Ipswich Town

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Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna felt his side have much to learn from their 3-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday at Portman Road.

Ipswich have climbed to third in the Championship, but McKenna claimed there were good parts and bad bits to their performance.

He told BBC Radio Suffolk: "It's good to get the win, it's good to get the three points.

"The first half, we weren't great. It was a tense performance. We got the first goal from a set-play, but we knew at half-time we had to play better and I thought for most of the second half we did that.

"It's another lesson in how the game is and it's not over at 2-0. We eased off for a few moments, they got their goal from a set-play and the game was alive again.

"It was a bit nervy, but then we got the third goal and it was over.

"There are lots of lessons to learn in there and there were bits where we played well, bits where we didn't, bits we managed and bits we didn't manage so well. There's lots to take from it. We'll take the lessons and move on."

Sheffield Wednesday will look to break a resolute Ipswich Town on the Tractor Boy's own soil when they make the trip on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Wednesday have scored the least goals of any Championship team this season (15) and will face a tough challenge to add to that tally against an Ipswich side racking up clean sheets at Portman Road.

But the Owls' one and only win this season came on the road, while the hosts lost last time out to Leicester City to show they are not infallible.

• Ipswich did the league double over Sheffield Wednesday when they last faced in 2023-24, as many victories as they'd managed in their previous 11 against the Owls (D5 L4).

• Sheffield Wednesday failed to score in both meetings with Ipswich in 2023-24, having found the net in 18 in a row against them before this. They've never gone three without a goal against the Tractor Boys before.

• Ipswich have won 22 points in home matches in the Championship this season, with only Coventry (26) and Middlesbrough (23) winning more. The Tractor Boys have only conceded one goal across the most recent five on home soil in the league, keeping four clean sheets.

• Sheffield Wednesday have only won one of their last 13 away matches in the Championship (D7 L5), with that lone victory in this run coming at Portsmouth back in September (2-0).

• Ipswich's Marcelino Nunez has been directly involved in eight goals in the Championship this season (3 goals, 5 assists), only once having more goal involvements in a single campaign (10 for Norwich in 2024-25). Indeed, his five assists are already his most in a Championship season to date.

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Ipswich Town full-back Darnell Furlong is certain they will be "up there" in the promotion battle at the end of the season despite Saturday's 3-1 defeat by Leicester City.

Town went into the game on the back of clean-sheet wins over Coventry City and Stoke City but were outplayed at the King Power Stadium, where Abdul Fatawu scored one of Leicester's goals from his own half.

"It's very frustrating. We had a great week and wanted to make it the perfect week, but things went against us," Furlong told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"They scored against the run of play at the start, we were doing well to that point, and then conceded another goal which we won't concede again this season.

"That put us massively on the back foot, we tried to come back, we always believed but I don't think we managed to show exactly the qualities to get back and score three goals."

Furlong said they were still "growing" as a team despite being fifth in the table and rejected the idea that their exertions against leaders Coventry and Stoke might have been a factor in their loss.

"No, I don't think so. We've got a great squad, we're fit, we train hard and this is what we prepare for," he said.

"We've shown what we're capable of so it's a case of washing our hands of this one and go again on Saturday.

"The squad is more than good enough, it's just about putting things together, we're a new group, still learning each other and how we want to be, but I have no doubt that come the end of the season we'll be up there, we're too strong not to be."

Ipswich are at home to bottom club Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna saw Town's fine run ended by Leicester in a 3-1 loss at the King Power Stadium and he felt the Foxes' two stunning first-half goals decided the game.

McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk: "It was a bit of a strange game. The goals had a big bearing on it, which is obvious to say, but they've scored two worldies in the first half.

"They've scored a goal just before half-time, which is as good as you'll see anywhere, and it changes the feeling for both sides.

"It simply wasn't our day.

"We know a Leicester team with confidence and they score two goals like that, then you're facing one of the best teams in the league for sure."

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Stuttering Leicester need to pick up some form soon if they are to live up to their expectations of making a push for promotion.

They'll be looking to bounce back on Saturday against Ipswich (15:00 GMT) after squandering a two-goal lead in Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Bristol City.

In-form Ipswich are unbeaten in their past three games and could make it three wins on the spin if they claim three points at the King Power Stadium.

Kieran McKenna's side, who sit fourth in the Championship, have tasted defeat just once across their past 10 matches (W6 D3).

• Leicester City are unbeaten in their last six league games against Ipswich Town (W3 D3) since a 1-0 defeat back in March 2013 under Nigel Pearson.

• Ipswich are winless in their last 11 away league matches against Leicester (D5 L6) since winning 2-1 on Boxing Day in 2002.

• Leicester lost their last home league game, going down 3-2 to Sheffield United – they last suffered consecutive home Championship defeats in March 2024, with the second of those defeats coming against Martí Cifuentes when he was QPR manager.

• Ipswich Town have picked up 10 points in their last five away league games (W3 D1 L1), more than in their previous 15 games on the road combined (9).

• Leicester have lost nine home league games in 2025 – only twice before have they lost more: 10 in both 1914 and 2007.

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Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna says it is hard to acclimatise to the Championship again after relegation from the Premier League.

The Tractor Boys visit Leicester City on Saturday (15:00 GMT) for a meeting between two sides who dropped down from the top flight last season.

Town are fourth - five points off the automatic promotion spots - but the Foxes have endured an inconsistent season so far and sit 13th, three points back from the play-off places.

"It's probably different for different clubs but it is difficult and especially if you don't get off to a good start and you can't get that momentum and turn it around if you're coming off a losing season," McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"Trying to get that turned around is certainly not easy. You've seen all different things over the years. You've seen teams get off to a good start then everyone is happy and things push on.

"You've seen Luton compete in the Premier League and then get relegated straight through [to League One]. And then you've seen everything in-between over the last decade.

"It's certainly a challenge and turning around momentum in all aspects from the season before is difficult and that's what we're still fighting to do here."

McKenna says Leicester are "probably not happy with where they are and it's not gone as well as they would've liked".

However, he is still expecting a difficult game and says it will take a "big performance" to pick up all three points.

"It's of course a challenge coming down from the Premier League," McKenna added.

"Still when I watch them, they're very often the better footballing side in a game. They play very well through the pitch and play some good football.

"They still have really good players. I think Marti [Cifuentes] is a really good coach. He did a really good job at QPR, certainly when we faced him in the Championship last time around, I thought they were really well-organised."

Listen to McKenna's pre-match interview in full on BBC Sounds.

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Ipswich Town winger Jaden Philogene was content to let his boots do the talking as his latest spectacular goal kept them firmly in the Championship play-off picture.

Philogene curled the ball perfectly into the far corner after it was played into his path by Marcelino Nunez, his seventh goal of the campaign, and that was enough to secure a 1-0 home win over Stoke City.

"It's probably my third or second best (of the season)," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"We've worked on it in training, he gave me the one two and when it left my foot I didn't know it was going in but I knew it was going to be a good shot."

Philogene's tally in 2025-26 also includes a hat-trick against Sheffield United and a 30-yard strike in the East Anglia derby against Norwich City.

Asked about his opinion of Chile international Nunez, who joined Town from arch-rivals Norwich in the summer, Philogene simply replied: "What a player - he's always smiling and making me smile."

And on his personal goals tally so far, he said: "It's ok, I'd like a few more. I've got my own goals (target), I wouldn't say it, but double figures, of course."

Ipswich are away to Leicester City, who were relegated from the Premier League alongside them in May, on Saturday, before hosting bottom club Sheffield Wednesday in their final game before Christmas.

"It's a big game against a tough opponent (at Leicester). We've just got to keep playing our game, keep playing well and we'll see the result on Saturday," Philogene added.

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna spoke to BBC Radio Suffolk after Wednesday's 1-0 win against Stoke in the Championship:

"It was a brilliant goal [from Jaden Philogene] and one to really enjoy. It's similar to a few we've scored down here over the years in terms of build-up on the right side, then switch to the left side and then of course brilliant quality from Jaden in a combination with [Marcelino Nunez] and a brilliant strike. It was a great way to start the game.

"You have to give Stoke credit. In the first half they played really well, they went 1-0 down and they were throwing the kitchen sink at it in terms of pressing us a lot.

"There was a lot of space for us and we just couldn't get the final pass. We missed a big chance to go 2-0 up that might have knocked the stuffing out of them, but we didn't and they kept pushing and pushing.

"It was good to get to half-time. We knew we had to make some more passes and not go for the goal so quickly, even though there was space there. The second-half performance was really good and was only missing the last bit of execution to open up the margin on the scoreline."

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Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna has praised Stoke City manager Mark Robins for his longevity in the game but isn't in a rush to emulate it.

The Tractor Boys welcome the Potters to Portman Road on Wednesday night and McKenna is expecting a tough game despite Stoke's 4-0 loss at Sheffield United on Saturday.

"I think they've been playing really well," McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"I've been impressed. One of the best footballing sides in the division for sure.

"I think they'd probably say themselves, Saturday was a one-off in terms of a game really getting away from them. Other than that, they've been tight in every game.

"We're expecting a really good team, a really good footballing test. It should make for a good game, so we're looking forward to it."

McKenna said Robins is doing "a really good job" at Stoke, with both sides fighting for promotion ahead of this fixture.

"Fair play, brilliant career as a manager after a good career as a player as well, big credit to him," McKenna said.

"They [Stoke] have had quite a few years in the division where they've not quite been able to get it going.

"This has been maybe the best they've done for quite a while and it's no surprise he's had a big input.

"He's a very good manager but that level of longevity is to be respected but not repeated in my case."

Listen to Kieran McKenna's full pre-match press conference on BBC Sounds.

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The FA Cup third round draw was made on Monday evening, with all 24 Championship clubs entering at this stage of the competition.

Ties will take place between Thursday, 8 January and Monday, 12 January.

These are the ties involving Championship clubs:

• Cambridge United v Birmingham City

• Hull City v Blackburn Rovers

• Bristol City v Watford

• Charlton Athletic v Chelsea

• Stoke City v Coventry

• Derby County v Leeds United

• Ipswich Town v Blackpool

• Cheltenham Town v Leicester City

• Fulham v Middlesbrough

• Burnley v Millwall

• Norwich City v Walsall

• MK Dons v Oxford United

• Portsmouth v Arsenal

• Preston North End v Wigan Athletic

• West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers

• Sheffield United v Mansfield Town

• Sheffield Wednesday v Brentford

• Doncaster Rovers v Southampton

• Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion

• Wrexham v Nottingham Forest

You can see the full draw here.

Ipswich and Stoke will both look to strengthen their bid for promotion when they meet in the Championship at Portman Road on Wednesday night (19:45 GMT).

The Tractor Boys bounced back from two games without a win with an impressive 3-0 victory over leaders Coventry on Saturday.

The Potters have stuttered in recent weeks, winning just one of their past five games (L4) including a heavy 4-0 loss at Sheffield United last time out.

• Ipswich have won just one of their past 10 league games against Stoke (D5 L4), though it did come in their most recent home meeting with the Potters in August 2023 (2-0).

• Stoke failed to score in either league meeting with Ipswich when they last faced in 2023-24, only once before going three without a goal against the Tractor Boys (between 1986 and 1987).

• Ipswich won nine of their 11 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) home league games between 2022-23 and 2023-24 (D2), but since the start of last season have lost three of their four at Portman Road (D1).

• Stoke have won their past two midweek (Tues, Weds, Thurs) Championship games, last having a longer winning run between November 2022 and February 2023 (4).

• Ipswich's Jack Clarke has been involved in three goals in his past four league appearances against Stoke, scoring one and assisting two.

Marc Webber
BBC Final Score

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Whilst Sindre Walle Egeli, George Hirst and Ivan Azon may have had their name in lights in the 3-0 Coventry win, the unsung hero was keeper Christian Walton.

The second-choice stopper made three crucial saves during the game. The most important ones in quick succession 28 minutes in, pushing a Josh Eccles shot onto the post and then being alert to the quick second phase to paw over a goal-bound opportunity from Ephron Mason-Clark.

Saturday's heroics were the fourth time in 10 games that Walton has stopped opposing teams from scoring. That puts him joint first in the Championship clean sheet percentage table with Millwall's Max Crocombe.

Admittedly, both have only played 10 games this season, as opposed to regulars like Coventry's Carl Rushworth, on a 37% clean-sheet ratio.

But Walton's clean-sheet record gets extra kudos when you see the player he is standing-in for, Alex Palmer, who has only kept one clean sheet in the same number of games as Walton before he was injured.

Walton has always been the bridesmaid and never the bride at Ipswich.

Question is, has he done enough to keep the Number One spot when Palmer returns from injury?

Palmer is back in training after his calf injury, so it will only be a matter of days or a couple of weeks before he is back in contention.

When it is time for that decision to be made, could renowned squad rotator Kieran McKenna change back to Palmer, or do the stats suggest Walton deserves to hold his place as first-choice keeper?

Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna has called on his team for greater consistency after the 3-0 victory over Championship leaders Coventry.

The Tractor Boys are fourth after handing Frank Lampard's side just their second defeat this term, but have yet to win more than two games in a row this season.

"We showed quality with the ball and composure in the second half and belief to play through the pressure," he told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"We defended well and counter-attacked well and I thought we were good value for it.

"We know where we're at. We're developing as a team, but there's still inconsistencies there that we're working through.

"But we know when teams give us space, whenever we have the confidence we know we can play really, really well and I also know that we can defend really well.

"We know we're capable of performances like that, but we also know it's a brutal, relentless 46-game league and it's about consistency and how you go after a good day and after a bad day, the strength of your mentality, it tests all those things."

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Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna hopes a few days at home following three games in a week on the road will enable his team to be at their best against Championship leaders Coventry City.

Town won at Hull, but then lost to Oxford United and drew with Blackburn, leaving them seventh in the table, but 15 points adrift of the Sky Blues.

"It's going to be a big challenge and we're going to be tested," McKenna told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"We back ourselves in every situation and against every opponent, but it's not going to be easy so we're going to need the crowd and create a proper Portman Road atmosphere to give ourselves the best chance to win the game.

"We've left some points out there across the games so far and we want to try and catch up those points as quickly as we can.

"Tomorrow we get a test against the best team in the division across the first 18 games, and a really strong team in top form, so that's a great challenge that gives a chance to take a big step forward and give ourselves a big boost."

He added: "In general, this season, there's been three games where we haven't had better chances than the opposition - there was Birmingham on the first night, Middlesbrough away and the other night (against Blackburn).

"We're creating chances and not giving too much away in general. Of course we want to be better, of course we've had a few frustrating games where it's been hard to break down stubborn opponents, but the other night was the first time the game really got on top of us."

Forward Sammie Szmodics will be available for selection after recovering well from a knee operation.

He last played in a 1-0 home win over West Bromwich Albion on 25 October.

Ipswich Town will need to defeat a formidable Coventry City on Saturday (15:00 GMT) if they are to regain a place inside the top six.

The Tractor Boys are currently just one point outside the play-off places but now have the unenviable task of welcoming the league leaders, who are 10 points ahead of the pack.

With Ipswich the joint-second highest scorers in the league (30) and the Sky Blues making history with their scoring prowess (50), this one could be electric should it live up to its billing.

• Ipswich have won four of their last six league games against Coventry (D1 L1), doing the double over the Sky Blues when they last faced in 2023-24.

• Coventry have won two of their last four away league games against Ipswich (L2), more than they had in their previous 27 visits to Portman Road (D8 L18).

• Ipswich have lost just one of their nine home league games this season (W4 D4), going down 3-0 against Charlton Athletic in October.

• Since Frank Lampard's first game in charge on 30th November 2024, Coventry have scored more league goals than any other side in England's top four tiers (92), while only Birmingham (32) have won more games than the Sky Blues (29).

• Coventry's 3-1 win over Charlton last time out saw them reach 50 goals for the season in 18 games, the fastest a second tier side has scored 50+ in a campaign since Sheffield Wednesday in 1958-59 (16).