Ipswich Town

Marissa Thomas
BBC Sport journalist

Ipswich boss Gary O'Neil has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Manchester United at Old Trafford (kick-off 16:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• O'Neil began with a team news update: "We're hoping Florentino [Luis] will be back around it. He's still got a bit of work to do but he's improving well. Azor [Matusiwa] will still miss the game, he's not quite back. Jack Taylor will still be out and Jaden Philogene won't make the game either. Hopefully we will get some better news next week but this week he will miss out. Really pleased with where the group is at, we're in a good place."

• On new signing Exequiel Palacios and whether he will feature on Sunday: "Yeah, I'm sure you'll see him on Sunday. He's a talented boy and has obviously had some huge success over the past few years [with] club and national level. An incredible signing by the football club."

• O'Neil added: "[After] the work that went in from everybody all summer to try to attract people to the project and what we are trying to build, you can feel the belief around the place just constantly growing and constantly improving."

• On what the new signings show about the club's ambition: "The ambition that this place has, the support that they give coaches and the direction of travel, is something that, as soon as it came around, I knew I wanted to be part of."

• O'Neil continued: "To attract some of the players that we have - proven Premier League players in Issa [Diop] and Sasa [Lukic], and some players from all around the world - I'm really grateful for the owners' backing. I know they are committed to making this club as special as they can."

• O'Neil said it has been a "fantastic summer for the club" and he wants the fans to "carry the excitement" with them for as long as they can.

• On a loan deal being agreed for Aston Villa striker Tammy Abraham, O'Neil said: "No update, as far as I am aware. Sounds like you're further along with that than I am. Nothing to report on that."

• He added the club are "hopefully not finished" in the transfer window and are "still working hard to try to improve the group".

• O'Neil described Sunday's opponents Manchester United as "one of the most talented groups in the country" and "an incredible force", and said Old Trafford is "always a special place to go that always tests you".

• The Englishman said his side will "scrap and fight and give everything they have got" against the Red Devils.

Listen to live commentary from Old Trafford on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds from 16:30 on Sunday

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Ipswich? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Ipswich Town legend John Wark has praised his former side's start to the 2026-27 season after back-to-back wins in their opening games.

The Tractor Boys started their Premier League campaign with a 2-1 win over Sunderland and then beat Leicester in the second round of the Carabao Cup.

When asked how he would rate Ipswich's first week, Wark said: "First game, eight, the second game, six and a bit but to have two wins is fantastic.

"You can't get any better can you? But I think the performances were slightly different. I know there was a lot of changes.

"Sunderland were not bad but they really didn't have much of a scorer. Only way they were going to get a goal was a free-kick but I just think we deserved to win. We played a lot better against them. The Leicester game was quite easy I thought, although we didn't play well."

You can listen to the full conversation above or on BBC Sounds here.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich are progressing with a move to take Tammy Abraham on loan from Aston Villa.

The striker is poised to leave Villa Park with Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson closing in on a £65m move to the West Midlands side.

That would also mean Ollie Watkins is expected to join Al-Hilal for about £51m as Villa completely revamp their forward line.

Villa had been open to letting Abraham go despite only signing him from Besiktas for £18.25m in January.

Abraham was happy at Villa and preparing to fight for his place, but is now likely to move to Portman Road. It is due to be a straight loan, with no option or obligation for Ipswich to buy the 28-year-old.

He had scored three goals in 17 appearances for Villa, having previously played for them on loan from Chelsea to help them back into the Premier League in 2018-19.

Ipswich have spent about £150m on 12 summer signings since returning to the Premier League.

Abraham will offer support and competition to £24m record signing Emersonn after his arrival from Toulouse this summer.

The Brazilian scored on his debut as Ipswich beat Sunderland 2-1 in their top-flight opener on Saturday.

Bayer Leverkusen and Argentina midfielder Exequiel Palacios, 27, is close to a £23.5m move to Ipswich Town. (Sky Sports, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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The draw for the Carabao Cup third round has been made. Here is a list of all the ties involving Premier League teams in the order they were drawn.

The matches will be played in the weeks commencing September 7 and September 14.

• Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough

• Manchester United v Brighton

• Manchester City v Norwich City

• Sunderland v Hull City

• Ipswich Town v Arsenal

• Coventry City v Aston Villa

• Bournemouth vLincoln City

• Liverpool v Tottenham

• Chelsea or Luton Townv Leeds

• Millwall v Newcastle United

• Everton v Wolves

• Reading v Brentford

• West Ham v Fulham or AFC Wimbledon

Read more and see the full draw

Graeme McLoughlin
BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor

Image source, Getty Images

As first weeks of the season go, Ipswich Town's could not have gone much better.

Gary O'Neil named six debutants in his starting line-up against Sunderland (seven if you include the returning Julio Enciso) and one of the big takeaways from the opening-day win was that this did not look like a new team trying to find its feet under a new manager.

A few days later, despite making nine changes, O'Neil's side progressed relatively smoothly into round three of the Carabao Cup at the expense of a Leicester side who finished above them in the Premier League two years ago, and who Town failed to get the better of during six meetings under former boss Kieran McKenna.

Town's rise and Leicester's demise is such that, for the time being, they are rivals no more. Ipswich have left them a long way behind.

In 22-year-old striker Emersonn, Ipswich not only have a first Brazilian to play for the club but they have a rough diamond that has that crucial first goal in his new colours early doors. In the aforementioned Enciso, they may have a player who can potentially win matches from nowhere, as his captain Dara O'Shea has alluded to.

O'Neil has been quick to praise the role that O'Shea and other senior members of the playing squad have played in terms of helping the new faces settle. He has also made it clear that not everything has pleased him since kick-off last Saturday and that there is more to come from his squad. This is an exciting prospect before two mouth-watering fixtures on the immediate horizon.

With Manchester United reeling after an opening-day loss to Hull and Liverpool nowhere near the level Andoni Iraola wants them to be longer term, Ipswich can approach both heavyweights with real hope of adding to their early-season points tally.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Ipswich have spent more than £150m on 12 new signings since returning to the Premier League.

Boss Gary O'Neil expects more, though, and a striker and a midfielder could arrive at Portman Road.

Fringe players like Anis Mehmeti could leave as O'Neil shapes his squad.

What business do you think still needs to get done before 23:00 BST on 1 September?

Get in touch with your views

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Ipswich Town's 3-1 victory over Leicester City in the EFL Cup second round.

Here are some of your comments:

Jeremy: Ten of the eleven who started were with us last season - and it showed. We were far too slow and lacking in drive and energy. The subs and moving Sindre Walle Egeli into the middle made a big difference.

Beardo: We were sluggish and off the pace in the first half. The press was not working as players were not tight enough and we needed to commit an extra player to it, we didn't, so they had an overload and they simply played through us. The Foxes really deserved to be in the lead at half-time. The introduction of Leif Davis was the changing point. Suddenly there was more urgency, a driving force and players started to look to run in behind a very high back line that had consistently played us offside all night.

Edward: We need another striker, Chuba Akpom did good build-up play, but his shooting is terrible. He had two or three amazing scoring opportunities and scored none!

Henry: Really happy how Gary O'Neil has settled in the club and, with all the money spent this summer, it was a really good start to the season and now the cup.

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield Wednesday have signed Ipswich Town striker Ali Al-Hamadi on a season-long loan deal.

The 24-year-old Iraq international scored once in 13 League One appearances on loan with Luton Town last season.

He could make his debut for the Owls in Saturday's home game against Bromley.

"I'm honestly really, really delighted to be here. You can't pass up an opportunity to play for a club like this," he told the club website., external

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich Town forward Sindre Walle Egeli spoke to BBC Radio Suffolk after scoring in the club'sCarabao Cup second-round winagainstLeicester City: "It was a tough match against good opposition, but we got there in the end. It was a big win. They might play in League One but they are Championship level, their players are very good.

"We had to do a lot of running but we took the transitions well. We knew that if we worked hard on the press, we would get there eventually.

"It was nice to get 90 minutes. I've been working hard over pre-season so the fitness was there. I think I played quite a good game and I'm happy to also get a goal."

On working under Gary O'Neil: "It has been great working under the new manager. He has really kicked me on. He works well with all of the players.

"It is difficult to say what he has done for me, it is just the confidence really. I think he believes in me so I just want to do everything in training sessions and in matches to show why he has confidence."

On whether there were any discussions about him going out on loan this season: "There hasn't been any talks about that. Obviously there is a lot of competition, but you cannot just run away from the competition.

"I want to compete with my team-mates and hopefully get as many Premier League minutes as possible. I'm up for the fight."

Listen to the full interview below or on BBC Sounds

Jonty Colman
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The third-round draw for the 2026-27 Carabao Cup will take place on Wednesday, 26 August following the conclusion of Preston North End vs Everton.

Nine Premier League clubs taking part in European football join the 23 first-round winners from across the English Football League.

Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland, Brighton and Crystal Palace will enter the competition at this stage, as the top eight Premier League clubs from the 2025-26 season plus Crystal Palace as Conference League winners.

It will be broadcast live on Sky Sports following the conclusion of the third round tie between Preston North End and Everton, kicking off at 20:00 BST.

Unlike the opening two rounds of the competition, the third round draw is not regionalised.

However, before the match at Deepdale there will be a pre-draw determining which of the Champions League and Europa League clubs will play at home or away in round three.

In order to avoid potential scheduling issues, the eight Champions League and Europa League clubs cannot be drawn against each other in round three.

When the draw takes place, the first eight fixtures decided are the ones involving clubs in the Champions League and Europa League. The remainder of the draw will be an open draw as usual.

Due to clashes with opening weeks of the Champions League and Europa League seasons, the third round will be played across two different weeks. They are the weeks commencing Monday, 7 and Monday, 14 September, 2026.

Ipswich Town boss Gary O'Neil speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk: "It's a tough game to prep because you can tell they are obsessive with what they do with having the ball, with their structure. It means they're weak in other areas, so we were able to hurt them without the ball. When we had the ball we could hurt them quite easily. Should've scored two or three more. But it does test you, the way they play, you have to be humble, you have to be hard-working, you have to stick at it because they are obsessive in how they play, how they keep the ball but we were good.

"We made a lot of changes, so I must say I leave the ground this evening really happy with what the boys produced because it would be easy to lose. I'm sure the club has lost football matches like it in the past. I'm sure there will be other clubs across the country that have lost tonight, so for us to make that many changes and get back-to-back wins within three or four days is a big achievement for the group with how early we are in the season."

Listen to the full interview above or on BBC Sounds here

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Get in touch with your views here

Come back to this page on Wednesday to find a selection of your replies

There are six Premier League teams in action on Tuesday in the second round of the EFL Cup, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Ipswich v Leicester

• Plymouth v Coventry

• Stoke City v Hull City

• Birmingham v Brentford (20:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Nottingham Forest v Leeds (20:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Kick-off 19:45 BST unless stated.

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Birmingham City v Brentford" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Nottingham Forest match", for example.

See the full Carabao Cup second-round fixture list

New this season: Live match updates

Fans of Premier League clubs can now get real-time scores live on their phone lock screen for every game.

Simply follow your favourite football teams on the BBC Sport app for updates throughout the 2026-27 season.

Find out more here

New this season: Match of the Day Predictor

Simply predict the outcome of the six fixtures we've selected from across domestic and European competitions every week.

Players can join at any time, get involved with the latest round and start building a streak.

Read more about it here

You can find the predictor in the navigation bar at the top of this page, or on this link

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Premier League history was made before a ball was even kicked this season as a record nine clubs started the campaign with new managers.

Gary O'Neil got his first taste of action as Ipswich manager after succeeding Kieran McKenna, who stepped down from his role to spend more time with his family after managing the team for four-and-a-half years.

So how did he fare on an eventful first weekend of the 2026-27 campaign?

Ipswich have backed McKenna's successor with big money in the transfer market, £150m on a dozen signings, and O'Neil was rewarded with a vital victory against Sunderland.

O'Neil may just be the beneficiary from lessons learned during Ipswich's last spell in the Premier League, when it took them 11 games to get a win and they went down with a whimper with just 22 points.

He will have been delighted with the impact of Julio Enciso, who he worked with at Strasbourg, and his early partnership with Brazilian striker Emersonn. The pair combined superbly for the latter's opening goal.

There is plenty still to work on, but O'Neil looked in the mood to enjoy his cup of tea and bar of chocolate while watching Match Of The Day on Saturday night.

Read Phil's thoughts on how the rest of the new faces fared here

Ipswich forward Chuba Akpom says the club will be "ambitious" when it comes to cup competitions this season, while also focusing on staying in the "best league in the world" following promotion.

The 30-year-old scored two goals and registered one assist last season, as then boss Kieran McKenna guided the Tractor Boys back to the top flight.

Akpom replaced Emersonn in the 66th minute of Ipswich's 2-1 win over Sunderland on Saturday, after spending over 11 years away from the Premier League.

"It had been a long time," Akpom told BBC Radio Suffolk. "It was nice to come on at the weekend and be on the pitch when the winner was scored. It was a good step for me.

"I've taken a look at my career over the past few seasons and it has been quite eventful, so to end up back in the Premier League is amazing. Usually you don't spend so much time away and end up coming back.

"I always had that drive in me to get back here. It is the best league in the world, it is back in the country where I was raised and it is just a fantastic feeling to be here. It is an honour."

On facing Leicester City in the Carabao Cup second round on Tuesday (19:45 BST), Akpom said: "You have to go for it in every game, whether that be a friendly or a cup match.

"Why be involved if you aren't going to compete or try to be the best? If it was in my hands, I would love to get to the Carabao Cup final this season and finish in the top half of the Premier League - that's why we are here.

"We are ambitious. We want to achieve certain things. Everyone should think alike. That's definitely the goal for me."

Listen to Akpom's interview with BBC Radio Suffolk's Brenner Wolley above or click play on the newest The Blue Hour podcast below. You can also listen to both on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Getty Images

Ipswich Town manager Gary O'Neil believes Leicester City will be "coming here to leave some marks on us" when the two sides meet at Portman Road in the Carabao Cup second round on Tuesday (19:45 BST).

The two teams had very different fates in the Championship last season, with the Tractor Boys claiming promotion and the Foxes suffering relegation.

"The gap is a lot closer than it looks," O'Neil said. "We were both in the same division last year and we played each other twice, so we are familiar with each other.

"Leicester City also have a Premier League coach in Russell Martin, who has been in the top flight with Southampton and plays a good style of football.

"It will be a really tough game for us, especially coming off the back of something as high as this win over Sunderland.

"We need to make sure we reset and we are down to earth. Leicester City won't care that have beaten Sunderland, they will be coming here to leave some marks on us and we need to be ready for that.

"It is an important game for us. I just want to keep winning. This is a strong group and I feel we are in a good place.

"We have added to the squad a lot, of course, so there will be an ability to rotate. We will pick a team we think can win. We will try to freshen things up a bit, though, because we have a big week ahead and some of the lads weren't 100% already."

On long-serving duo Wes Burns and Conor Chaplin returning to Portman Road after making permanent moves to King Power Stadium this summer, O'Neil said: "It is a great draw for them and the guys that know them.

"We were obviously planning to keep Wes Burns but when he got the offer that he did and he was interested in it, we didn't want to stand in his way as such a servant to this football club.

"It will be good for the fans to welcome those guys back, as I'm sure they will."

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Ipswich and Sunderland.

Here are some of your comments:

Ipswich fans

Walter: First class performance against a very good Sunderland side. We thoroughly deserved our victory and a wonderful winning goal from Jack Clarke. I was very dubious with so many new signings and sad to see so many players leave, but if we maintain this level of performance then the future looks bright.

Raymond: Alright. I called O'Neil's appointment hugely underwhelming but I'm ready to eat my words and be convinced! What a game.

Frank: This was a very important victory. I predicted 2-1. Town controlled large portions of this match and yet, in the end, it took a bit of ingenuity from super sub Jack Clarke to get the Suffolk side all three points.

Ebeenezer: Exciting, fast-paced team with old and new players mixing in well. O'Shea finally taking on the captain's role, Diop running like a gazelle, Maeda working with Emersonn well. Defence was a true team effort - the goalie was only average at times but made one save that paid his wages. Substitutions excellent in composition and timing from our new manager. Let's hope all games are as exciting and the goals keep plopping into the net.

Sunderland fans

Denise: Deja Vu. We had plenty of possession and played some decent football, but like last season sloppy mistakes and our limited ability to create or capitalise on goal scoring opportunities cost us the game.

Stephen: Our biggest flaw last season was on full display at Ipswich - struggling to create enough opportunities to score goals, and when we did create opportunities they were wasted.

David: Two errors eventually cost us in a game we looked like we could go on to win at the break. More questions than answers for the management, particularly around the back four line up, the right side of midfield and how to improve our goal threat. Definitely no need for panic but a home win next weekend would help to calm the early season nerves.

Walter: It will be a hard season for the Black Cats and my advice would be to play reserves in European matches. I wish them good luck. Good goal from the free kick, but they need to create more in open play and turn possession in to effective possession, which is exactly what Ipswich did in this opener.

Chris Wise
Final score reporter

Image source, Getty Images

South Americans in Suffolk; they were all the rage over the weekend.

Quite a few make the conversation list. Brazilian Emersonn, who scored on his Premier League debut, offered an industrious, clever display in Ipswich's forward line. For someone of his age playing at this level for the first time, I thought he grew into the game nicely after his goal.

Then there was the Ecuadorian Nilson Angulo's free-kick for Sunderland, which was very special. The pace was too much even for the wingspan of the giant Kjell Scherpen in the Ipswich goal.

But the best player on the pitch - in my opinion - was Julio Enciso. The most expensive of all of Ipswich's recruits, but the Paraguayan looked every inch the business at Portman Road on Saturday. A crowd pleaser, a creator, a force of energy and enthusiasm; he was the point of difference. It'll help Enciso that he has an existing relationship with Ipswich Town, and he certainly played like he felt at home.

These are early days, but Ipswich had a balance about them that perhaps wasn't there when they were last in the Premier League. Defensively, they looked steady, but there's an exciting buzz about their forward line. And it feels like Enciso could be front and centre of that.

Match of the Day's Wayne Rooney is full of praise for Ipswich Town on their return to the Premier League as they earn a late victory over Sunderland.