Ipswich Town's first Premier League campaign in 22 years begins on home turf against a Liverpool side who start afresh under new manager Arne Slot.
For the Tractor Boys, this game is a major opportunity for a statement result early in the season to calm any doubts about their chances of survival. As for Liverpool, they will be hopeful of a convincing victory to inject a bit of optimism around the club after the news that Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi will not be coming to Anfield.
Contrasting transfer windows
On the transfer side of things, it's been a completely different story for Ipswich, who have recruited from both the top flight and the Championship in recent weeks. Omari Hutchinson, who notched up ten goals and eight assists in the club's promotion charge during a loan spell last season, has returned to the Suffolk side on a permanent basis.
Defenders Conor Townsend and Jacob Greaves have joined from Championship sides West Brom and Hull, while striker Liam Delap has also impressed in the second-tier but is yet to really test himself in the Premier League.
The confirmed acquisitions of goalkeeper Arijanet Muric and defender Ben Johnson provide varying degrees of PL experience, while the impending arrivals of former England regular Kalvin Phillips on loan from Manchester City and last season's Championship top scorer Sammie Szmodics from Blackburn Rovers show the ambition of Kieran McKenna's side.
The change in manager is the only real major business conducted by Liverpool in recent months, certainly when it comes to incomings at least.
Liverpool's quiet summer
Fabio Carvalho left the Reds to join Brentford earlier this week in a deal worth £27.5m, but there seems to be no immediate signs that Liverpool will splash the cash in the final two weeks of this transfer window despite the general consensus that a defensive midfielder should be an area of focus for their recruitment team.
However, Slot and his side have had a decent pre-season, with friendly wins over the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United following a shock 1-0 defeat to Championship outfit Preston North End behind-closed-doors.
Team News
While there is rightly a good-feel factor around Portman Road at present, Ipswich do come into this game with a few injury concerns. Nathan Broadhead and George Hirst, two forwards who were so important to their success last season, are set to be ruled for the season opener and a little while longer after that with leg injuries.
This may present Conor Chaplin, who scored 13 goals in 44 appearances last season, with an even greater opportunity to stand out in the Tractor Boys' frontline early on in his first ever season as a Premier League player. Alternatively, Marcus Harness may be one of many players who have spent the majority of their career in League One, to make their top flight debuts on Saturday.
Full back Harry Clarke will also miss out with an Achilles injury however McKenna now has a number of options in defence thanks to summer recruitment. It is almost certain that Ben Johnson will take the position that Clarke occupied last season and, whether Ipswich opt to play a back three - which McKenna favoured early on in his tenure - or a back four - which has been the team's default setup for the past two seasons - Axel Tuanzebe is likely to be at the heart of the defence. Muric, Greaves and Delap could all start from the off.
Arne Slot will be boosted by the news that there appears to be real injury concerns for his side as they prepare to travel to East Anglia with a fully fit squad available to choose from.
As is the case during pre-season, Liverpool's backline has been rotated in pretty much every game, with Conor Bradley looking impressive while players you may expect to start featured less as they eased their way back into the team following Euro 2024. Mainstays of the team such as Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk are almost certainties to start.
Likely lineups
Ipswich (3-4-2-1): Muric; Tuanzebe, Woolfenden, Greaves; Johnson, Morsy, Luongo, Davis; Chaplin, Hutchinson; Delap
Liverpool (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Szoboslai, Mac Allister; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz
Key Players
Ipswich - Arijanet Muric
The Tractor Boys have the cruellest of starts to the season, facing Liverpool and champions Manchester City back to back. Muric will be crucial to them getting anything from those games. Liverpool had the most shots in last season's Premier League by quite a distance last season with 790 (20.7 per game).
Liverpool are clearly a team that produce chances and the recently-signed Kosovo international will have to be at his very best to stop the Reds from wreaking havoc on the opening day. Muric was crucial to Burnley's promotion two seasons ago and, more often than not, looked like a safe pair of hands on the rare occasions he was called upon last season.
Liverpool - Mohamed Salah
'The Egyptian King' loves a goal on the first weekend of the new season. In 2022, he equalled the record for goals scored on the opening day, netting eight times across six season curtain-raisers. He scored a hat trick on the opening weekend of the 2020/21 season in a 4-3 win against Leeds United.
Salah has a point to prove this season after his worst return for Premier League goals since he arrived at Anfield in 2017. He scored 18 times, which is still impressive, but he will be wanting to improve on that tally this time around and getting his name on the scoresheet in Ipswich would be the ideal place to start.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The match will take place at Portman Road.
What time is kick-off?
The match will begin at 12.30pm BST on Saturday, August 17.
Where can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom will be able to watch the game live on TNT Sports while viewers in the US can find it on FuboTV, USA Network, Universo and NBC Sports.
