Ipswich Town 0-2 Arsenal - Half-Time Sunday, 20th Apr 2025 15:07 Goals from Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli have given Arsenal a 2-0 half-time lead over the Blues, who ended the period with 10 men following Leif Davis’s red card. Town made one change from the team which drew 2-2 at Chelsea last week with Jacob Greaves coming in for Cameron Burgess at the centre of the defence. The Australian international dropped to a bench which also included Ben Godfrey, in the squad for the first time since the Tottenham game two months ago. George Hirst kept his place as the number nine with Liam Delap, who suffered a rib injury against Wolves a fortnight ago, again a sub. On the bench for the first time was left-back Somto Boniface, the 19-year-old having joined the Blues from Chelsea in January and having been impressive in the U21s in recent weeks, scoring in his last two matches. Conor Townsend and Nathan Broadhead were both absent from the 20-man squad, while Omari Hutchinson and Kalvin Phillips also remain unavailable. Arsenal made three changes from the team which completed a 5-1 on-aggregate Champions League victory over Real Madrid in midweek with Ben White, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Trossard coming in for Jurrien Timber, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Thomas Partey, who were all on the bench. Bukayo Saka started in the Premier League for the first time since December. Unsurprisingly, the Gunners dominated possession from the off, but in the fifth minute, Jens Cajuste won the ball just outside the Town area and drove forward but the Sweden international’s ball for Hirst to chase was too far in front of the Blues striker. Arsenal threatened for the first time moments later, Saka getting round the back of Davis on the right of the box and cutting inside to Trossard but Axel Tuanzebe did very well to get across to block. On nine, Julio Enciso cut in from the left and hit a shot which smashed against White with Town claims for handball - mainly from the fans - rightly ignored by referee Chris Kavanagh. On 14, Enciso dispossessed Declan Rice not far outside the box then took the ball forward to the edge of the area before failing to find Hirst with a pass. And from that attack breaking down, Arsenal counter-attacked and took the lead. Saka was fed on the right by skipper Martin Odegaard and the England international cut the ball inside. Odegaard failed to get a significant touch but it ran to Trossard on the penalty spot and, despite a Sam Morsy challenge putting him on the floor, the Belgian international was able to shoot through Dara O’Shea’s legs and past Alex Palmer to his right. Goalscorer Trossard blazed over on 18, then on 22 Jack Clarke looped a cross-shot well over after a sharp Town break down the right, Cajuste having instigated the move. But play quickly moved back to the other end, Tuanzebe blocking from Martinelli for the first of two corners. From the second, Mikel Merino headed wide at close range at the far post having escaped Tuanzebe perhaps having more of an eye on not colliding with the woodwork than directing the ball into the net. However, the Gunners didn’t have to wait too long for their second. In the 29th minute, Saka again cut back from the right, Merino flicked it towards the back post with the inside of his right heel and Martinelli tapped home. Three minutes later, Town’s afternoon got even worse when Davis was shown a straight red card, the first of his career. The left-back stabbed a boot at the back of Saka’s heel with the forward’s back to him just over halfway. Saka leapt dramatically into the air and referee Kavanagh showed little hesitation in dismissing the former Leeds United man. VAR took a look at it before confirming the decision, Davis having caught Saka well up the back of his leg with his studs with the ball well in front of the Arsenal man, who was OK to continue after treatment. The Blues immediately made a change, bringing Burgess on for Clarke and moving Greaves to left-back. It was becoming a hard watch for Town fans who may have wanted to play casino online instead. The game continued in much the same vein as before the red card and on 37 Saka, booed by the Town support, cut in from the right and shot across the face and wide. Saka, whether deservedly or otherwise, Portman Road’s pantomime villain, missed another good opportunity a minute later, shooting wide with only Palmer to beat, much to the delight of the North Stand. Three minutes before the break, Saka hit a low shot from a tight angle on the right which Palmer claimed low. Moments later, Saka was at the centre of things again, sweeping a low Trossard cross from the right wide, catching O’Shea with his studs with the follow through, causing the North Stand to ambitiously call for a red card. On 45, referee Kavanagh awarding Town only their second free-kick of the half, Hirst having been fouled by Jakub Kiwior on halfway, received the biggest cheer at that point, the official having been somewhat reluctant to give decisions in the Blues’ favour. Arsenal maintained the pressure in five additional minutes without seriously threatening to score again before the whistle, Saka receiving more boos as he left the field. Aside from a couple of early Town counter-attacks, there had only been one side in it from the start and Arsenal goals seemed only a matter of time, the Blues having been caught committing players forward but still with enough men back to have defended the break better. It was difficult seeing the Blues come back from 2-0 down with 11 men but with 10 it seems an impossibility, Davis making a rash stab for a ball which wasn’t there to be won and catching Saka well up the back of his leg. The second half will be a matter of keeping the scoreline respectable. Town: Palmer, Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis, Morsy (c), Cajuste, Johnson, Enciso, Clarke (Burgess 35), Hirst. Subs: Walton, Woolfenden, Godfrey, Boniface, Taylor, Luongo, Chaplin, Delap. Arsenal: Raya, Saliba, White, Saka, Odegaard (c), Martinelli, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Trossard, Merino, Rice. Subs: Neto, Tierney, Partey, Timber, Sterling, Butler-Oyedeji, Henry-Francis, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri. Referee: Chris Kavanagh (Lancashire). VAR: Darren England.
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