Wolverhampton Wanderers will feel like the came back to defeat three teams on Saturday, as their 2-1 win over Ipswich Town at Portman Road may well spell the end of the relegation scrap.
WATCH – Ipswich v Wolves full match replay
Wolves’ win moves them 12 points ahead of the 18th-place Tractor Boys with seven matches to play this season and even further clear of Leicester City and Southampton, the latter of which can be relegated with a loss to Spurs on Sunday.
What a difference a change makes for Wolves
Wolves fired Gary O’Neil following a 2-1 home loss to Ipswich Town on Dec. 14. The club looked at the team’s four-match losing run against uninspiring foes and the side’s 19th place place on the Premier League table and figured it could do better. For once, a mid-season managerial switch seems to have been worth it. Vitor Pereira inherited a 2W-3D-11L team and has shown the team through one sticky patch to a 7W-2D-6L record. That’s only meant two places up on the board, but it’s almost certainly safe for another season and Wolves will feel they are not just safe but in a promising place to make progress next season. Pereira orchestrated this latest purple patch — Three wins on the spin after a draw with Everton — without the suspended Matheus Cunha. Now can he hang onto the prolific playmaker this summer?
Will McKenna want to return to Championship with Ipswich?
Tractor Boys boss Kieran McKenna may not have the red-hot profile he did last summer when big clubs were being linked with the 38-year-old, but his club has played decent football this season and would be expected to earn automatic promotion were he to stay with Ipswich on their likely descent into the Championship. He’s learned, however, how difficult it is to play the role of promoted team and openings in top flights will surely glance his way. Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson will certainly attract suitors, too. How faithful will McKenna be to Ipswich (assuming, of course, that Ipswich plan to be faithful to McKenna)?
Ipswich Town vs Wolves player ratings
(from fotmob.com)
Ipswich Town vs Wolves player ratings (from fotmob.com)
Ipswich Town vs Wolves player ratings (from fotmob.com)
What’s next?
Wolves host Spurs on April 13 (Sunday), while Ipswich Town prepare for a tough run of fixtures beginning Saturday at Chelsea.
How to watch Ipswich vs Wolves live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 10am ET Saturday (April 5)
Venue: Portman Road — Ipswich
TV Channel: USA
Streaming: Watch live on NBC.com
Ipswich Town vs Wolves final score: 1-2
Liam Delap 19', Pablo Sarabia 73', Jorgen Strand Larsen 84'
Ipswich Town vs Wolves live updates — By Nick Mendola
Jorgen Strand Larsen goal — Ipswich 1-2 Wolves (84th minute)
Painful not just for Ipswich but Leicester and Saints.
Andre chips a ball into the 18, and Sarabia slashes it first time across goal.
A sliding Strand Larsen gets the last touch over the line. Will it withstand VAR review?
Onside.
Pablo Sarabia goal — Ipswich 1-1 Wolves (73rd minute)
So clever.
Strand Larsen stays onside to rescue a high pass toward the end line, sending a looping pass back to the top of the box.
Pablo Sarabia does well to chest the ball down but sees a shot pop off the leg of a defender.
Undeterred, he whips his body around to half-volley the rebound inside the near post.
Really good finish, and a punch to the gut of the Tractor Boys.
Halftime — Ipswich Town 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Well, well, well...
The Tractor Boys are threatening to extend a relegation fight that would feel over if Wolves came away with all three points.
Both teams are going for it and Wolves have slight edges in possession, shot attempts, and xG, but it’s Delap who has the goal and Kieran McKenna’s men are 45 minutes from their first back-to-back Premier League wins of the season.
SCENES at Portman Road
The Tractor Boys are stacked along their goal line as four Wolves player oversee the indirect kick on the chalk of the six-yard box.
Rayan Ait-Nouri back heels, but the next touch is a shot blocked by a quickly-charging Sam Morsy.
Wow. Fun. Still 1-0 Ipswich, 39'.
Near-gaffe from Alex Palmer leads to six-yard indirect kick
The Ipswich keeper loses sight of a back pass, as it slips under his foot.
Palmer has to dive backward to slap the ball away from completely crossing the line.
It’s a six-yard free kick.
Liam Delap goal! Ipswich 1-0 Wolves (16th minute)
Hope for the Tractor Boys!
Wolves clear an Ipswich corner kick, but Axel Tuanzebe tracks the ball down on the left flank and sends a huge diagonal back toward the far post.
Dara O’Shea rises high to nod the ball back across goal, where Liam Delap pounces to make it 1-0.
There’s a long VAR review for a tight onside call.
Strand Larsen saved!
Wolves are into the right side of the box, and Jorgen Strand Larsen thinks he spies an opening between the wickets of the goalkeeper.
Alex Palmer gets his left leg on the shot, and it’s a corner to Wolves. Nothing comes of it.
Promise for both
Ipswich had the ball for the first five minutes, almost exclusively, but Wolves’ first moment with it delivered hope to the visitors.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde has emerged as a top assist man this season, but he shows a deft finisher’s eye with an 18-yard shot that dips too late to get under the bar.
0-0 now into the ninth minute.
Ipswich Town lineup
Palmer, Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Burgess, Townsend, Morsy, Cajuste, Johnson, Enciso, Broadhead, Delap.
Wolves lineup
Sa, Semedo, Doherty, Agbadou, Toti, Ait-Nouri, Andre, J. Gomes, Munetsi, Bellegarde, Strand Larsen.
Ipswich Town vs Wolves preview — By Joe Prince-Wright
Kieran McKenna’s Tractor Boys won 2-1 at Bournemouth on Wednesday (their first Premier League win of 2025) to reignite their hopes of staying in the Premier League. Ipswich sit nine points behind Wolves ahead of this game and if Ipswich grab a big win that gap will be down to six points with seven games to go. They also have four pretty winnable games to finish the season. Ipswich secured a dramatic late win at Wolves earlier this season which sparked angry scenes at the final whistle as Wolves’ Matheus Cunha got involved with their staff and was suspended.
Wolves won 1-0 at home against West Ham on Tuesday to give themselves more breathing room above the relegation zone and Vitor Pereira’s side have won back-to-back games impressively without their talisman. If Wolves win this game they will be 12 points clear of Ipswich with seven games to go and they should be safe.
Ipswich team news, focus
Delap scored a beauty in midweek after a lovely team move and his hold-up play in attack is crucial to Ipswich getting up the pitch. They still look shaky in defense but goalkeeper Alex Palmer has been a great January addition. Enciso has too as his clever play is exactly what they need to get Delap more involved.
OUT: Arijanet Muric (shoulder), Sammi Szmodics (ankle), Wes Burns (knee), Chiedozie Ogbene (achilles - out for season), Omari Hutchinson (hamstring), Leif Davis (leg)
Wolves team news, focus
Cunha still isn’t back from suspension which is a massive blow. Strand Larsen has really stepped up in his absence with the winning goals in Wolves’ last two games. Wolves are solid at the back and in midfield and can now withstand serious pressure.
OUT: Matheus Cunha (suspension), Yerson Mosquera (knee), Enso Medina (knee), Sasa Kalajdzic (knee), Leon Chiwome (knee - out for season)
Ipswich vs Wolves prediction
This feels like it will be a draw, which Wolves will be totally fine with. It will be tense and tight until the end and don’t expect either side to be too adventurous as they aim to keep themselves in the game. Ipswich 1-1 Wolves.
