Ipswich full of belief ahead of Newcastle showdown

Conor Chaplin says Ipswich Town fully believe they can do more "special things" this season as they prepare to take on Newcastle United.

Town, back in the top flight this season after a 22-year absence, ended a three-match losing run with a late 2-1 win at Wolves last time out.

The win moves Ipswich within two points of safety heading into Saturday's clash with Newcastle at Portman Road.

Having come through a difficult spell, Chaplin insists keeping belief is going to be key to the club's hopes of staying up this season.

"It's huge," he said. "Team-mates look at senior players and team-mates look at the manager for things like that.

"It's something that we're big on. That's not fake, we genuinely do believe. We believe in ourselves so much.

"We've worked too hard not to believe in ourselves. We've proven numerous times – not just this season – that we can do special things."

Newcastle have endured an up-and-down campaign thus far as they sit 12th in the Premier League, five points off the European spots.

Eddie Howe's side ended a four-game winless run with a 4-0 home victory over Leicester City in their most recent league game.

United followed that up with a convincing 3-1 EFL Cup quarter-final win over Brentford on Wednesday, finally giving them some momentum.

"There's just a really good feeling about the group at the moment," Howe said. "We are building in confidence all the time.

"The balance of the team is good. We have players playing in their chosen positions and playing well. We look creative and are creating a high number of shots and chances."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ipswich - Sammie Szmodics

Town will be without their six-goal top-scorer as Liam Delap picked up a fifth yellow card of the season last week and will therefore serve a one-match ban against Newcastle.

Szmodics is Ipswich's next highest scorer with three goals in 14 appearances – nobody else has more than one goal – and it will be on the Republic of Ireland international to fill that massive void.

Newcastle - Jacob Murphy

Murphy has been involved in four goals in his past two Premier League games, consisting of a couple of assists against Brentford and two goals against Leicester.

That is as many involvements as he had in his previous 14 league games (one goal, three assists) and ensures Newcastle have an added attacking threat alongside Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon.

MATCH PREDICTION - NEWCASTLE WIN

This will be the first league meeting between these two sides since April 2017, with that most recent encounter coming in the Championship as Ipswich prevailed 3-1 at Portman Road.

However, Newcastle have lost just one of their past eight Premier League games against Town – a 1-0 defeat at Portman Road in April 2001 – winning four and drawing the other three.

The Magpies have also lost only one of their past 22 top-flight encounters against promoted sides, winning each of the last four.

Ipswich are winless in eight league games at home this season, meanwhile, drawing four and losing four. Only two teams have failed to win any of their first eight home Premier League games and avoided relegation – Middlesbrough (2000-01) and Brighton (2020-21).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Ipswich - 24.1%