| Ipswich Town 0 v 4 Arsenal FA Premier League Sunday, 20th April 2025 Kick-off 14:00 |  |
Ipswich Town 0-4 Arsenal - Match Report Sunday, 20th Apr 2025 16:04 Leandro Trossard netted twice and Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri once each as Arsenal comfortably beat 10-man Town 4-0 at Portman Road to inflict the Blues’ seventh successive home loss - a new club record - and move relegation a step nearer to being confirmed. There was really only one side in it throughout with Trossard giving the Gunners the lead on 14, before Martinelli added the second in the 18th minute, prior to Leif Davis being shown a straight red card for catching Bukayo Saka high up the back of his calf, then in the second half Trossard added a third on 69 and sub Nwaneri a fourth with two minutes left on the clock. 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. 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. 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, let alone 10, Davis making a frustrated and rash stab for a ball which wasn’t there to be won and catching Saka well up the back of his leg. Town, with a long half ahead of them, swapped Enciso for Jack Taylor ahead of the restart with the Blues playing a 5-3-1 system. The second half began as the first had ended, Odegaard hitting a shot from a tight angle on the left which Palmer bundled behind for another flag-kick with the Gunners pinning the Blues back in their penalty area. Town eventually dug their way out of their own final third and on 53 created an opportunity, Ben Johnson crossing low to Hirst with his back to goal just inside the box but the ball was taken away from the Scotland international as he sought to lay it back to Cajuste. Three minutes later, Morsy drove forward from inside the Town half and played forward to Hirst on the left, the striker cutting in and hitting a low shot only just past David Raya’s left post. Arsenal made their first changes of the game moments later in the 57th minute, Saka, who was again booed as he left the field, and Merino making way for Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly. The Gunners continued to dominate and prod and probe for a third, although without too much urgency, the three Town centre-halves getting their heads to crosses and Palmer claiming everything which came his way. On 65, Palmer took a Blues free-kick from just inside his own half and found O’Shea to the left of the box, the Irish international centre-half nodding down to Taylor, whose effort was blocked. Three minutes later, a Martinelli shot from the left of the area was deflected wide for the first of two corners. From the second, the ball was played to Martinelli on the edge of the box but his strike was blocked with Arsenal subsequently winning a third corner on the left from which they added their third goal. Town, who up to that point had defended assiduously since the break, were caught asleep as the ball was played to Rice, who moved it on to Trossard, who had been left completely on his own and fired low across Palmer and into the corner of the net. In the 73rd minute, Arsenal swapped Martinelli and Rice for Raheem Sterling and Kieran Tierney. The Blues made two further changes in the 82nd minute with Hirst and Cajuste, Town’s best two performers on the day, making way for Delap and Massimo Luongo. Two minutes later, Arsenal swapped Trossard for Nathan Butler-Oyedeji. On 87, Oleksandr Zinchenko hit a free-kick into the wall, then Odegaard hit the post with an effort from the right of the box. Palmer then made a sharp save, tipping a first-time effort from sub Butler-Oyedeji over the bar but a fourth Arsenal goal came following the resultant corner. Odegaard played a pass to Nwaneri in space on the right of the area and the sub cut in and hit a shot which deflected off both O’Shea and Burgess and into the net. As the fourth official indicated four additional minutes, Town swapped Morsy for Conor Chaplin. Zinchenko shot narrowly over, then Taylor scraped an effort from distance well wide before referee Kavanagh ended a game Town had never looked like taking anything from. Davis’s red card had made life even tougher, but at 2-0 down taking anything from the game had already looked a hopeless task against a very composed Arsenal side which looked a level above the Chelsea team the Blues matched a week ago. The challenge which led to Davis’s dismissal - the left-back will now miss three games including next week's trip to Newcastle, the club he supports - probably wouldn’t have led to a card a decade or so ago but it was high up the back of Saka’s leg with his studs catching the Arsenal man and it was difficult to argue against it. In the second half, the Blues defended resolutely until being caught cold at the corner which led to the third goal with the fourth coming via a similar route. Town have now lost seven in a row for the first time at home in their history and relegation will be confirmed next week at Newcastle unless the Blues win at St James’ Park and West Ham lose at Brighton. Town: Palmer, Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis, Morsy (c) (Chaplin 90), Cajuste (Luongo 82), Johnson, Enciso (Taylor 46), Clarke (Burgess 35), Hirst (Delap 82). Unused: Walton, Woolfenden, Godfrey, Boniface, Chaplin. Arsenal: Raya, Saliba, White, Saka (Nwaneri 55), Odegaard (c), Martinelli (Sterling 73), Kiwior, Zinchenko, Trossard (Butler-Oyedeji 84), Merino (Lewis-Skelly 55), Rice (Tierney 73). Unused: Neto, Partey, Timber, Henry-Francis. Referee: Chris Kavanagh (Lancashire). VAR: Darren England. Att: 29,549 (Arsenal: 2,955).
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