Ruben Amorim believes he is the "right guy at the right time" to turn Manchester United's fortunes around.

The 39-year-old signed a two-and-a-half-year deal earlier this month to keep him at Old Trafford until June 2027, replacing Erik ten Hag after he was sacked in October.

Amorim is the sixth permanent United manager since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, having left Sporting CP to take charge during the international break.

He won two Primeira Liga titles as Sporting head coach as well as two Taca da Liga trophies, while he led the club to a perfect start in the league this season, winning all 11 of their games.

United sit 13th in the Premier League table ahead of their trip to Ipswich Town on 15 points, though they are just four points behind Chelsea in third.

Amorim recognised the size of the task ahead of him in Manchester but is confident he can make a change.

"I'm a little bit of a dreamer and I believe in myself, and I believe in the club," he said during his first press conference.

"I think we have the same idea, the same mindset and that can help.

"I truly believe in the players; I know you don't believe a lot, but I do. I want to try new things. You guys don't think it's possible, I do.

"Call me naive, but I believe I am the right guy at the right time. I truly believe I am the right guy."

Aged 39 years and 302 days, Amorim will be the youngest to take charge of his first match for the Red Devils since Wilf McGuinness in August 1969 (31y 288d).

United have won just four of their 11 league games so far this season, and have struggled in front of goal, netting just 12 times so far.

Expected to implement his favoured 3-4-3 formation, Amorim admitted it would take time for the club to adapt and has asked for patience as the players get used to his tactics.

"I know at Manchester United we have to win games. We need a lot of time because it's a tough league, we have to improve a lot to try to win the title," he added.

"We have to change the physical aspect of the team. I don't know how long it will take."

Kieran McKenna believes Ipswich Town's Premier League clash with Manchester United will be the "biggest game in world football" this weekend.

United are in action under new manager Ruben Amorim for the first time since the Portuguese officially replaced Arne Slot as head coach.

While plenty of focus is on the visitors at Portman Road, Ipswich are fired up after beating Tottenham 2-1 before the international break.

That was Ipswich's first league win of the season – and their first in the Premier League in 22 years – and now attention turns to facing United.

McKenna, who previously coached United, said at a fan event this week: "Sunday, what a game. It's one we're really, really looking forward to.

"Not for the personal connection, but as manager of Ipswich Town, to be on that stage, it's what we've worked so hard for.

"It's the biggest game in world football anywhere this weekend, the biggest game in the world in the biggest sport in the world and it's at Portman Road."

Ipswich's surprise win at Tottenham last time out moved them up to 17th, while United are 13th after beating Leicester City 3-0 in Ruud van Nistelrooy's final game in caretaker charge.

Amorim took his first training session on Monday, albeit with many first-team stars away on international duty, and the former Sporting CP boss believes his style of play will be clear to see from the off. 

"I think you will see an idea," he told the club's website. "You could like it or not, I don't know, but you will see an idea. 
 
"You will see a positioning. You will see something that we want to reach that kind of level. You will feel that. 
 
"We have to know it's [only] two trainings before the first match. This is the best league in the world. But if I have to say something to you, [it's that] you will see an idea. This I can guarantee."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ipswich Town - Liam Delap

Delap scored what proved to be Ipswich's winner against Tottenham and has now netted six of his side's 12 Premier League goals this term.

That makes the Manchester City academy product one of only three players to have scored at least half of his side's goals in the competition this season, along with Erling Haaland at City (55%) and Chris Wood at Nottingham Forest (53%).

Manchester United - Alejandro Garnacho

Garnacho was among the scorers against Leicester two weeks ago and has now been directly involved in 20 Premier League goals for United (13 goals and seven assists).

The Argentina international is one of only two non-British players to reach that figure for United before turning 21, along with Cristiano Ronaldo (25 goals).

MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED WIN

Ipswich are seeking back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since February 2022, with that run also beginning with a 2-1 victory against Tottenham.

The Tractor Boys are the only side in the competition without a home win this season. Only five newly promoted clubs have failed to win any of their first six home matches, all of whom went back down.

United have won 17 of their past 19 Premier League games against newly promoted opponents, meanwhile, including nine wins in a row in away fixtures.

The Red Devils were 1-0 winners on their most recent league trip to Portman Road in April 2022, but only once have they won successive league games away to Ipswich.

However, the Tractor Boys have lost four of their past five league matches against Man United, failing to score in each of those losses.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Ipswich Town - 22.2%

Draw - 23%

Manchester United - 54.8%

Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna said it was a 'special' moment for the club after they earned their first Premier League win of the season by beating Tottenham 2-1. 

Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap scored for Ipswich before half-time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 

Though Tottenham reduced the deficit through Rodrigo Bentancur in the 69th minute, the Tractor Boys held on for a famous win. 

It was also Ipswich's first win in the Premier League since a 1-0 victory over Middlesborough in April 2002, ending a run of 12 away games without a win (D3 L9).

"I am so proud. It's been a long time for the club, 22 years since the supporters saw a win in the Premier League. The journey to get to here has been a big one," McKenna told BBC Sport after the game. 

"It feels a bit special today. We believe we’ve been improving. We had picked up five out of 10 results but were waiting for the first win to validate the work and improvements. It’s a massive moment, one to cherish."

The result was extra special for an Ipswich side, who were denied a win by Leicester City last week through a 94th-minute equaliser from Jordan Ayew, who made it 1-1 at Portman Road.

But Szmodics and Delap – the latter with his sixth Premier League goal of the season – struck in the first half to give Ipswich a two-goal cushion. 

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou took full responsibility after his side suffered a 2-1 defeat to previously winless Ipswich Town in the Premier League. 

Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap gave Ipswich a 2-0 lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs fell short, despite Rodrigo Bentancur returning a goal in the second half.  

It was Tottenham's third defeat in their last five matches across all competitions and leaves Postecoglou's side in 10th place in the Premier League with 16 points from 11 matches. 

"It's hugely disappointing. We started slow and passively. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb. In the second half, we had chances but didn’t do enough to win the game," the Australian coach told BBC Sport after the game. 

His side had also suffered a 3-2 defeat to Galatasaray in the Europa League on Thursday. 

The hosts generated an xG of 1.82 on Sunday with five shots on target from 17 attempts, but were unable to take anything from the game.

"It's just down to me, I’m not getting consistent performances from the players. It’s something I need to address. I’m the person in charge, so that’s usually the way it goes. I take responsibility," said Postecoglou. 

"We can’t give ourselves those kind of mountains to climb." 

When asked about Ipswich's time-wasting tactics, Postecoglou said it is something his players will have to deal with. 

"It seems to be the way the Premier League is going. Clubs are taking strategic time-outs. We just have to cop it. It’s up to the officials, not me," he said. 

Ipswich Town claimed a shock 2-1 victory at Tottenham to end their wait for a first Premier League win of the season.

Sam Szmodics opened the scoring for the visitors with an acrobatic finish just past the half-hour mark before Liam Delap doubled Ipswich's advantage prior to the interval.

Spurs – who saw a Dominic Solanke goal overturned by VAR for handball early in the second half – were handed a lifeline when Rodrigo Bentancur headed in from a corner to cut the deficit in the 69th minute.

Solanke had a great chance to restore parity in stoppage time, but Arijanet Muric made a fantastic stop as Ipswich held on for a memorable triumph.

The victory takes Kieran McKenna's side up to 17th, two points behind Everton.

Meanwhile, Spurs are 10th with 16 points from their 11 matches. 

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has defended the club following comments made by former goalkeeper Hugo Lloris in his new book regarding the Champions League final in 2019.

Lloris, who made 447 appearances for Spurs between 2012 and 2024, suggested his former club were happy to be second best, claiming chairman Daniel Levy gifted the players watches with ‘Champions League finalists’ engraved on them before they faced Liverpool five years ago.

They went on to lose the final in Madrid 2-0. However, Postecoglou, who has questioned the club’s mentality himself, insists the period Lloris referred to should be looked back upon with pride.

"There could have been a very successful period for the club. They came very close. We're talking about finishing runners-up in the Premier League, runners-up in the Champions League,” Postecoglou said.

“It could have been a very different era and maybe, in retrospect, you would be looking at those things. It's easier to focus on the negatives when the outcomes are not what you want, but there was obviously a lot right at the time which got them close to the ultimate.

“From my perspective, you don't put a limit on what you can achieve because if you do, potentially you might miss something that comes along your way."

Spurs are aiming to avenge their midweek defeat to Galatasaray in the Europa League against strugglers Ipswich Town, who, along with Wolves, are yet to win in the Premier League this term.

But despite the Tractor Boys’ form, Postecoglou is expecting a difficult test, lauding Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna for the “unbelievable” job he has done at Portman Road.

"Yeah, I think every weekend, every league game, has its potential to hurt you if you're not at your best. Ipswich will be no different,” Postecoglou said.

"They got close last week, close the week before. I think Kieran McKenna has done an unbelievable job. We're expecting a tough one at the weekend, our form at home has been pretty strong."

While Ipswich remain winless upon their return to the top-flight, McKenna believes there have been signs of progress at the club.

"I don't think you can always set an exact expectation or definition of performances because every game is different. One of our first goals is to be competitive in every match, and we're not too far away from that,” McKenna said.

“Across the 10 games we have certainly been in the large majority of games. We would have liked to have won a couple by now but, also, we've only lost five out of 10 with what we have been through and the challenges we have faced over the early part of the season.

"To pick up five results - certainly could have been one or two more - and to be as competitive as we have been, I think there are a lot of positives in there. We know there is another step to take to win games consistently in the Premier League.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tottenham – Dominic Solanke

After scoring three goals in his last two games for Spurs across all competitions, Solanke will be hoping to get his season up and running against Ipswich this weekend.

But his work rate at the top end of the pitch has gone under the radar this term. He has applied more pressures in the final third than any other player in the Premier League this season (212).

Ipswich – Leif Davis

Davis has been a bright spark in a disappointing season for Ipswich thus far, creating more chances than any other defender in the Premier League so far this campaign (25).

But he has not neglected his defensive responsibilities either. Only Sam Morsy (17) has won more tackles than Davis (12) for the Tractor Boys in the top-flight.

MATCH PREDICTION: TOTTENHAM WIN

Despite being heavily favoured by Opta’s data-led simulations, Tottenham have won just three of their 10 Premier League games against Ipswich (D3 L4). Excluding ever-present sides, it’s their lowest win rate against any opponent they’ve faced 10 or more times in the competition.

And Spurs have also struggled after competing in the Europa League in midweek. They have lost their last two Premier League games at the weekend immediately following a European match, losing to Brighton and Crystal Palace. Only twice have they lost three consecutive such matches, doing so from December 2012 to March 2013 and from September to October 2019.

They have also conceded the first goal in each of their last four top-flight home games but have come back to win the last three. No team has ever conceded first but gone on to win four consecutive home games in the competition before.

However, Spurs have won 32 of their last 36 Premier League home games against promoted sides (D2 L2) and haven’t failed to score in any of their last 42 such games since a 1-0 loss to Wolves in December 2009.

Ipswich remain winless in their 10 Premier League games this season (D5 L5), their longest run without a win from the start of a top-flight season. They have lost their last two away games 4-1 at West Ham and 4-3 at Brentford, last conceding four or more goals in three consecutive away league games in March 1964.

The Tractor Boys have also struggled in recent visits to the capital. They have lost their last five Premier League away games against London sides, conceding at least two goals each time (16 in total). However, 33% of their Premier League wins in London have come against Spurs (2/6), including their last such victory in December 2001.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Tottenham – 71.2%

Draw – 16.2%

Jordan Ayew's stoppage-time equaliser snatched a point for Leicester City, who held 10-man Ipswich Town to a 1-1 draw.

The Foxes substitute cancelled out Leif Davis' volley earlier in the second half to deny the hosts' the first win of the season at Portman Road.

Ipswich broke through 10 minutes after the restart when Davis marked his 100th appearance for the club with a superbly timed volley from Sam Morsy's crossfield pass.

However, they were forced to finish the final 13 minutes a man light after Kalvin Phillips' dismissal for a second bookable offence.

The hosts were given a scare when, within moments of his introduction, Ayew chipped Arijanet Muric, only to be thwarted on the line by Cameron Burgess.

However, the Ghanaian and Leicester were not to be denied. In the 94th minute, Ayew played a neat one-two with Jamie Vardy before slotting home to ensure a share of the spoils.

Data Debrief: Ipswich's wait goes on

Ipswich have now failed to win any of their first 10 Premier League games this season. Only in 2009-10 (14) and 2018-19 (11) have they begun a league campaign with a longer winless streak.

Having also let a two-goal lead slip at Brentford last time out, Kieran McKenna's side have now dropped a league-high 12 points from winning positions this term.

As for Leicester, they left it late once more, with Ayew's 98th-minute winner sealing a 3-2 victory over Southampton from 2-0 down in their last league game away from home.

The Foxes continue their record as one of only two sides - along with reigning champions Manchester City - to score in all 10 of their matches this season.

Leicester City were rolled over in a 5-2 defeat to a Manchester United side in transition during midweek in the EFL Cup, but Steve Cooper believes it’s all par for the course for his side.

It came off the back of a disappointing 3-1 derby defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend. While it was a heavily rotated squad that lined up in Manchester, such a resounding defeat cannot help confidence ahead of their fixture against fellow promoted side, Ipswich Town.

But Cooper can look back on previous form and feel some comfort in his side’s ability to come back, particularly against those teams familiar with the Championship.

The last time the East Midlands outfit travelled away from home in the Premier League, they found themselves 2-0 down to Southampton at half-time but delivered a miraculous second-half performance to win 3-2. For Cooper, such changing fortunes are to be expected.

“The Forest and Southampton game, they are probably great examples of what will come in future this season,” he said following the defeat to Forest.

“We will have games where we get really good results and the world feels like a brilliant place and we’ll get the opposite like we had at Forest.”

“That’s the nature of the league that we’re playing in and where we’re at. What we’ve got to do is make sure that we stay on task and stay on track, which we are doing. We never want to accept defeat too easily, but make sure that it doesn’t deter us from the journey that we’re on.”

“That journey will be full of ups and downs, there’s no doubt about that.”

Leicester currently sit fifteenth on nine points, ahead of Ipswich, who are without a win so far this season and currently languishing in the relegation zone on four points.

But Cooper will hope the “ups” return soon as failing to register a result against fellow potential relegation candidates could prove costly further down the line.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ipswich Town – Liam Delap

Delap has scored 56% of Ipswich’s Premier League goals this season (5/9) – only Chris Wood has netted a higher share of his team’s goals so far this term (64% for Nottingham Forest).

He is Ipswich’s biggest threat having taken more shots (13) and shots on target (eight) than any other player in the squad.

Leicester City – Jamie Vardy

The Foxes veteran is in a rich vein of form. He’s scored in his last two games, and aged 37 years and 296 days on the day of this game would be the oldest player to score in three consecutive Premier League appearances with a goal here.

He is Leicester’s top scorer this season with four goals in nine Premier League games. It is one more than he managed in 37 appearances in his last top-flight campaign of 2022-23.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Both times the newly-promoted sides faced each other in the Championship last season, the outcome was a 1-1 draw.

Ipswich have won all three of their previous Premier League home games against Leicester – 4-1 in January 1995, 2-0 in January 2001 and 2-0 in December 2001.

However, in the last nine meetings between the two sides, Leicester have lost just one (W5 D3).

A comeback could be on the cards if the Foxes are to win at the weekend. In their last Premier League away game, Leicester City came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against fellow promoted opposition, Southampton.

It ended a run of 11 top-flight away games without a win for the Foxes, last winning consecutive such matches in November 2022 (a run of three).

Ipswich have dropped 10 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, with only Brentford (11) dropping more. Indeed, the Tractor Boys let a two-goal lead slip to lose 4-3 in their last match.

But a win is overdue for the hosts, who remain winless in their nine league games so far this season – in their league history, only in 2009-10 (first 14) and 2018-19 (first 11) have they had a longer winless run from the start of a campaign.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Ipswich Town – 42.8%

Leicester City – 32.1%

Draw – 25.1%

Brentford manager Thomas Frank said he was still irritated after his side defeated visitors Ipswich Town 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller in the Premier League.

Bryan Mbeumo struck a 96th-minute winner at the Gtech Community Stadium as the Bees recorded their fourth win of their 2024-25 league campaign. 

Sam Szmodics and George Hirst gave Ipswich a 2-0 lead, but Yoane Wissa initiated a Brentford comeback before Harry Clarke’s own goal levelled the scores. 

Mbeumo then struck to give the hosts the lead before Clarke was sent off for Ipswich, who did not give up without a fight and restored parity through substitute Liam Delap late on. 

However, Mbeumo scored his second of the game to cap off a positive, yet tense outing for Frank and the Brentford faithful. 

"Being completely honest, I am still irritated. In many ways we did not do well enough, so big respect and praise to Ipswich,” the Brentford boss told BBC Sport after the game.

“They were by far the better team for the first 40 minutes, there was only one team on the pitch. It was one of our worst ever in the Premier League. 

"The last five was better and then in the second half, we were clearly the better team and got back to 3-2 and then lacked the killer instinct to finish it off.

Bryan Mbeumo’s late goal sunk 10-man Ipswich Town as Brentford came out 4-3 victors from a chaotic Premier League clash at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Kieran McKenna's side looked on course for a morale-boosting victory as quickfire first-half goals from Sam Szmodics and George Hirst put them 2-0 up.

However, the game was flipped on its head just before the break, as Yoane Wissa slotted home and then forced an own goal from the luckless Harry Clarke, who subsequently conceded a penalty early in the second half.

Mbeumo slammed home from 12 yards, and Clarke’s day got worse when he received his second booking, only for Ipswich to fightback through Liam Delap’s 86th-minute effort.

Yet Mbeumo had the final say as his cross-shot found the net deep in stoppage time, with Brentford moving ninth while Ipswich remain 16th, without a win to their name.

Data Debrief: Mbeumo the man for buzzing Bees

Brentford's powers of recovery were once again on show at the Gtech Community Stadium, coming from two goals down to win a Premier League match for the very first time, having drawn two and lost 29 of the previous 31 games in which they found themselves down by at least two.

And the Bees' comeback was spearheaded by Mbeumo, who has now scored in each of his last five league home matches, the first time a player has done so for Brentford after the Cameroonian himself between November 2019 and January 2020.

It was, however, a game to forget for Ipswich's Clarke. He became just the second player in Premier League history to score an own goal, concede a penalty and be sent off in the same Premier League match, after Jan Bednarek for Southampton against Manchester United in February 2021.

Ipswich remain winless across their first nine matches of the 2024-25 Premier League season (D4 L5), the Tractor Boys’ longest ever such run at the start of a top flight campaign.

Thomas Frank insists he “needs more” from his Brentford players after a sloppy second half display saw them lose to Manchester United last time out.

The Bees had taken the lead through Ethan Pinnock’s header in first-half stoppage time but were pegged back by goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund after the break.

Brentford welcome Ipswich Town to Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, knowing a victory could push them back into the top half of the Premier League standings.

Their next five league games are against teams currently around them, and Frank wants to see more character from his side in the coming weeks.

"It was a good first half, I was very happy with that, I thought we were the better team in that period of the game against a good team," Frank said.

"We went 1-0 up, but it's so frustrating and annoying that they scored after two minutes of the second half - if they don't do that, you don't know what would have happened. 

"I thought that we were way too passive. But we are at Old Trafford, they have some top players. After the first goal, I felt like we lacked a bit more character.

"If we want to win here, we need more. Unfortunately, not enough of our players hit a high enough level in the second half.”

Ipswich, meanwhile, were handed a fourth defeat of the season against Everton at Portman Road, leaving them without a win since their return to the Premier League.

The Tractor Boys are one of four sides in the division yet to taste victory, the first season in top-flight history to see as many as four different sides all fail to win any of their first eight games of the campaign.

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna expected difficulties in adapting to the Premier League, though said his players must do better in overcoming the fine margins they have experienced.

"We knew it would be a challenging season and the step up into the Premier League was always going to be a big challenge,” McKenna said. “In eight games we've got a result in four of them.

“We know where we need to improve and it's up to us to turn those margins in our favour. The last two games have got away from us.

“The balance of the game was really fine, and we didn’t manage to find enough to change the game in the second half against a good, experienced side. We had a go before the end, but it wasn’t enough.” 

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brentford - Mikkel Damsgaard

Damsgaard has assisted three goals in his last two Premier League appearances, more than he had in his first 55 games in the competition (two).

He has assisted via a corner in his last two games, with only Ashley Williams for Everton in April 2017 assisting a goal from a corner situation in three consecutive appearances in Premier League history.

Ipswich – Omari Hutchinson

Despite failing to notch a goal this season, Hutchinson has been a threat for the Tractor Boys.

In the Premier League, only Mohammed Kudus (28), Jeremy Doku (22) and Adama Traore have completed more dribbles than the Englishman (18).

Ipswich have also applied the second-most pressures to opponents in the Premier League this season (1,736) with Hutchinson top among all players for those pressures (316).

MATCH PREDICTION: BRENTFORD WIN

This is the first ever top-flight meeting between Brentford and Ipswich. It will be the 1452nd fixture to be played in England’s top-flight, and the 937th in the Premier League.

Brentford have lost just one of their last nine league games against Ipswich (W4 D4), with this the first meeting between the sides since a 2-0 home win for the Bees in April 2019.

Ipswich will also have to be aware of the Bees’ aerial threat. Only Aston Villa (five) have scored more headed goals in the Premier League this season than Brentford (four).

However, after losing a league-high 30 points from winning positions in the Premier League last season, Brentford have also dropped the most when leading in the competition this term (11). The Bees have scored first in each of their last six league games but have gone on to win just two of them (D1 L3).

McKenna’s side remain winless in the Premier League this season (D4 L4). In only two previous league campaigns have they endured longer winless starts, both in the Championship in 2009-10 (14) and 2018-19 (11).

Ipswich have also had the fewest shots (75), fewest shots on target (23) and had the fewest touches in the opposition’s box (130) in the Premier League this season, while the Tractor Boys have also accumulated the lowest expected goals (xG) total (6.3).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Brentford – 54.2%

Draw – 22.6%

Ipswich – 23.2%

Everton stretched their Premier League unbeaten run to four games as Sean Dyche's side saw off Ipswich Town 2-0 at Portman Road.

The Toffees showed little sign of rustiness after the international break, as first-half goals from Iliman Ndiaye and Michael Keane set them on course for their second league victory of the season.

Fan favourite Ndiaye provided the spark on the road once again for Everton, as he netted in successive away games with a brilliant 17th-minute strike, and Keane produced a clever close-range finish to put the Toffees in control just before the break.

Matters might have been different had referee Michael Oliver, after a VAR review, not overturned his decision to award Ipswich a penalty for Dwight McNeil's challenge on Jack Clarke.

Ipswich showed signs of life after the restart, yet Conor Chaplin's scuffed effort late on was the best they could muster, with Jordan Pickford largely untroubled.

Indeed, the best chances of the second half fell to Everton, with Ndiaye and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who squandered a great opportunity early on, unable to beat Arijanet Muric.

Data Debrief: Toffees end away day wait

After losing their first four league games of 2024-25, Everton are now unbeaten in their last four (W2 D2), with this their first away win in the Premier League since December 2023 (2-0 against Burnley).

Dyche's team have ended a run of 12 successive away Premier League games without a clean sheet, while home and away, the Toffees are just the fourth side to record as many as 20 shutouts in the competition since his first game in charge in February 2023.

Ipswich, meanwhile, remain without a win since their return to the big time – only in 2009-10 (first 14) and 2018-19 (first 11) have the Tractor Boys endured a longer winless start to an English league season.

Everton boss Sean Dyche says the noise around the club's takeover by The Friedkin Group is "just a reality of the job" and he knows no more than the fans about how long it will take to complete.

The proposed takeover from the American group is currently in processing as they await approval from the Premier League, potentially ending months of uncertainty about the future of the football club.

But on the pitch, Dyche has led the Toffees to four points in their last two games, the latest of which came in a stalemate against Newcastle before the international break.

And ahead of the trip to Portman Road to face Ipswich this weekend, Dyche insisted his players must keep up their performances and continue to grow as a collective.

"I've said it all along," Dyche told BBC Sport. "The powers that be might know more than me, and that's right because it's a business.

It's not just a football business that I take care of on the pitch, it's the whole business. So, they're going to have to wait and see. The noise is just a reality of the job. It's a great club, with great history and great concern.

"We have to just to keep growing, keep maturing, keep building on some tough times and keep coming out of those tough times.”

Ipswich, meanwhile, were dealt their joint-heaviest defeat of the season last time out, losing 4-1 to West Ham at the London Stadium.

The Tractor Boys are now winless in their first seven Premier League games since their promotion from the Championship, their joint-longest run without victory at the start of a top-flight season in their history (also seven games in 1969-70).

However, head coach Kieran McKenna was optimistic about his side’s start to the campaign, but reiterated the ruthlessness of the top-flight is something his players must become accustomed to.

“Of course, it is the first time we have lost a game in a while, we have been competitive in lots of games, but we still have a big jump to go to consistently win games,” McKenna said.

“There are lots of things we have done, but the defeat against West Ham was a reminder of how quickly the game can get away from you – the quality across the league is so high.

“We need to be at our best on and off the ball and in our mindset if we are to be competitive. We have shown we can compete, and we know we have lots to build on.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ipswich – Liam Delap

Delap has scored four goals in his last five Premier League games for Ipswich, including three in his last two.

He could become the fifth different player to score in three in a row for the club in the competition, while at the age of 21 he would be the youngest to do so.

Everton – Dwight McNeil

McNeil has played more successful through balls than any other player in the Premier League this season (five). All five of these have been received by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The Englishman has also created 23 chances this year (level with Andreas Pereira and Cole Palmer), with only Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka (27) creating more in the division.

MATCH PREDICTION: IPSWICH WIN

This is the first meeting between Ipswich and Everton in any competition since a 2-1 win for the Tractor Boys at Goodison Park in February 2002. It would be their penultimate Premier League victory that season, despite still having 13 games to play.

Ipswich also boasts an impressive record over the Toffees, though, winning three of their last four Premier League games against them (D1), as many as they had in their previous 17 league meetings with Everton (D4 L10).

However, McKenna’s men remain winless in their seven Premier League games so far this season (D4 L3) – they’ve never gone eight games from the start of a top-flight campaign without a win before.

But Everton are on a poor run of their own away from Merseyside. They are winless in their last 14 Premier League away games (D5 L9). Only twice have they had a longer such run in the competition – 16 between February and December 2017, and 19 between December 1996 and December 1997.

The Toffees have also failed to score in three of their five Premier League away games against Ipswich, including both such visits so far in the 21st century (0-2 in February 2001, 0-0 in October 2001).

But this weekend’s visitors are unbeaten in their last five Premier League meetings with promoted sides (W3 D2), having won just one of their previous 13 such games prior to this (D5 L7), and will be hoping to build on their last two results at Portman Road.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Ipswich – 40%

Draw – 26.5%

Everton – 33.5%

Julen Lopetegui had plenty of praise for West Ham's "strong mentality" as his side triumphed 4-1 against Ipswich Town at London Stadium.

It marked the Hammers’ first win at home this Premier League season, while Ipswich remain winless.

The hosts went 1-0 ahead after 48 seconds through Michail Antonio - West Ham’s earliest Premier League goal on record.

Having been pegged back to level terms just five minutes later when Liam Delap scored following a corner, Lopetegui was pleased with how his side set about regaining control, with Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta on target.

"We started better but we suffered a very early goal too. We conceded from the first corner and maybe we could have done better. It was key as the team then showed a strong mentality," he said, as quoted by Sky Sports.

"In the bad moments, you have to be strong. We did against Brentford and we did again today. It's important to highlight as it will help us become a better team."

West Ham proved the dominant force, registering 23 shots with 17 of them coming from inside the box. It meant Lopetegui’s men accumulated an expected goals (xG) total of 3.17 by full-time.

"We're happy when we win. We work for this. We're happy for the fans as they deserve this and for the players as they are working very hard. It was against a good team. They didn't lose to Villa, Fulham, Southampton, Brighton so it's a good win,” he added.

For Lopetegui's counterpart Kieran McKenna, the result was another stark reminder of the challenges the Premier League presents for a promoted side.

The Tractor Boys sit in seventeenth, just one point above the relegation zone.

"It ended up a disappointing day for us. There was a large majority of the first half in which it was a competitive game that was evenly fought. We played some good football but we conceded poor goals which changed the momentum of the game," McKenna said.

"We didn't deal well enough with the direct play. The goals came from those moments so there's a lot for us to learn."

Ipswich allowed their opponents 28 touches inside their box, while they were reliant on the woodwork to stop West Ham from adding to their lead.

"They didn't have to work hard for their goals. Apart from the fourth, the goals came too easily. They have quality and they showed that with the goals and chances they created if you give them opportunities," reflected McKenna.

West Ham overcame a frantic start to secure a much-needed first home win of the Premier League season against Ipswich Town as a free-flowing performance gave them a 4-1 victory.

Michail Antonio got the hosts off to a flyer at London Stadium on Saturday with a goal after only 48 seconds, but Liam Delap provided a rapid response just five minutes later to level the contest.

West Ham, however, regained composure and Mohammed Kudus went close on 37 minutes as Antonio’s curling cross from the right found the Ghanaian at the back post, but his header hit the post before being cleared.

The hosts finally made their dominance pay when Kudus found the net to restore the lead just before half-time.

Captain Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta added to the scoreline after the break as the hosts ultimately claimed a comprehensive triumph to end a poor run of form that had seen them fail to register a win across September.

A convincing defeat for Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich means they remain winless and hover just one point above the bottom three in 17th position, while West Ham rise to 12th in the early league table. 

Data Debrief: Hosts find goalscoring form

Antonio’s opener was West Ham’s earliest Premier League goal on record (since 2006-07).

Bowen both scored and assisted in a Premier League game for the eighth time in his career. Since his debut for the Hammers in February 2020 only five players have scored and assisted in more matches in the competition (Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, Harry Kane, Bruno Fernandes and Son Heung-min).

Fellow goalscorer Kudus scored his first league goal of the season with his 18th attempt, before today only Fernandes (17) had more shots without scoring in the Premier League in 2024-25 than the Ghanian (15).