Chris Sutton has made an unusual prediction regarding Premier League newcomers Ipswich Town, one that fans who used to cheer him on for Norwich City at Carrow Road are likely to disagree on.

The Tractor Boys returned to the top division in May after only one season in the Championship, and for the first time in 16 years, they defeated the Canaries in both East Anglian derbies.

Despite their current success, which has seen them finish ahead of Norwich in all three seasons, Portman Road experienced turbulence this summer, with former Carrow Road player Gary O’Neil taking over as head coach.

Town have had a mixed start to the season in the Premier League, but they have already won two important games against Sunderland and Crystal Palace, and Philippe Clement will be hoping for a turnaround.

With club football returning from the international break this weekend, Norwich are 17th in the second tier, having lost five of their last eight games.

While Sutton will undoubtedly be expecting for an increase in support from his old employers, it’s fair to predict that his most recent set of comments about their Suffolk competitors will not be widely accepted.

Sutton, 53, is now a well-known analyst for the BBC and Sky Sports, and his ideas are not always well received.

The former striker, who also won the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers, makes fixture predictions for all top-flight matchweeks, and with Ipswich hosting Fulham at Portman Road, he expects a competitive game with a 1-1 scoreline.

Sutton’s prediction was met with controversy due to his previous experience with Norwich.I know I keep predicting the Tractor Boys would lose, but it’s not like I do them over every week; I truly want they remain up,” he admitted.

Fulham has a big game ahead of them, but despite their losing record, they deserve better.Three points would be big for either club, but I believe this will end in a tie.”

Most Norwich City fans would disagree with Chris Sutton’s Ipswich Town ambitions.

Although Ipswich are presently 11th in the Premier League, making it difficult for Norwich fans to dispute that the Tractor Boys are enjoying bragging rights in this cross-county rivalry, Sutton’s viewpoint will not be widely shared.

Ipswich’s recent rising trajectory coincided with the conclusion of Norwich’s purple patch, which resulted in two Championship-winning seasons in 2019 and 2021, but Town was stuck in League One for both of those seasons and would not be able to leave the third tier until 2023.

It will sting City fans to know that one of their former players is the guy behind their respectable Premier League start from a tactical standpoint, while Marcelino Nunez has also continued to play a ‘cult hero’ role with Ipswich supporters since his controversial sale last summer.

Norwich City want to live up to their own preseason expectations.

Norwich’s fortunes were quite uneven last season, as Clement was able to turn around a disastrous start before leading the club out of a potential relegation battle and into ninth place.

Many expected the former Rangers manager to maintain his great run of form this season, but that has yet to happen, and key players such as Kenny McLean, Ali Ahmed, and Mo Toure are presently out, which is a significant setback.

Mo Toure’s Championship Scoring Record

Appearances

18

Goals

14

Minutes per goal.

75.07

Despite scoring 16 goals in eight games, the Canaries must improve their defensive performances if they are to maintain a top-eight position, having conceded more over two goals per game on average.

If not, it may be a while before we may see the East Anglian rivalry return to the Premier League, as Sutton may have hinted in his survival assertion regarding Ipswich.