Two months without a win, but unbeaten at home: Hull City vs Ipswich prediction
On October 31, Hull City will host Ipswich at the MKM Stadium in the ninth round of the English Premier League. The hosts have not won in the league since August, but continue to hold on to a place in the top ten. The visitors sit 12th, with the same ten points. For both teams, the upcoming clash will be an opportunity to strengthen their positions in mid-table.
Hull City: a lengthy winless run but reliable home form
Sergej Jakirović's side started the season with wins over Manchester United (2-0) and Coventry (1-0), but then stopped collecting three points on a regular basis. The Tigers have gone six league matches without a win, while their run across all competitions has reached seven games. The main problem is a lack of cutting edge. Hull have scored nine goals in eight league rounds and failed to score from open play in their last two matches. After losing to Fulham (0-1), the team drew with Brentford (1-1), with their only goal coming from Óli Guðmundsson's penalty. At home, however, Hull remain unbeaten after four matches.
Injuries have made Jakirović's task even more difficult. Eliot Matazo, Matt Targett, Ilyas Chouaref, Darko Gyabi and Charlie Hughes are unavailable. The participation of Lucas Gourna-Douath, Nobel Mendy and Jack Butland remains in doubt. The main attacking hope is Mohamed Belloumi, who has contributed three goals and two assists. McBurnie should also play an important role after opening his account for the season.
Ipswich: inconsistent results and problems on the road
Gary O'Neil's team has been alternating wins with defeats, but has already secured three league victories. Ipswich beat Sunderland, Crystal Palace (3-2) and Fulham (2-1), but were unable to win their most recent match against Nottingham Forest (1-1). Their away record is far from convincing: three defeats in four Premier League away games. At the same time, the team is capable of giving strong opponents a real fight, as demonstrated against Manchester City, when they lost 2-3.
Unlike the hosts, Ipswich have several players capable of making an impact in front of goal. Zian Flemming, Emersonn and Leif Davis have scored two goals each. Flemming is particularly dangerous, with both of his goals coming in away matches. The visitors have far fewer injury concerns: Jack Taylor will definitely miss out, while Sasha Lukic's fitness will be assessed before the game. O'Neil will look to use his variety of attacking options to end the poor away run.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Hull City have gone six league matches without a win but remain unbeaten at home
- Ipswich have lost three of their four away matches in the current league campaign
- Hull have not beaten Ipswich since November 2020
Can Hull end their two-month winless run? Hull City vs Ipswich prediction
Hull are experiencing serious problems in front of goal but look confident at their home stadium. Despite their injury absences, Jakirović's team knows how to contain opponents and rarely allows them to take complete control of a game.
Ipswich have a more varied attack, but their inconsistency away from home remains a major weakness. If Belloumi and McBurnie can develop a stronger understanding up front, the hosts will have a good chance of ending their lengthy winless run. We expect a tense match with a narrow advantage for the Tigers.
