Arsenal and Ipswich Town will conclude the first round of post-Christmas Premier League fixtures with a clash at the Emirates Stadium on Friday evening.
Mikel Arteta’s side, currently sitting third in the Premier League, reignited their title challenge with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on December 21. Meanwhile, Ipswich Town, battling relegation, suffered a heavy 4-0 home defeat to Newcastle United, leaving them mired in the bottom three.
This meeting marks the 60th competitive encounter between the two sides, with Arsenal boasting 30 wins compared to Ipswich’s 18, alongside 11 draws. Despite Ipswich’s past successes, including a run of seven consecutive First Division victories over Arsenal in the 1970s and a 1-0 FA Cup final triumph in 1978, the Gunners have dominated the Premier League head-to-head, going unbeaten in 10 matches (eight wins, two draws).
Notably, Arsenal overcame Ipswich in the 2010-11 League Cup semi-finals after recovering from a first-leg loss to win 3-0 at the Emirates. In the Premier League era, their only slip-ups against Ipswich came in a 0-0 draw on Boxing Day 1992 and a 1-1 stalemate in 2000.
Arsenal’s Ian Wright holds the record for the most goals in this fixture, with nine strikes against Ipswich, while Kevin Campbell scored five times for the Gunners.
With Arsenal aiming to maintain their momentum and Ipswich fighting for survival, Friday’s match promises an intriguing contest.
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