Image source, Getty ImagesIpswich Town have been ahead for the shortest amount of time in the Premier League this season (47 minutes, 9 seconds), and trailing for the longest amount of time so far (439 minutes, 26 seconds).
The bottom six teams in the Premier League all play one another on Saturday and with the way the season has gone so far, those fixtures are going to be big.
Winning these games and earning three points could at the end of the season be called the six-pointers.
When I played for Reading and we were fighting down the bottom of the league, these are the fixtures that we looked for because they are must-win games.
I am not sure Crystal Palace would have targeted these at the start of the season because they would have expected to have been higher in the league, but the newly promoted teams will have.
Wolves probably need the win the most because they wouldn't have expected to be second from bottom after nine games and they need to start picking up results.
It is a little bit more difficult for the promoted teams because they are still trying to adapt to the Premier League.
I don't think these results will necessarily define any team's season - as it so early on - but winning helps to break the rut and sometimes it becomes difficult for teams to know how to win when they aren't.
For all of these teams something has to adapt at some stage. You have to find a way to win a game, even if it is scruffy, and especially against those teams that are in and around you.
Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford
Image source, PA MediaFormer Ipswich defender Mick Mills believes the club's next league game against Leicester City is a game they "need to win".
Kieran McKenna's side are yet to be victorious in the Premier League this season.
Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk's Final Whistle, Mills said: "Our ultimate goal this season is to stay above three teams, if we manage to do that then it has been a great season.
"I would put Leicester as one of the possible ones we could maybe finish above. If we get it right and get the win we need, we move within two points of Leicester - that's touching distance, and where we have to be.
"There's a whole group of clubs we have to make sure we're close to. There's eight or nine teams now that won't be in the relegation fight - they're in a different world.
"But there are teams that are going to be down there, and Leicester are one of them - that is why that is important."
Unlike the Tractor Boys who have a week to prepare for the game, Leicester face Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup first, and Mills thinks the weekend's league fixture will resemble a cup game.
"Next week is like a cup-tie between two teams, it's a different kettle of fish which we need to make sure we win," he said.
"Let's get out there and really knock them over and really beat them well, make sure we get the three points and pull them back close to us.
"We have to make sure we're better than enough teams to keep us up - it's going to be a real dogfight."
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
Richard Woodward
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesAnother weekend without a victory leaves Ipswich Town in a slowly diminishing band of sides yet to score maximum points in a fixture so far this season.
And while the national media chose to focus on the goals against in their summings-up, our improvement in taking chances at the other end of the field was massively overlooked for analysis.
Ipswich cut their hosts open three times on Saturday, with lovely passing moves and incisive finishing much more akin to the previous campaigns under Kieran McKenna. And the goals included combinations of something old, something borrowed and something new to find the net for the Blues.
The decisive front-to-back move which released Sam Szmodics for the opener owed much to the vision of Kalvin Phillips and the skill of George Hirst in the build-up. The finish though showed that the former Blackburn man's eye for goal, especially around the edge of the penalty area, is not undiminished a level up.
Goal number two saw Conor Chaplin seize the initiative and unlock the Brentford defence in a manner seen up and down the EFL in previous seasons. Hirst's unerring dinked finish brought back memories of Marcus Stewart terrorising opposition goalkeepers back in 2000-01.
And Town's "like father like son" scoring exploits were not done there. Leif Davis' sweeping cross was expertly finished by Liam Delap to send the away end crazy - albeit only briefly.
When was the last time the sons of two ex-Premier League players scored in a Premier League fixture, by the way?!
So yes, it is understandable that national media focus on the negative metrics. But do they really tell a story that the league table does not already tell us? After the frustrating shut-out against Everton, surely the three goals scored deserve discussion too ahead of a massive fixture on Saturday?
Find more from Richard Woodward at the Blue Monday Podcast, external
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Ipswich defender Mick Mills has questioned the club's decision to sign goalkeeper Arijanet Muric in the summer, and wonders whether the Tractor Boys have a better goalkeeper on the bench.
Speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk's Final Whistle, Mills said: "The goalkeeping situation has been very strange for the last 15 months, I firmly believe we had a good one - Christian Walton was a good goalkeeper and he must still be, but we're not able to see much of him.
"He was in charge at the start of last season and pre-season in our Championship year, he was the number one goalkeeper, he had an injury and allowed Vaclav Hladky to come in who grabbed his chance so well that we didn't see any more of Walton for a whole season.
"There was no great effort in renewing Hladky's contract and instead of going with Walton, we go out and buy a goalkeeper and I must admit I wondered if it was necessary.
"As a supporter of the club I want us to constantly improve all around the team which gives us the best opportunity of staying in the league.
"But, having seen all three goalkeepers, I still think Christian Walton is the best one - which is quite staggering."
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
Mark Scott
Final Score reporter at Gtech Community Stadium
Image source, Getty ImagesIt might sound strange to say, but there were definitely positives for Kieran McKenna to take from the defeat at Brentford.
Despite being deprived of some key players, they bossed the Bees around in the first-half, scored three really good goals, and had the resilience to fight back with only 10-men on the pitch.
The fact that two of the players the manager brought into the team both scored, with assured finishes, also augurs well. Meanwhile, Liam Delap has shown again that he is a regular threat at this level.
But, just as with the Everton game, naïve defending was a major concern.
While McKenna talked up the belief and character of his players, you wonder how much those elements will have been affected by the events on Saturday afternoon, particularly ahead of a crunch game against Leicester City next weekend.
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Brentford and Ipswich Town.
Here are some of your comments:
Brentford fans
Will: Nervy! We left the motor in the locker room and could not match Ipswich's energy in the first half. Our quick passing has gone. Flekken is living too dangerously with his passes into the middle. Damsgaard, Lewis-Potter and Wissa carried us and somehow we led. Against 10 men we lost control. It was a somewhat lucky finish, but in Mbeumo we trust! Three points but we should do better.
Ernie: Definitely a rollercoaster game for Brentford supporters. These types of games are great to watch but can be frustrating when your team make silly mistakes. Pat on the back to Ipswich but job well done for Brentford.
David: Brentford were terrible for the first 20 minutes, which is unlike us. We are well known for coming out of the traps quickly. Our passing was sloppy and I still worry that some of our players are too one-footed to play out from the back, and Flekken struggles with distribution. We had a great attitude going forward. Lewis-Potter was man of the match for me.
Nigel: We never make it easy for ourselves. We can always score a hatful but the way we concede goals makes each game a nail-biting affair!
Ipswich fans
Richard: A frustrating result but a huge improvement on last week's dire home defeat against Everton. Keep playing like that and we will be fine. Brentford are a decent side and they are dangerous against anyone on their day. We matched them and deserved a draw.
Barry: I was concerned at all team changes but the boys competed well and Brentford found it difficult. After taking the lead, by equalising first, we showed spirit and determination. We nearly got it to 4-4. They are positives and we are getting there, as we continue to develop.
Paul: Ipswich are too good to go down and they are always losing by very fine margins. I think that will turn in their favour soon. Why Delap, their top goalscorer, didn't start is a mystery because he really made an impact when he came on. He was unlucky to hit the post with the last kick of the match. But it was a very exciting game.
Jamie: Good effort by Ipswich. So refreshing to hear Kieran McKenna only praising his team and focusing on the positives. I honestly believe Ipswich will be OK once they get that first win out of the way. I think Thomas Frank is brilliant as well, such a good manager with a measured perspective. He deserves his success, always gracious in defeat as well.
Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician
Ipswich, Southampton and Wolves are all still looking for a win after nine games.
Of the previous 24 sides winless after nine games, a third of them still survived at the end of the season.
However, only four of the last 17 sides in this situation stayed up.
Southampton have been in this position before in 1998-99 and survived on the final day.
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Premier League striker Alan Shearer says he "understands" why Kieran McKenna was "upbeat" in his post-match interviews despite Ipswich squandering a two-goal lead and the chance to get their first league win of the season against Brentford.
Speaking on Match of the Day, Shearer said: "I understand why he is trying to be as upbeat as possible. It is all about the psychology and trying to somehow keep his players believing.
"He wants them to believe that they can be competitive and, more importantly, that they can stay in this league.
"But when you look at the stats, unless every single thing improves, they have no chance of staying in this league.
"If they aren't bottom then they are second bottom in almost everything: shots, shots on target, expected goals, touches in the opposition box, goals conceded and errors leading to goals.
"Those stats tell you everything you need to know."
Catch up on Match of the Day here
Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from Friday's game between Leicester City and Nottingham Forest.
If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.
Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:
Marissa Thomas
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Tractor Boys have lost 10 points from winning positions in the league this season as they fell to a late defeat against Brentford.
They had to play the last 21 minutes with 10 men after Harry Clarke was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Keane Lewis-Potter.
The pair were in a battle throughout the game and Lewis-Potter came out on top on multiple occasions. Clarke's first yellow card was for hauling down Lewis-Potter in the box and conceding a penalty.
He also scored an own goal to level the scoring at 2-2 before being sent off on his second appearance in the competition.
Clarke became just the second player in Premier League history to score an own goal, concede a penalty and be sent off in the same match after Jan Bednarek with Southampton against Manchester United in February 2021.
Ipswich are winless across their first nine matches of the 2024-25 Premier League season (D4 L5), their longest ever such run at the start of a top flight campaign.
Image source, Getty ImagesIpswich Town forward and goalscorer George Hirst has been speaking to Premier League Productions following the defeat: "It is a tough one to look back at right now. You don't want to ever finish a game like that. With the situation we found ourselves in, to get it back to 3-3, we showed what we are about. We pride ourselves on being a team that can go and do that.
"To go and concede in the way we did, is one of those things that happens when you are down there. We won't be playing the blame game or trying to find fault. All we can do is keep working to turn things our way."
On what positives the team can take from the performance: "That was the message in the dressing room, between the lads and the gaffer. It can almost get hidden when you lose like that. A lot of people on the outside would focus on the result but, for the 90 minutes before that, we played well. We were, for the majority of it, the more dangerous team."
On conceding late on: "That is something we have to work on. We pride ourselves on our press, getting after people, and I enjoy that. We can't just accept that there will be chances at the other end - that is no way to stay in the division."
On the substitutes scoring goals: "We have a squad that are ready to come on and contribute at any given time. Liam [Delap] comes on and scores the goal to get us back in the game, and he nearly does it again late on. We have to keep our heads held high and come back in on Monday morning ready to knuckle down."
On scoring his first Premier League goal: "A proud moment, but it will get clouded a bit with the way we lost the game. But to get that first start was an aim of mine and to follow it up with a goal would have been sweeter, if we had gone on to win the game or even take a point."
Image source, Getty ImagesIpswich's Harry Clarke became just the second player in Premier League history to score an own goal, concede a penalty and be sent off in the same match - after Jan Bednarek with Southampton against Manchester United in February 2021.
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna has been speaking to Premier League Productions after his side failed to hold on to any points this afternoon: "So proud of the performance, to be honest. Some of the challenges we have had this week, with injuries and players dropping out late, have been among the hardest I have faced at the club.
"The performance with 11 men to the performance with 10 men was great. It was on the right track and it will lead us to where we want it to lead us to.
"It is a sickener for everyone, but you see the reaction from the fans at the end. The support they have for the players - it was an incredible effort from everyone."
On the first-half performance: "It was an incredible start. We knew that you have those days where everything you plan, 90% comes off, but it isn't always going to be enough to get a result.
"We limited them to very little before the first two goals, and hit well on the counter-attack, but they showed some quality moments too."
On battling back at 3-2 down: "I always felt like it was there. We had a threat the whole game. George Hirst, on his first league start, was incredible and then we had Liam Delap come on, who is a big goal threat. Down to 10 men, we still felt like there would be chances for us."
On the late winner: "I think we have the box pretty well covered. We could have done better in terms of getting out to the cross, but they will get crosses in when you are down to 10 men.
"There was a decision to let the ball go through, maybe it is a bit of a misunderstanding, and it goes in the corner of the net. A poor goal, but the players involved had outstanding performances. We are dealing with humans and mistakes can happen."
Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?
Have your say on Brentford's performance, external
What did you make of Ipswich’s display?, external
Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies
Five matches make up Saturday's Premier League action, and we will bring you every moment.
Brentford v Ipswich
Brighton v Wolves
Manchester City v Southampton
Kick-offs 15:00 BST unless stated
Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League matches this season, against a variety of guests.
For week nine he takes on rapper Nemzzz, who supports Manchester United.
Sutton's prediction: 2-0
A home win, no doubt about it. The Tractor Boys' tyres are well and truly punctured after last week’s home defeat by Everton.
I predicted Ipswich would win that game, but I am not doing that again this season.
I do have some sympathy for manager Kieran McKenna, though. I had an argument with Andros Townsend on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, because the longer it goes for Ipswich and Southampton without a win so far, the more confidence drains out of their players.
Some have not played in the Premier League before and it is only natural that they will wonder whether they can play at this level.
Losing to Everton was really damaging because it was a game they probably thought they could win.
Going to Brentford would be tough anyway, but I watched the Bees at Old Trafford last week and they must be pretty peeved to have lost after such a good first half.
Brentford are the better team, and they are more streetwise. They won't slip up here.
Nemzzz's prediction: 1-0
Ipswich still haven't won yet? That won't change here. Brentford gave us a few problems last week and they will take this.
Image source, Getty ImagesAs a player, it is tough when you have not won in weeks and you know that everyone you are playing fancies their chances against you.
Teams will take it to you because they want to make you feel uncomfortable and, historically, teams near the bottom of a league do not have good away records, so that can then create anxiety for home fixtures because there is more pressure on them.
It does not matter how that first win comes but it is so important. But then immediately you will be looking at the fixtures and thinking when will the second come?
Everyone is objectively aware of how good the top four teams are, but some other teams are tough too. Those mid-table teams are often more robust.
Realistically, to survive you need between eight and 11 wins a season, but if you do not believe you can achieve that then that is another issue.
Players need to be able to handle any scenario you are given in the Premier League, but unfortunately for a lot of these teams near the bottom, they are so new to it so they can't lean on previous experiences. Lessons need to be learned quickly and then applied so that results start picking up.
But fans also need to look at performances as well as results.
Supporters might be looking at other managers as an option, but the grass isn't always greener - and then what if it makes no difference?
It is OK having positive performances but not getting anything out of the game - because at least you know you are along the right rack. It is when the performances aren't good that you can start to be concerned.
But having said that, no team should be in real panic mode right now.
Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford
Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town, Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers all remain winless after eight Premier League games - so how can they kickstart their season?
Former Leeds, Everton and Leicester striker Jermaine Beckford tells The Football News Show that back-to-basics, low-risk football is their best bet.
Image source, Getty ImagesBrentford manager Thomas Frank is well aware of the threat posed by Ipswich Town as he prepares to face the promoted side on Saturday.
It will be the first time the sides have faced each other since 2019, when the Bees emerged victorious with a 2-0 win in the Championship.
"I know it is going to be a very tough game," Frank said. "We need to hit a high level and if we hit a high level, then I am convinced we can get the three points in front of our fans.
"In every game they [Ipswich] are competing - maybe they just lack those final bits in games or the margins to get over the line. They are running hard, they are working hard and they are well-structured in everything they do.
"Some of the games that impressed me the most are the away game at Brighton - the 0-0 draw - and the home games against Fulham and Aston Villa. They were very impressive."
An astute tactician himself, Frnak has identified the areas where Town will threaten, and he picked out key players his team will need to keep an eye on.
"On the counter-attack, we need to be very aware," he said. "They press well, they press aggressively and press high.
"Going forward, [Liam] Delap has done amazingly not only on counters, but in structured play as well. "[Omari] Hutchinson was such a threat last year. He is doing well but the more games he plays, the more he will be a bigger threat. [Leif] Davis has a very good delivery and I think they have a good threat in the box.
"All clubs know how much set-pieces are worth and how important they are, so we definitely need to defend well."
