Ipswich vs Nottingham Forest: 1-1 Draw, Match Report

Ipswich vs Nottingham Forest finished 1-1 at Portman Road on Friday, 23 October 2026. Neco Williams gave Forest the lead after 13 minutes, and Julio Enciso equalised for Ipswich on 41 minutes. The point leaves Ipswich ninth and Forest 17th in the Premier League.

What was the final score in Ipswich vs Nottingham Forest?

Ipswich vs Nottingham Forest ended 1-1, with the score the same at half-time and full-time. Kick-off was at 21:00 SAST at Portman Road, and Thomas Bramall was the referee, according to our match data.

The result was a fair reflection of a first half that finished level. However, the numbers tell a different story over 90 minutes, as Forest created far more chances. Follow the rest of the weekend on our live scores page.

Who scored in Ipswich vs Nottingham Forest?

Neco Williams scored for Forest on 13 minutes, and Julio Enciso scored for Ipswich on 41 minutes. Daniel Munoz provided the assist for Williams, while Enciso’s goal had no recorded assist.

Forest were the first to settle and went ahead early. Ipswich then grew into the game and levelled before half-time. As a result, both teams went into the break with something to defend, and neither found a winner after that.

How did the match unfold after half-time?

The second half brought bookings and substitutions but no goals. Issa Diop was shown a yellow card for Ipswich on 51 minutes, after a VAR check confirmed the card upgrade. Murillo followed for Forest with a yellow card on 54 minutes.

Ipswich made their first change on 60 minutes, with Zian Flemming replacing Emersonn. Jack Clarke came on for Jaden Philogene-Bidace a minute later, and Daizen Maeda replaced Abdul Fatawu Issahaku on 73 minutes. Forest brought on Callum Hudson-Odoi for Dan Ndoye on 69 minutes.

Despite the changes, neither side broke the deadlock. Therefore, the match ended level, and the points were shared.

What were the line-ups for Ipswich vs Nottingham Forest?

Ipswich lined up in a 4-2-3-1 under Gary O’Neil, and Forest used a 3-4-2-1 under Oliver Glasner. The starting elevens are listed below, according to our match data.

• Ipswich: Walton; Ouattara, Diop, O’Shea, Davis; Palacios, Florentino; Fatawu, Enciso, Philogene; Emersonn.
• Nottingham Forest: Sels; Jair, Milenkovic, Murillo; Munoz, McAtee, Schlager, Williams; Gibbs-White, Ndoye; Delap.

Ipswich’s bench included Flemming, Akpom, Maeda, Clarke and Nunez. Forest’s included Kalimuendo, Wood, Yates, Hudson-Odoi and Sangare. In addition, both sides used three substitutes or fewer in the second half, so the changes were measured.

What do the match statistics show?

Forest had 17 shots to Ipswich’s seven, and five of those were on target against three. Forest also won five corners to none, and their expected goals figure was 2.31 against 0.49 for the hosts.

However, the possession split was almost even, with Ipswich on 49 percent and Forest on 51 percent. Each side completed around 380 passes. Meanwhile, Forest had 15 of their shots inside the box, whereas Ipswich had only three.

In other words, Forest were the better side in terms of chances, but Ipswich made their few opportunities count. Both goalkeepers had work to do, with Ipswich making three saves and Forest two.

What does the result mean for the Premier League table?

Ipswich are ninth with 10 points from eight games, and Forest are 17th with six points from eight games. The table is as it stood after Friday’s game, so Saturday’s matches may change it.

Forest are level on six points with 16th-placed Tottenham and 18th-placed Coventry. As a result, the gap to the bottom three is very small. Forest are only one point above Fulham in 19th, who have five.

Notably, Forest have not scored in any of their four home league games this season. Ipswich, on the other hand, have now won two, drawn one and lost one at Portman Road. Our Premier League predictions hub follows the other results as they come in.

How have Ipswich and Nottingham Forest played recently?

Ipswich have won two of their last five league games, beating Crystal Palace 3-2 and Fulham 2-1, and losing 1-0 at Everton and 3-2 at Manchester City. They also lost 4-2 to Arsenal in the League Cup on 15 September.

Forest drew 0-0 with Tottenham on 5 September and won 2-1 at Aston Villa a week later. After that, they lost 1-0 to Coventry, 3-1 at Crystal Palace and 1-0 at home to Arsenal, which our Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal report covers. Therefore, the draw at Ipswich ended a run of three defeats. Aston Villa’s next fixture is covered in our Aston Villa vs Fulham preview.

The recent head-to-head favours Forest slightly. They won 4-2 at Portman Road in March 2025 and 1-0 at home in November 2024, while the FA Cup tie in March 2025 finished 1-1. Friday’s draw adds another level result to the history.

What comes next for both clubs?

Both teams now wait for their next league fixtures, which you can find on the official Premier League website. For a look at the other clubs near the bottom of the table, see our Chelsea vs Tottenham preview, which includes Tottenham’s position.

Frequently asked questions

Forest host Manchester City next, and our Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City preview has the form and head-to-head.