Ipswich Town have everything in their favour heading into the final stretch of the Championship season.
The crazy 2025-26 season of the English second tier never ceases to amaze us football fans. In an unexpected turn of events, Middlesbrough – who managed to take first place from Coventry City at one point – are now third after allowing Millwall a come-from-behind win at the Riverside on Good Friday.
The Lions have climbed up to second, which means Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues hold an 11-point lead at the top of the table. But this scenario could change very soon.
What makes Ipswich Town the best bet for the second automatic promotion spot?
Control over their own destiny
Ipswich are now odds-on favourites to join them in automatic promotion – despite currently sitting fourth. That is, in part, because they have two games to play compared to every other side in the division.
They are yet to play Southampton, who will face Arsenal in the FA Cup this Saturday, and Portsmouth – who had surface issues at Fratton Park both in January and February. The EFL had to reschedule this fixture two times already.
This means that the Tractor Boys are three points behind the automatics, but with six to play compared to Millwall. Should Kieran McKenna’s side win those two games in hand, they will be three points above the Lions.
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Ipswich were actually favourites to win it all before the start of the season. Following relegation from the Premier League, with a better squad than most Championship sides, parachute payments and plenty of experience, it should have been an easy ride.
They started the season poorly, winless in their first five games across all competitions – which included elimination from the Carabao Cup at the hands of Bromley. Then, McKenna managed to turn things around.
Three and a half months ago, we labelled the Tractor Boys ‘destined for Premier League return’, despite a rather underwhelming campaign. They have still been unimpressive and playing below their ceiling, but have still managed to grind out results. Which brings us to the next point.
Recent results and scheduling
Ipswich are the second most in-form side in the Championship right now. They are on a seven-game unbeaten run, bettered only by Southampton who haven’t lost in 12 matches. And even then, the Tractor Boys drew three of their last four games.
The Saints’ cup run means that Ipswich have avoided them for the time being. Both sides will meet at St. Mary’s in late April, in the second-to-last matchweek.
Curiously, the other postponement also came in good timing. Portsmouth were enjoying their joint-longest unbeaten run in the league this season before the February-scheduled match-up against Ipswich.
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Going forward, the Tractor Boys will also face rather light fixtures. Birmingham City, free-falling Middlesbrough, Southampton, Queens Park Rangers at home, Norwich City, Portsmouth, West Bromwich Albion and Charlton Athletic away.
And despite still having to face play-off contending sides such as Boro and Southampton, Ipswich have the second best record in the division against teams in the current top-7.
Of course, this Championship season has taught us that nobody is safe and there’s no such thing as an easy game. Ipswich themselves have proved not to be 100% reliable – though they are really tough to beat.
Only two different teams have beaten them in the calendar year of 2026. Wrexham twice (one in the Championship, one in the FA Cup) and Sheffield United.
In-form Jack Clarke
Speaking of in-form, Jack Clarke has recently started to score again.
One of the best players in the league the last time he played a full season in the Championship, with Sunderland in 2023-24, he has struggled to replicate the form for the Tractor Boys. It didn’t work out in the Premier League and his return to the second tier has seen lots of ebbs and flows.
Clarke has played in every single one of Ipswich’s games this season. But he has started just over half of them (20/38). The healthy competition with Jaden Philogene has meant both the skillful wingers have started together just three times this season.
But after an eight-game goal drought that lasted a month and a half, he found his way back into the scoresheet before the international break. Goals against Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall got him his confidence back.
He also chipped in with six shot assists (one big chance created) and five successful take-ons in the match-up against the Lions last time out.
Since Philogene’s injury in mid-January, Clarke has started 10 of the Tractor Boys’ 12 matches. The former Aston Villa and Hull City man has returned, but only to make a couple of appearances off the bench.
This could be the perfect opportunity for Clarke to find his best self once again. Near-guaranteed starter, in good goalscoring form as his side push on for automatic promotion to test himself once more in the Premier League.