McKenna and Hurzeler laud ´special´ Delap ahead of Portman Road clash

Both Kieran McKenna and Fabian Hurzeler were full of praise for Liam Delap ahead of Ipswich Town’s Premier League encounter with Brighton on Thursday.

Delap made the permanent switch to Portman Road in the summer from Manchester City, having impressed on three separate loan spells in the Championship.

Since his jump to the top-flight, the 21-year-old has been one of the Tractor Boys’ standout performers, notching three goal involvements (two goals, one assist) in his last two Premier League encounters against Chelsea and Fulham.

And McKenna detailed the surprises that Delap presented him when first arriving at the club, lauding his understanding of how to improve his game so early in his career.

“I think he has evolved his game over the last 18 months,” McKenna said. “When we played against Liam at Portman Road last year, he was playing right wing.

“A lot of the time, he was used in wide areas more as a straight-line runner, obviously using his speed to run behind the defence. In the second half of last season, he was injured quite a bit.

“I think from when he came in for pre-season, we were surprised how good his back-to-goal game was. I think he filled out and his body has developed a lot in the last 12 months.

“He takes on information well and can apply things well, so I think it has been a pleasant surprise how high his learning capacity is, how he can implement things and how open he is to discussing his game and improve. So, I think they are good ingredients for a young player.”

Hurzeler also applauded Delap’s start to the season, with the Brighton boss first exposed to his goal-scoring prowess when he came up against him during his time at St. Pauli.

“At my former club [St. Pauli] I heard his name because we heard that he’s a special talent, right when he played for City in the youth academy, and he had impressive performances,” Hurzeler said.

“I think he is the whole package and has had impressive performances for someone so young. He plays like an experienced striker and is so fast and athletic with a shot. He’s a big danger.”

Within his own attacking ranks, Hurzeler said that Joao Pedro could miss the trip to Portman Road after sitting out their win over Norwich City in the FA Cup with an ankle injury.

Pedro has five goals and five assists in 14 Premier League appearances this term, but the Brighton manager said he will not take any unnecessary risk to rush the Brazilian back.

“We won’t do any stupid things, we have to wait until after the training session,” Hurzeler added. “We can’t forget that he’s still a very young player.

“He hasn’t been able to get into his rhythm, but I spoke to him yesterday for a long time, and he’s in a comfortable place. He’s enjoying it here, and he’s happy with his displays.

“Of course, he would want to be on the pitch for every game, but sometimes your body doesn’t want the same thing, so you have to adapt.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ipswich – Liam Delap

Delap has eight goals in 19 Premier League games this season, as many as he netted in 31 Championship appearances for Hull last campaign.

Indeed, it’s the most goals by an English player in a promoted side’s first 20 matches of a Premier League season since Patrick Bamford’s 11 for Leeds United in 2020-21.

Brighton – Jan Paul van Hecke

Though Brighton are without a win since the end of November in the Premier League, Van Hecke has been one of the Seagulls’ standout performers under Hurzeler during their winless run.

Only Alex Iwobi (118) has played more progressive passes in the Premier League in 2024-25 than Van Hecke (111), whose average of 6.6 per 90 is the most of any player to play 1,000 or more minutes in the division this season.

MATCH PREDICTION: BRIGHTON WIN

Each of Brighton’s last four Premier League games have ended level. The last side to draw five successive matches in the competition were Fulham from December 2020 to January 2021, while the Seagulls last drew five league fixtures in a row in April 2000, when they were a fourth-tier side under Micky Adams.

They are also winless in eight top-flight games (D6 L2), their longest such run since going 11 without victory from September to December 2021 under Graham Potter – a run they ended with a win over a newly promoted side (2-0 v Brentford).

This is Ipswich’s first home league game against Brighton since a 0-0 draw in the Championship in September 2016, and first in the top-flight since a 2-0 win in January 1983.

The Tractor Boys have picked up as many points (four) and scored as many goals (four) in their last two Premier League games as they had in their previous seven beforehand.

They have, however, had fewer shots from open play (122) than any other side in the Premier League this term, while their open play expected goals (xG) figure of 13.1 is also a league-low.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Ipswich – 27.9%

Draw – 25.2%

Brighton – 46.9%