Premier League Gameweek 3 opens under the Portman Road lights on Friday 4 September 2026 (19:00 BST) as Ipswich Town host Liverpool. The Tractor Boys lost 2–0 to Manchester United in GW2; Liverpool hammered Nottingham Forest 3–0 at Anfield and travel with Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike in red-hot form.
Ipswich Town: team news & GW2 form
Gary O'Neil's Ipswich need a response after back-to-back tough assignments. Jaden Philogene and Sammie Szmodics are the budget FPL differentials; Leif Davis supplies set-piece threat from left-back. Portman Road will be loud, but Liverpool's GW2 xG dominance makes this the round's hardest home task on paper.
Ipswich Town Predicted Starting XI & Lineup · 4-3-3
Official lineups confirmed 1 hour before kick-off.
Liverpool: team news & GW2 form
Arne Slot's Liverpool keep Alisson, van Dijk and Isak as certainties. Wirtz links midfield to Ekitike and Gakpo; Mac Allister and Szoboszlai add set-piece threat. Friday night away at a promoted side is a classic Isak captain fixture after the 3–0 Forest rout.
Key tactical battle
Ipswich will sit in a mid-block and look to counter through Philogene and Burns; Liverpool's high line and full-back width (Bradley, Kerkez) should pin the hosts back. Expect Liverpool to control 65%+ possession.
Head-to-head record
Limited recent top-flight history; Liverpool historically dominate promoted sides in the opening months of a campaign.
Fantasy & Predictor picks
- Alexander Isak (Liverpool, FWD): premium GW3 captain away at Ipswich after 3–0 Forest.
- Florian Wirtz (Liverpool, MID): creative link behind Isak on Friday night.
- Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, DEF): clean-sheet upside vs promoted opposition.
- Jaden Philogene (Ipswich, FWD): budget differential if Ipswich score on the break.
- Predictor: Liverpool 3–0 or 3–1 Ipswich Town.
Prediction
Liverpool's GW2 fluency carries to Suffolk. Prediction: Ipswich Town 0–3 Liverpool.