- Founded 1878
- Stadium Portman Road
- Manager Gary ONeil
- Competition Premier League 2026-27
- Goals 9
- Goals Conceded 12
- Yellow Cards 11
- Total Red Cards 1
Ipswich Squawka Score ratings 2026/27
Gary O’Neil’s Ipswich have been anything but dull. They beat Sunderland 2-1 on the opening weekend, lost 5-2 at Manchester United and 2-0 at home to Liverpool, won 3-2 at Crystal Palace and then lost 1-0 at Everton. Six points and 11th is a respectable return for a promoted side, even if 11 goals conceded is the concern. Below, we take a look at Ipswich’s most-used XI so far and how each player has performed, based on the Squawka Score rating system.
The Squawka Score is a metric developed to assess a player’s performance relative to other players in the same position. It is shown as a percentage, and it is worth knowing that 66% is average rather than 50% – a 70% is a good afternoon and 85% or above marks out one of the best players on the pitch. Each score is calculated from a range of per-90-minute statistics, taking in the obvious numbers such as goals and assists alongside some more obscure ones that are far more position-specific. A player’s season figure is simply the average of his match ratings.
GK: Kjell Scherpen – 72% – Fifteen saves in four starts and 10 goals conceded, which sounds worse than it has been: five of those came in one afternoon at Old Trafford. The highest-rated Ipswich player, and comfortably above the positional average despite the scorelines.
RB: Dara O’Shea – 65% – The captain has played every minute and made 31 clearances, won 28 duels and 16 aerials, and created five chances with 0.48 xA. Four occasions beaten one-on-one is the only real mark against a busy, committed start.
RCB: Issa Diop – 69% – Ipswich’s best defender. Eleven interceptions and eight blocked shots lead the club, alongside 22 clearances, 28 progressive passes and 15 possessions regained in his own third. Every minute played and no errors charged.
LCB: Jacob Greaves – 60% – Seventeen duels won to eight lost is a strong ratio, with 18 clearances and five blocked shots from four starts. Two yellow cards and 10 goals conceded on his watch are what keep the rating below the average.
LB: Leif Davis – 69% – Two goals and an assist from left-back is an outstanding attacking return, backed by 1.31 xG and 16 passes into the penalty area. Two big chances missed suggest there could have been more. He has also made 15 clearances and conceded one foul all season.
RCM: Saša Lukić – 63% – An assist, six chances created and 41 passes into the final third, with eight corners taken. The discipline is the problem: 11 fouls and two yellow cards, along with 22 duels lost to 11 won, in a midfield that has been overrun more than once.
LCM: Exequiel Palacios – 68% – Three starts and an immediate influence: 51 passes into the final third, 16 duels won to 10 lost, six interceptions and 13 possessions regained in the middle third. Ipswich look a more controlled side with him in it.
RW: Fatawu Issahaku – 66% – The most dangerous creator in the side, with 1.61 xA, eight chances created including four clear-cut, 24 passes into the penalty area and 12 completed take-ons, the most at the club. A red card, two yellows and 10 fouls are what stop the rating going higher.
AM: Julio Enciso – 69% – Two assists from 17 shots and 1.33 xA, with eight completed take-ons and 17 touches in the opposition box. He has carried a constant threat from the No.10 role, and only the finishing – 1.04 xG without a goal – has let him down.
LW: Daizen Maeda – 51% – The lowest rating in the side by a distance. Ten duels won to 24 lost, seven occasions beaten one-on-one and six fouls from three starts, with two passes into the penalty area. A difficult start on the left.
ST: Emersonn – 67% – Two goals and an assist from 321 minutes, with 1.19 xG from nine shots and two clear-cut chances created. He has been efficient with his limited time on the pitch, and a fuller run of minutes looks warranted.
Ipswich’s set-piece specialists:
- Penalties: Jack Clarke
- Free-kicks: Marcelino Núñez, Leif Davis
- Corners: Saša Lukić, Fatawu Issahaku
Lukić and Issahaku have taken eight corners apiece, with Marcelino Núñez and Jaden Philogene one each. Ipswich have not had a direct free-kick at goal or been awarded a penalty, so Jack Clarke’s status as the taker is inherited from the promotion season.
Ipswich FAQs
How have Ipswich started the 2026/27 season?
Eventfully. Ipswich are 11th on six points from five games, with two wins and three defeats, having scored seven and conceded 11. Every one of their games has produced at least one goal at both ends or a heavy scoreline.
Who is Ipswich’s best player this season?
Goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen on 72%. Among the outfield players, Issa Diop, Leif Davis and Julio Enciso are all on 69%.
Where did Ipswich finish in the 2025/26 Championship season?
Ipswich finished second in the Championship last season, securing their place in the Premier League as runners-up.
Who is the Ipswich manager?
Gary O’Neil has taken charge of Ipswich, replacing Kieran McKenna who left in the summer.
Who is the current Ipswich captain?
Dara O’Shea is the Ipswich captain, and has played every minute of the season so far.
Will Ipswich play in Europe in 2026/27?
As one of the newly-promoted clubs, Ipswich will not be playing in Europe in 2026/27.