- Ipswich have won just once in the Premier League at Portman Road this season
- Brighton have drawn three top-flight away games on the bounce
- Recommended bet: Draw

Ipswich have given their Premier League survival hopes a real boost over recent weeks and they will be eyeing another positive result when Brighton visit Portman Road on Thursday.

The Tractor Boys have picked up four points from their last two top-flight fixtures, following up an eye-catching 2-0 home success over Chelsea with a 2-2 away draw at Fulham, while they have also progressed in the FA Cup, seeing off League One Bristol Rovers 3-0 on Sunday.

Brighton also enjoyed cup success at the weekend, thrashing Championship Norwich 4-0, but the Seagulls will head into this one without a win in eight league games, with too many draws threatening to derail their hopes of qualifying for Europe.

Team news

Ipswich will be without forward Sammie Szmodics due to the ankle injury he picked up against Fulham and he joins Conor Chaplin (knee), Omari Hutchinson (groin) and longer term absentees Chiedozie Ogbene (Achilles) and Axel Tuanzebe (thigh) on the treatment table.

Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler has confirmed Igor Julio will miss the rest of the season after undergoing hamstring surgery, but fellow defenders Lewis Dunk, Adam Webster and Jan Paul van Hecke have been passed fit.

Joao Pedro remains a doubt with an ankle injury, while Georginio Rutter and Yankubu Minteh are being assessed after picking up knocks in the cup win at Norwich.

This game will come too soon for Evan Ferguson, who is continuing his own recovery from an ankle issue.

The stats

Ipswich have picked up as many points (four) and scored as many goals (four) in their last two Premier League games than they had in the previous seven combined.

Kieran McKenna's side had failed to win all season at Portman Road before beating Chelsea at the end of December, but they have since followed that up with another home success against Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup.

Town striker Liam Delap has scored in back-to-back Premier League games and he has been responsible for eight of his side's 20 goals in the top flight this season.

Brighton have drawn 10 times in the Premier League this season — more than any other side heading into the midweek action — with each of their last four top-flight games ending all square.

A run of eight league games without a victory is Brighton's longest winless run in the top flight since going 11 without success between September to December 2021.

The last three meetings between these two sides have finished all-square, including a goalless draw in their reverse meeting at the Amex Stadium in September.

Prediction

Ipswich are improving and have given themselves real hope of Premier League survival over recent weeks, but they have won just three of 20 top-flight games this season and are perhaps over reliant on Delap's goals.

To his credit, Delap keeps delivering and he could help ensure the Tractor Boys extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to four matches on Thursday, but it is hard to see them beating Brighton.

The Seagulls returned to winning ways in style against Norwich in the cup, but they are struggling to put teams away in the Premier League and there is a reason why they are the division's draw specialists.

These two teams played out a 0-0 draw at Brighton in August and although this encounter may prove a little more entertaining, another share of the spoils would surprise no one.

Back the draw at 5/2 with LiveScore Bet

Win up to £250,000 with LiveScore 6!

Win up to £250,000 with our free-to-play game, LiveScore 6!

Predict the score of all six LiveScore 6 fixtures for your chance to win. 18+, UK/Ireland residents only, T&Cs apply.