Ipswich Town host Nottingham Forest at Portman Road Stadium on Friday, October 23, as Premier League matchday eight begins. Ipswich are 10th after seven matches, while Forest arrive in 19th place. Both teams lost their latest league fixtures, but their recent results tell different stories: Ipswich pushed Manchester City in a 3-2 defeat, whereas Forest fell 1-0 to Arsenal for their third successive loss. This Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest preview centres on a striking contrast. The hosts have scored regularly but conceded 15 league goals; Forest have scored only five, yet have found the net in each of their last 13 Premier League away matches.

Ipswich Town's Recent Form and Key Stats

Ipswich Town followed a 2-1 victory over Fulham with a narrow defeat to Manchester City on October 17. They had only 30% possession against City but still recorded eight shots, three on target, and created three big chances. Their 1.86 expected goals in that match underline why there were positives to take from the performance despite the result.

Across their last five matches, Ipswich have two wins and three defeats, averaging 1.8 goals scored and 2.2 conceded. Their Premier League record stands at three wins and four losses, with averages of 1.6 goals scored and 2.1 allowed per game. The attacking output has made them the league's fifth-highest-scoring side so far, but defensive results have been harder to control: they have conceded 15 times in seven league fixtures.

Home form offers encouragement ahead of Forest's visit. Ipswich have won two of their three home league games this season, with a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool the exception. More broadly, they have scored in 19 of their last 20 home matches, while each of their last 10 home games has featured over 1.5 total goals. They also scored twice against Arsenal in an EFL Cup game at this venue last month.

Abdoul Ouatarra has contributed to a goal in each of Ipswich's last two matches, scoring against Everton and providing an assist against Manchester City. Zian Flemming came off the bench to score his second goal of the season from the penalty spot in the City game. Sasa Lukic could return to the squad if he is cleared following a groin injury; no other Ipswich injury concerns were reported for this fixture.

Nottingham Forest's Recent Form and Key Stats

Nottingham Forest held out for 80 minutes against Arsenal on October 18 before Noni Madueke scored the only goal. That result extended Forest's losing streak to three matches. Over their last five games, they have registered one win, one draw and three defeats, scoring an average of 0.6 goals and conceding 1.2 per match. Their league record is one win, two draws and four losses.

Forest's five Premier League goals are the fewest in the competition this season. Their chance creation, however, presents a different picture: they are averaging 1.60 expected goals per 90 minutes, the league's seventh-highest figure. Turning those opportunities into goals has been the bigger difficulty. Forest average 0.7 goals scored and 1.3 conceded per league match, numbers that explain both their position and the importance of finding a sharper finish.

The visitors have taken one win, one draw and one defeat from their three away games this season. Their longer away scoring run is more consistent: Forest have scored in each of their last 13 Premier League away matches. All 13 of those fixtures featured over 1.5 total goals, and their last 10 league away games each produced over 2.5. Forest have also lost only one of their last four league visits to Portman Road since November 2016.

Morgan Gibbs-White missed the Arsenal defeat with a muscle strain but was pictured in team training this week. He had created three chances across three matches before his absence. Igor Jesus and Nicolo Savona are ruled out with calf and knee injuries, respectively. Dan Ndoye, meanwhile, is averaging 3.28 shots and 0.77 shots on target per 90 minutes this season.

Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest Match Analysis

The home side's scoring record makes them a threat, particularly given their run of goals at Portman Road. Yet Ipswich have also allowed more than two goals per game on average in the league, and their five most recent matches have produced an average of 2.2 goals conceded. Forest's low goal total cannot be ignored, but neither can their run of 13 successive Premier League away games with a goal or their expected-goals figure this season.

Recent meetings add another consideration. Forest completed a league double over Ipswich in the 2024-25 campaign, and the latest head-to-head finished 4-2 on March 15, 2025. Across the five meetings covered by the supplied head-to-head record, Ipswich have no wins, two draws and three defeats, averaging 0.8 goals scored and 1.8 conceded. Those results favour the visitors historically, although Ipswich's current home scoring record gives this fixture a different immediate context.

The question for Ipswich is whether they can sustain their attacking output while limiting the chances they concede. For Forest, it is whether promising chance creation can finally produce a stronger return in front of goal. With Ipswich scoring in 19 of their last 20 home matches and Forest finding the net throughout their 13-match Premier League away scoring run, there is a clear factual case for both sides contributing to the scoreline.

Ipswich Town vs Nottingham Forest prediction from BetMines: Both Teams To Score (Yes) with 54% probability.