Ipswich Town’s dream Premier League return is turning into a nightmare after a crushing 2-1 home defeat to relegation rivals Wolves left their survival hopes hanging by a thread.
Jorgen Strand Larsen’s scrappy 84th-minute winner settled a tense contest, after Liam Delap’s opener was cancelled out by Pablo Sarabia.
The loss leaves Ipswich 12 points adrift of safety with just seven games remaining — a mountain too steep, even by miracle standards.
Manager Kieran McKenna admitted the writing is on the wall. “On the balance of probabilities, it’s more than likely,” he said of Town’s relegation chances. “We committed as a group, but Wolves are a strong side and the chance of them losing all their games is really low.”
The numbers make grim reading. Ipswich have lost six straight home league games — matching a run last seen in 1963, which also ended in relegation. Only one home win, a 2-0 December victory over Chelsea, has given the Portman Road faithful something to cheer.
Since beating Wolves in December to move three points ahead of them, fortunes have flipped dramatically. Wolves, revitalized under Vitor Pereira, have taken 23 points in 15 games — more than all three promoted clubs combined.
Ipswich, meanwhile, have failed to hold leads against top sides like Fulham, Villa, and Manchester United, dropping a league-high 25 points from winning positions. Despite Delap’s heroics — netting 12 of Ipswich’s 31 goals — Town have lacked the edge to survive at this level.
With clashes against Chelsea, Arsenal, and Newcastle ahead, the task borders on impossible. But McKenna insists the team will fight to the end: “We’ll show our values and commitment — however slim the odds.”
