Ayyoub Bouaddi is set for his first Premier League start in this afternoon’s match against Ipswich Town, with Phil Foden also returning to the XI.
An unused substitute in our UEFA Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, Foden makes his first appearance since September’s Manchester derby victory.
Bouaddi, meanwhile, gets the nod to start for the first time in the Premier League after an impressive second half showing from the 19-year-old against PSG.
Enzo Maresca makes six changes in total from Wednesday evening, with Matheus Nunes, Nico O’Reilly, Mateo Kovačić and Iliman Ndiaye also introduced.
Teams
City XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias (C), Guéhi, O’Reilly, Bouaddi, Kovačić, Ndiaye, Foden, Doku, Haaland
Subs: Rulli, Anderson, Cherki, Fernández, Aït-Nouri, Gvardiol, Allan, Semenyo, Khusanov
Ipswich XI: Walton, Ouattara, O’Shea (C), Diop, Greaves, Davis, Florentino, Palacios, Enciso, Maeda, Emersonn
Subs: Scherpen, Furlong, Kipre, Matusiwa, Fatawu, Philogene, Clarke, Akpom, Flemming
How we line up
We expect Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goal to be shielded by a back four of Nunes, Rúben Dias, Marc Guéhi and O’Reilly.
Bouaddi and Kovačić should dictate play from deep, with Foden in front and supporting our attacking trident of Ndiaye, Erling Haaland and Jérémy Doku.
City’s formation will be typically fluid and hard to predict, but you’d suspect Ndiaye to occupy the right flank and Doku the left.
Seven in seven?
City and Enzo Maresca stand on the cusp of breaking a Premier League record this afternoon.
A win over Ipswich would confirm Maresca as the first manager in Premier League history to win his first seven matches in charge of a club.
Only Chelsea in 2005/06 (nine) and Liverpool in 2019/20 (eight) have won more matches at the start of a Premier League season.
There’ve been gritty wins over Bournemouth, Coventry and Manchester United, and classy performances against Crystal Palace, Sunderland and Liverpool across our first six league fixtures.
You’d imagine City and Maresca won’t care what sort of win we can grab against Ipswich, as long as we ultimately get the three points and that record!
The late show
The Tractor Boys aren’t here to simply make up the numbers though, and have enjoyed a strong start on their return to the top flight.
If their three wins so far this season are anything to go by, expect some late drama at the Etihad today.
All three of their victories and come via 90th minute goals – as many stoppage time winners as they’d scored in their first six Premier League campaigns combined.
City have shown we’re more than capable of digging deep and seeing out a result if we need to, and if the game is finely poised today heading into the latter stages, the number suggest we’ll need to do the same again.
Stat Zone
- City most recently faced Ipswich in the 2024/25 Premier League season, winning both games by an aggregate score of 10-1 (4-1 at the Etihad, 6-0 at Portman Road).
- Ipswich have played 33 away games against Man City in all competitions and have kept just one clean sheet, with goalkeeper Paul Cooper recording a shutout in a 1-0 win at Maine Road in March 1983.
- City are unbeaten in 31 Premier League games against promoted sides (W28 D3) since losing 2-1 to Leeds in April 2021. We’ve kept a clean sheet in 10 of their last 12, while at the Etihad they’ve won all 16 games since that defeat to Leeds, scoring 53 goals in the process.
- City have won each of our six Premier League games so far this season – only once in our league history have they won our first seven from the start of a league campaign, doing so in the second tier in 1897-98.
- Ipswich have won three of their six Premier League games so far this season (L3), just one fewer than they did in the whole of 2024-25 (W4 D10 L24).
- All three of Ipswich’s Premier League wins this season have come via 90th minute goals – it’s as many 90th minute winners as they’d scored in their first six campaigns in the competition combined.
- Erling Haaland has four goals in two Premier League games against Ipswich Town, while he’s scored 20 goals in 21 appearances against newly promoted sides. Of players with 10+ games against promoted teams, only Alexander Isak (one every 69 minutes) and Thierry Henry (one every 74 minutes) have a better minutes per goal ratio than Haaland (one every 82 minutes).
Be at City v AEK Athens!
We welcome the Greek champions in a 20:00 (UK) kick-off on Tuesday 20 October for our third game in this year’s League Phase.
Known for their vociferous support and enjoying their first Champions League campaign since 2018/19, the striking yellow and black colours of AEK Athens make for a spectacle everywhere they go.
And every game counts if we’re to finish in the top eight and ensure safe progression through to the Round of 16.
So make sure you’re there to support the Blues, with adult prices starting from £35 and Under-18s just £20 each.
And why not make a special night of it?
We have a wide range of hospitality packages available, whether you’re looking for an exclusive bar, a dining experience or true once-in-a-lifetime magic, it’s all available at the Etihad Stadium.
In fact, hospitality starts from just £90 per person!
And you can save 20% off your hospitality when you book any two eligible home UEFA Champions League fixtures in the brand-new City Hall or CROSSBAR suites!
