Paul Merson has made a prediction ahead of Ipswich Town’s Premier League encounter with Aston Villa on Sunday.
The Tractor Boys are still looking for their first win of the season, sitting in 17th place, while the Villans are comfortably third after four wins in five Premier League games this season.
So, what does Paul Merson predict to happen between Ipswich Town and Aston Villa? Let us have a look.
What Paul Merson said about Ipswich Town vs Aston Villa
The guy who made 144 games for Aston Villa is now backing his former club to beat Kieran McKenna at Portman Road on Sunday.
Merson wrote for Sportskeeda: “Aston Villa are flying right now. They play Bayern Munich in the Champions League at Villa Park after this game; who would have predicted it 10 years ago?
“They can’t get sidetracked by that game because they need to deal with this first. You do not want to be the first side to be defeated by Ipswich. I believe Ipswich can cause issues for Villa early in the game, but if the visitors can handle the early pressure and have a positive mentality, they will easily win by the end of the game. 0-2.”
The 56-year-old also discussed if Aston Villa can qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the second consecutive season.
Merson added: “I believe Villa will have the advantage over the other teams in finishing inside the top four this season. However, it also depends on how much they participate in the Champions League; there are a lot of games to cope with. As I have stated, they must avoid becoming distracted by their European exploits; this is Villa’s difficulty.
Familiar face
Aston Villa fans will be familiar with one Ipswich Town player ahead of Sunday’s match: Axel Tuanzebe.
Between 2018 and 2022, the Ipswich Town No.40 completed three consecutive loan spells at Villa Park, making 46 appearances in all, before joining the Tractor Boys permanently in September 2023.
Tuanzebe was thought to want a permanent move to Aston Villa before settling at Portman Road, and after helping the Villans return to – and stay in – the Premier League, he will undoubtedly receive a hearty round of applause from the visiting fans on Sunday.
