 26, Selts 34, Aina 31, Mileković 2, Djamandé 21, Shakher 24, Makta 27, Muñoz 3, Williams 10, Gibbs‑White 14, Ndoy 19, Delap.
Betting trends
At least three goals were scored in seven of the last eight home matches for Ipswich and in seven of the last matches away from Nottingham Forest. TB(2,5) at 1.76.
Ipswich only lost to Nottingham in two of the last eight home matches. 1X at 1.67.
Prediction
Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest 23.10.2026 23:00
In matches with Ipswich in the current EPL season and the League Cup, almost three goals are scored on average, but Gary O’Neil’s team has a slight advantage in both goals and victories. In the Premier League, Ipswich alternates between wins and losses, and after the disastrous visit to Manchester City (2–3), it’s time to secure three points.
Nottingham Forest does not seem helpless on the field, but execution of moments is a problem for Oliver Glasner’s team. Only once in the last five matches did the forests score more than one goal, resulting in three consecutive defeats. Nottingham has positive statistics in recent encounters with Ipswich, but visits to Portman Road in recent decades have rarely been successful. Let’s assume another goal exchange awaits us, with the home side being slightly more productive.
Prediction: 2-1
