Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town| Match Preview & Prediction & Report | 2026/2027 | Premier League

Premier League 2026/27 – Matchweek 4
Saturday, 12 September 2026 | Selhurst Park, London

Crystal Palace return to Selhurst Park with momentum finally moving in the right direction. After losing their opening two Premier League matches, Pierre Sage's side produced a dramatic 3–2 comeback victory at Fulham before beating Middlesbrough 3–0 in the Carabao Cup in midweek. Ipswich Town arrive in London after the opposite trajectory: an opening victory over Sunderland followed by consecutive defeats against Manchester United and Liverpool.

For Palace, this represents an opportunity to turn an encouraging week into genuine early-season momentum. For promoted Ipswich, it is another examination of whether their ambitious attacking approach can survive against established Premier League opposition.

Where Crystal Palace Stand

Palace's opening league results:

Everton 2–0 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace 1–4 Manchester City
Fulham 2–3 Crystal Palace

That leaves Sage's team with:
3 points | 4 goals scored | 8 conceded

The defensive numbers remain concerning, but the Fulham victory changed the mood considerably. Palace fell behind twice at Craven Cottage but responded on both occasions before eventually winning 3–2. Tyrick Mitchell scored twice and substitute Ben Chilwell produced the winner.

It was significant beyond the three points. Palace's first two matches had raised questions about how quickly Sage could establish his ideas after replacing Oliver Glasner. Against Fulham, there was finally evidence of resilience and attacking flexibility.

Wednesday's 3–0 League Cup victory over Middlesbrough extended that improvement. Palace now enter this fixture looking for a third consecutive victory across competitions.

There is still an important qualification. Palace have struggled at Selhurst Park for much of 2026. Among Premier League ever-presents, only Tottenham have collected fewer home points during the calendar year. Beating Ipswich would therefore represent progress in an area where Palace need it.

Where Ipswich Town Stand

Ipswich's Premier League results:

Ipswich Town 2–1 Sunderland
Manchester United 5–2 Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town 0–2 Liverpool

Their record:
3 points | 4 goals scored | 8 conceded

The opening victory over Sunderland demonstrated that Ipswich possess enough attacking quality to compete at this level. The following two matches demonstrated the other side of promotion.

They conceded five at Old Trafford before Liverpool scored twice inside the opening nine minutes at Portman Road last Friday. Alexander Isak's early double effectively decided the match before Ipswich had properly settled into it. That means Ipswich have now conceded seven goals across their last two Premier League matches.

The underlying defensive numbers also deserve attention. Their expected-goals-against figure has reached approximately 6.1 xGA, placing them among the league's weakest defensive sides during the opening weeks.

Ipswich's problem is therefore not simply individual defensive mistakes. Matches are becoming too easy to open up. And that is dangerous against a Palace team built to attack space.

Betting Patterns Insights
High recent scorelines do not automatically mean another high-scoring match. Palace are now favourites rather than underdogs, which changes their tactical responsibility. Ipswich have also had a full week to analyse why their structure was exposed against Manchester United and Liverpool.

The stronger pattern may therefore be slightly different:

Palace to create chances rather than simply Over 3.5 Goals. Ipswich's defensive vulnerability has been more consistent than Palace's attacking output. That distinction matters when choosing the market.
Best Betting Angles
※ Crystal Palace Over 1.5 Team Goals※ Crystal Palace Draw No Bet
Final Verdict
Palace's season finally appears to be moving forward.

The 3–2 victory at Fulham was important not merely because it produced their first three points. Twice falling behind and twice responding demonstrated resilience after a difficult start under Sage. The subsequent 3–0 League Cup victory has strengthened that momentum.

Ipswich remain dangerous. Their opening victory against Sunderland showed that they can compete at Premier League level, and players such as Enciso, Fatawu and Maeda give O'Neil genuine attacking weapons.

The problem is defensive. Seven goals conceded across the last two league matches is difficult to overlook, particularly when travelling to a Palace side that historically enjoys this matchup.

Palace have won the last five meetings between the clubs, including both Premier League encounters in 2024/25. I do not expect this one to be as controlled as those two 1–0 victories. Ipswich should create opportunities.

But Palace's improving confidence, home advantage and greater ability to exploit transition spaces give Sage's team the edge.
Confidence: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Crystal Palace 2 : 3 Ipswich Town