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18 hours ago
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The Premier League season has not reached its halfway point and yet Arsenal knew this was a game they had to win. Liverpool’s stunning form at the top of the table had seen to that. It was scrappy for long spells, Ipswich digging deep, determined to show a response to the 4-0 home drubbing against Newcastle from last Saturday – the only time they have taken a real battering this season.
Arsenal were restricted. They found chances difficult to come by. But in the end, one goal was enough – together with another clean sheet for David Raya, his 23rd in 50 league appearances for the club. Kai Havertz was the scorer, turning home a Leandro Trossard cross midway through the first half; he made it look simple.
The game was not that way for Arsenal but they did what was required, keeping alive the division’s only unbeaten home record in the process. They are up into second place, six points behind Liverpool, albeit having played an extra match.
It was the night when Arsenal started their stretch without Bukayo Saka, who is coming to terms with the first major injury setback of his career; when they had to begin to find a way to replace his goals and assists.
As expected, Arteta switched Gabriel Martinelli over to the right wing and brought in Trossard on the left. The overall sweep of it is that Arsenal want to do better without Saka than they did without the captain, Martin Ødegaard, when he missed seven league games from mid-September. The team won only three of them without him.
Kieran McKenna wanted Ipswich to be compact. He wanted his team to keep Arsenal in front of them and, most definitely, not allow them to get in around the sides. Which is why the concession of the breakthrough goal would have upset him so much.
Ipswich were solid enough for the first 20 minutes or so. But then a cross from Martinelli on the right found its way all the way through to Trossard on the other flank and it was a straight one-on-one between him and Ben Johnson. Trossard won it with ease, flicking on the after-burners to get to the byline and cross. When the ball reached Havertz – and it eluded a couple of blue shirts on the way – he finished with an assured touch from close range.
Ipswich switched between a five and a four at the back; it was more five than four, depending mainly on where Johnson was on the right-hand side. They created a half-chance inside the opening minute when a Leif Davis cross deflected and Sammie Szmodics could not get anything to it as it bounced. But the pattern for the remainder of the first half became deeply entrenched, Arsenal dominating the ball, Ipswich with everybody behind it, holding their shape. After 27 minutes, Arsenal had hogged a jaw-dropping 92% of the possession.
Liam Delap looked to put himself about at the tip of the Ipswich formation and it certainly said something that the visiting goalkeeper, Arijanet Muric, was jeered for time-wasting just 20 minutes in. That was after Jurriën Timber had blasted straight at him after rushing through a small seam in the centre of the pitch.
Arsenal struggled to create very much in the first half. Trossard had a shot blocked by Kalvin Phillips, who made his first start since 2 November. Declan Rice whipped one high from distance. And Gabriel Jesus had the ball in the net only to be pulled back for offside. For Ipswich, it was about staying in contention.
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Arsenal were chasing a fourth successive clean sheet at home in the league and it was a bold move by Arteta to persist with Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back, with Riccardo Calafiori back to fitness. The 18-year-old had a lovely moment in the first half when he turned upfield, away from a challenge, trying to make something happen.
If that was noteworthy, it was because there was plenty of niggle and not so much inspiration. Omari Hutchinson, booed by the Arsenal fans who had not forgotten how he drove a move away from their academy to Chelsea, was fortunate to avoid a booking after a dive in Lewis-Skelly’s vicinity. Lewis-Skelly would square up to Phillips on the hour. He is no respecter of reputation.
The home support needed a second goal to allow them to breath more easily and it was a mystery how Gabriel Magalhães did not score it after Rice arched over a wonderful corner in the 63rd minute. Having run off Delap, he was all alone and just three yards out when he made contact for the header. He directed it past the post.
Ødegaard crackled to life in the second half, driving in the final third. He saw Muric tip over from him and, from the resulting corner, he picked out Rice on the edge of the area, who caught the volley sweetly. Dara O’Shea blocked. Arsenal pushed. Havertz missed his kick when well-placed; the substitute, Mikel Merino extended Muric. It became about them keeping the back door bolted.
