Ipswich vs. Sunderland: Head-to-head record and past meetings

Newly-promoted Ipswich Town welcome Sunderland to Portman Road for their opening fixture of the 2026-27 Premier League season on Saturday afternoon.

The Tractor Boys finished second in the Championship last season to secure automatic promotion and are now led by head coach Gary O'Neil, who has replaced Kieran McKenna.

Sunderland, meanwhile, are gearing up for their first European campaign since 1973 after finishing seventh in the top flight last season to qualify for the Europa League.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two sides.

Head-to-head record

Previous meetings: 58

Ipswich Town wins: 25

Draws: 9

Sunderland wins: 24

Ipswich Town and Sunderland have faced each other a total of 58 times across all competitions, and it is the Tractor Boys who marginally lead the head-to-head record with 25 wins to the Black Cats' 24, while nine draws have also been played out in this fixture.

From the very first meeting between these sides back in September 1958 (a 2-0 win for Ipswich in the old Division Two) and December 1989, the Suffolk-based outfit enjoyed plenty of success over Sunderland, winning 15 and drawing five of their 28 league meetings.

The tables have since turned slightly in Sunderland's favour, with the Black Cats winning 16 and drawing four of their last 30 encounters with Ipswich, including two FA Cup victories in January 2001 (1-0 in fourth round) and January 2004 (2-1 in fourth round).

In the Premier League era (since 1992-93), Ipswich and Sunderland have only ever faced each other four times in England's top division, with both sides claiming two wins each.

In the 2000-01 campaign, Sunderland responded to their narrow 1-0 away defeat to Ipswich by thrashing the Tractor Boys 4-1 at the Stadium of Light on New Year's Day of 2001.

The Black Cats beat them again (1-0) the following season on home soil, but Ipswich got their revenge in emphatic fashion, as they secured a thumping 5-0 win at Portman Road in December 2001 - their biggest ever Premier League win to date.

Since then, both clubs have faced each other in the Championship and League One. Across 10 second-tier encounters, Ipswich have won six of those (D1 L3), including both home and away fixtures in the 2023-24 season by a 2-1 scoreline.

However, Sunderland dominated the Tractor Boys in League One, winning four and drawing two of their six meetings and keeping three clean sheets in the process.

Former England striker Darren Bent holds the unique record of having scored for both Ipswich and Sunderland in matches against the two teams during his career.