The first game of Ipswich Town's return to the Premier League after 22 years of being away saw them face Liverpool at Portman Road. New manager Arne Slot was hopeful of securing a first win at Portman Road for Liverpool, which would make him the first Liverpool manager to win their debut league game since Gérard Houllier in 1998.[1] The first half saw a strong start from Ipswich, having two shots on target and nullifying Liverpool's attack threat. However, Liverpool came out far stronger in the second half, and Diogo Jota gave Liverpool their first goal of the season in the sixtieth minute. Just five minutes later, Mohamed Salah doubled the lead to make it 2-0. Ipswich saw out the rest of the game but started their campaign in defeat.
Things did not get any easier a week later at the Etihad Stadium versus four-time reigning champions Manchester City for Town's first away game of the season. Ipswich took a surprising lead against the run of play after just seven minutes through Sammie Szmodics creating the first goal of the season for Town. However, this lead did not last and Ipswich's defensive fragilities were exposed as Leif Davis conceded a penalty a few minutes after with Erling Haaland converting it in the twelfth minute. Things capitulated for Ipswich when Kevin De Bruyne scored two minutes after and Haaland created a brace after another two minutes through goalkeeping blunders from Town debutant Arijanet Muric. Ipswich managed to see out the rest of the threat of the game after the sixteenth minute, right up until the eighty-eighth minute when Haaland scored to create his first hattrick of the season. The game ended 4-1, with Town picking up back-to-back defeats to start their campaign.
On the final day of August, Ipswich Town played Fulham at Portman Road. This match saw Ipswich gain their first point as they drew 1-1. A powerful strike from Liam Delap saw Ipswich take the lead after fifteen minutes with their first home goal of the season. Fulham enjoyed some chances afterwards, creating a well-worked team goal through Adama Traore in the thirty-second minute. Ipswich continued to push for a second goal, creating plentiful chances and enjoying the majority of possession in the second half but Fulham managed to see the game out to split the points. As a result, Ipswich Town ended the month in 17th place with one point.
September
Town's first game after the international break was on 14th September 2024 against Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium. Brighton's attacking potency was on display throughout the match, registering a total 21 shots - despite this, Ipswich showed an incredibly disciplined and dogged defensive display. Goalkeeper Arijanet Muric had a particularly excellent game, saving all six shots on target, particularly keeping Ipswich in the game with a double stop against Kaoru Mitoma. Ipswich had chances too, with Liam Delap registering Town's first shot on target of the game, firing against the post after a fast break. Town continued to prove dangerous on the counterattack with Omari Hutchinson creating a chance with a fast break from a poor Brighton corner, however a tame shot was saved by Bart Verbruggen. With this, the game ended 0-0, with Town picking up their second point of the season and Brighton maintaining a four-game unbeaten run.
A week later, Ipswich played away at St Mary's to Southampton. Both sides were 17th and 19th going into the fixture respectively as both teams looked to secure their first win of the season and move out of the relegation zone. Tyler Dibling took an early lead for Southampton in the fifth minute, setting Ipswich back. Both sides continued to fight it out with chances at both ends but it was not until the ninety-fifth minute that the next goal came. That goal was scored by captain Sam Morsy to secure Ipswich's third Premier League point of the season and keep Ipswich two points clear of the relegation zone.
To round off the month, Ipswich played Aston Villa for a 2pm kick-off on Sunday 29th September at Portman Road. Ipswich started quickly, opening the scoring through Liam Delap in the eighth minute, hitting it past Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Town's lead was short, however, with Morgan Rogers equalising seven minutes later following a poor clearance from Jacob Greaves. Both sides enjoyed chances going forward, but it was Villa with the next goal from England striker Ollie Watkins in the thirty-second minute. Ipswich went in at half-time a goal down but managed to forge together a fantastic second half. Town controlled the majority of the possession and had the majority of chances, the best of which came from Liam Delap in the seventy-second minute, stepping overDiego Carlos to score his third goal of the season. The result kept Villa in fifth, missing the opportunity to go joint-top with Liverpool and Ipswich ended the month in fifteenth place.
October
Town's start to the month was away to West Ham at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday 5th October. The game started end to end with Michail Antonio opening the scoring in the forty-eight second and Liam Delap equalising just five minutes after for his third goal in two games. After a frenetic start, the game slowed with chances at both ends but the run of play was generally in West Ham's favour. Just before half-time, Mohammed Kudus headed past Muric to make it 2-1 before the break. Things only got worse for Town with England international Jarrod Bowen scoring from a poor long-ball from Muric four minutes after the break and Lucas Paquetá making it 4–1 just before the seventy minute mark. The result dropped Ipswich into 17th heading into the second international break, just a point above the drop zone.
November
Ipswich emerged from October's three back-to-back losses to a brighter November. With three points looking like they were in the bag in a home tie against Leicester City, despite playing with 10 men (Kalvin Phillips had been dismissed in the 77th minute for incurring a second yellow card) after Leif Davis's fine 55th-minute volley had given Town the lead, Jordan Ayew snatched a 94th-minute leveller to ensure that the points were shared. Town also had a penalty claim overturned in the game.[2] The following week, however, the team recorded its first Premier League win of the season — and its first in the top division in 22 years — on 10th November in a 2–1 win at Spurs, Sammie Szmodics opening the scoring with a spectacular bicycle kick and Liam Delap providing the winner just before half time.[3] Two weeks later, Town were also value for another point against newly-appointed Ruben Amorim's Manchester United in a 1-1 draw, with Omari Hutchinson claiming a leveller just before half time to offset Rashford's second minute strike. Ipswich also looked the more likely to win, with Onana producing two match-saving stops, but the Tractor Boys had to settle for a point.[4]
Despite an unbeaten run of three games amassing five points, Town ended November in defeat away at European-chasing Nottingham Forest in a 1-0 defeat at the City Ground. Both sides fought well in what was a game of few chances, but Jota Silva was lightly tripped by Sammie Szmodics in the box to give Forest a penalty early in the second half. Chris Wood converted the chance in the 49th minute for his eighth goal of the season. This meant Ipswich finished November with nine points in nineteenth place, a point from safety.
December
The Tractor Boys viewed the two home matches in a week against Crystal Palace and Bournemouth as an opportunity to pick up some points in early December.
The first half of the Crystal Palace match played out much the same as the Forest game, with very few chances. Palace took the chance to fight back in the second half, through a good strike from Jean-Phillipe Mateta. From this, Town tried to create some chances of their own with an unorthodox free kick nearly reaching the back of the net but the game ended 1-0 to Crystal Palace.
Things did not improve against Bournemouth five days later. Ipswich did look on for three points, with a great strike from Conor Chaplin for his first goal of the season in the twenty-first minute looking to seal the victory. Bournemouth, however, capitalised on the weak Ipswich backline. Muric came rushing out to the edge of the box to seemingly apply pressure onto the oncoming striker but the ball was crossed over to Enes Ünal to take it past Cameron Burgess. Town tried to dig in for a point here but Bournemouth completed the ultimate snatch-and-grab in the ninety-fifth minute through Dango Outtara.[5] Failure to take any points from these two games left Ipswich in 18th place by the end of the week, now four points from safety.
The game between 18th placed Ipswich and 19th placed Wolverhampton Wanderers, separated only by goal difference, was viewed as a crucial game at the bottom of the table.
On 16 May, Ipswich Town announced their first pre-season friendly for the 2024–25 campaign, taking on 2. Bundesliga side Fortuna Düsseldorf continuing the strong affiliation between the two sides.[65] The club later confirmed they would travel to Carinthia for a pre-season training camp, and face Shakhtar Donetsk.[66] On July 11, the club confirmed they would also face two Bundesliga sides in Borussia Mönchengladbach and TSG Hoffenheim during a short training camp in Germany.[67] Five days later, a home friendly match against Nice was announced.[68] On 1 August 2024, it was announced that the game against Borussia Mönchengladbach on 2 August 2024 would now be competed using the under-21s squad as opposed to the first team squad.[69]
Updated to match(es) played on 16 December 2024. Source: Premier League Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) If the champions, relegated teams or qualified teams for UEFA competitions cannot be determined by rules 1 to 3, rules 4.1 to 4.3 are applied – 4.1) Points gained in head-to-head record between such teams; 4.2) Away goals scored in head-to-head record between such teams; 4.3) Play-offs[70]
As a Premier League club not competing in any European competitions, Ipswich entered the EFL Cup in the second round, and were drawn away to EFL League Two side AFC Wimbledon.[78][79]
