Arsenal vs Ipswich LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as Kai Havertz goal earns three points
Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich: The German’s first-half goal was enough to Mikel Arteta’s side to end 2024 with a win
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Your support makes all the difference.Arsenal climbed to second in the Premier League as they overcame a defensively-strong Ipswich at the Emirates Stadium.
An early goal from Kai Havertz, converting a fizzed cross from Leandro Trossard, proved enough for the hosts to re-take their place as Liverpool’s closest chasers after a 1-0 win. Mikel Arteta’s side were far from their fluent best against a tightly-packed visiting side, though were seldom troubled as Ipswich struggled to escape their own end.
Trossard had been brought into the starting line-up for the first game after Bukayo Saka suffered a hamstring injury that will sideline the Arsenal star for several weeks. Arteta could have done with Saka’s spark, with clear chances relatively few and far between even if Gabriel should have added a second from a corner routine in the second half. Ipswich’s best opening came in the first 30 seconds, though Sammie Szmodics could not make contact with a bouncing ball. They remain 19th.
Re-live all of the action from the Emirates below:
Second half...
It’s still goalless, by the way, between Brighton and Brentford as both sides bid to break the deadlock late on in that 7.30pm GMT kick off.
The players are back out there in London.
HT: Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich
About as one-sided a half as they come. Aside from that glimpse in the opening moments, Ipswich have seldom ventured out of the barracks, attempting to frustrate with a condensed defensive structure. They had done a reasonable job, too, until Kai Havertz converted Leandro Trossard’s cross midway through the first 45 minutes, and it feels rather likelier that Arsenal add to their tally than the visitors find a way back into the game.
Still, plenty can change during the interval - can Kieran McKenna tempt his side from their shells to get amongst things properly?
Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich, 45 minutes
One additional minute before some refreshments.
Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich, 43 minutes
Both sides just seem to be waiting for the interval a touch, Ipswich in need of fresh instructions and Arsenal in a position of such strength given their total dominance of the possession. The visitors are yet to have a touch in the home box - though one wonders how this half might have played out had Sammie Szomodics managed to get his boot to that bouncing ball inside 30 seconds.
Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich, 40 minutes
Liam Delap takes a rather nasty tumble having leapt for a header, the striker writhing briefly in pain before making a rather remarkable recovery after the short peep of the referee’s whistle. Just a drop ball, the Ipswich forward is informed. It’s not been his night so far.
Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich, 37 minutes
Ipswich are starting to find ways of getting the ball forward with greater regularity, though without being uncharitable it does feel a little ‘lump it and hope’ at times. Arsenal are trying to draw them free from their shape, confident that they have the ability to play through the press if it comes and exploit any free spaces beyond.
Offside! Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich, 32 minutes
So nearly for Gabriel Jesus but he has gone too soon! Leandro Trossard finds a gem of a pass along a diagonal to the onrushing striker, who rather clumsily takes but recovers superbly to bisect the legs of the goalkeeper and find the far corner from an acute angle. Alas, he had strayed offside.
Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich, 32 minutes
Right, that’s more like it from Ipswich. Omari Hutchinson gets forward with pace and purpose and then frees Ben Johnson with a nudged pass. The right wing-back swings in a cross but puts a little too much loop on it, allowing David Raya to rise high to claim.
Arsenal 1-0 Ipswich, 29 minutes
A rare passage in possession for Ipswich allows them to virtually double their tally of successful passes. Liam Delap might as well have been leaving in a hermitage in this opening half-hour, though doesn’t exactly excel when finally engaged, letting a pass slip between his legs via a clumsy heel to end the movement.
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