Ipswich Town vs Sunderland will kick off on 22 Aug 2026 at 10:00 EST and 15:00 GMT.
Ipswich are back in the big time
The Tractor Boys have spent more than £100m on 10 new arrivals in an attempt to make the team more durable than they were after relegation two years ago, when they focused on signing Championship-proven players. They've got the fourth-highest net spend figure in the Premier League at the time of writing.
Issa Diop and Sasa Lukic joined from Fulham, while Florentino Luís was snapped up from Burnley to bolster their central midfield options. Manager Gary O'Neil will lean heavily on the returning creative midfielder Julio Enciso. The 22-year-old Paraguayan is back for a second stint with the Tractor Boys after a spell with Brighton. Ipswich's most eye-grabbing signing, however, is Brazilian striker Emerson, who arrives for £24m from Toulouse.
Getty ImagesTractor Boys will look to force turnovers
Last season, Ipswich were masters of exploiting high turnovers. They generated shots from 22.2% of them, more than double the Championship’s average rate of 10.4%.
Black Cats are now established in the Premier League
Arguably one of the stories of last season, Sunderland finished seventh in their first season back in the EPL, their highest finish since the 1999-2000 season under Peter Reid. We'll have to see how manager Régis Le Bris handles the extra rigours of European football thrown into the schedule, but it's a nice problem to have as they embark on their first continental adventure in 53 years. Experienced Belgian defender Thomas Meunier is their only major acquisition so far after arriving on a free transfer from Lille. They've also kept hold of skipper and midfield lynchpin Granit Xhaka despite interest in the Swiss veteran from Chelsea. DR Congo star Noah Sadiki will operate alongside Xhaka in a double pivot.
Getty ImagesNortheast bragging rights
Le Bris’ side completed the double over arch-rivals Newcastle United, extending their league run to 11 games unbeaten.
Sunderland are happy without the ball
The Black Cats averaged the fifth-lowest possession in the Premier League last season, with 44.9%, and only the three relegated sides and Everton recorded less possession. They'll need to augment their squad before the window closes, with potentially 50+ matches on their schedule this season.
SunderlandLikely XIs
Ipswich (4231): Scherpen; O'Shea, Diop, Greaves, Davis; Lukic, Nunez; Fatawu, Enciso, Maeda; Emersonn.
Sunderland (433): Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Hume; Xhaka, Sadiki, Le Fée; Talbi, Brobbey, Angulo.
SunderlandTeam news & squads
Ipswich Town vs Sunderland Probable lineups
Gary O'Neil is without Azor Matusiwa and Jack Taylor through injury as Ipswich prepare for the Premier League opener. No suspensions are currently recorded, and no confirmed probable lineup has been released ahead of the fixture. Updates will be added closer to kick-off.
Regis Le Bris faces injury concerns of his own, with Omar Alderete and Nordi Mukiele both sidelined for Sunderland. There are no suspensions to report, and Le Bris has not yet confirmed his projected XI. Further team news is expected as the match approaches.
Form
Ipswich head into this fixture with three wins from their last five outings in pre-season friendlies, against a backdrop of two defeats. Their most recent result was a commanding 3-0 win over Rayo Vallecano on August 8, while they also edged past Le Havre 1-0 earlier in the month. The two losses came against Oxford United, who beat them 2-0, and Osasuna, who won 2-1. Across those five matches, Ipswich scored eight goals and conceded five.
Sunderland have also posted three wins from their last five pre-season games. Their most recent outing ended in a 2-0 victory over Lens on August 8, and they beat Wrexham 1-0 earlier in pre-season. Defeats came against Leeds United and Liverpool, the latter a 4-2 loss. Sunderland scored ten goals across the five matches and conceded six, suggesting an attacking intent that has been consistent throughout their warm-up programme.
Head-to-Head Record
Head to Head
The most recent meeting between these two clubs came in the Championship on January 13, 2024, when Ipswich Town won 2-1 at Portman Road. Across the last five recorded head-to-head fixtures, Ipswich hold the upper hand with three wins to Sunderland's one, with one match ending in a draw. The sides have met across Championship and League One competition in recent years, with Ipswich winning both Championship encounters.
Standings
In the Premier League table, Ipswich Town are currently placed 12th, while Sunderland sit in 19th position.