Arsenal v Ipswich, Getty Images December 28, 2024, 00:10

Boxing day in English football started strongly the day before, but the organizers of the Premier League still decided not to arrange absolute Christmas madness and left at least a few matches for Friday. Fans were treated to a late-night showdown at the Emirates between London’s Arsenal and Ipswich, with Mikel Arteta’s side in with a real chance of overtaking Chelsea and moving up to second in the table, while Kieran McKenna’s men could only hope to edge closer to the relegation zone.

It is obvious that it was a duel in the “favorite – outsider” format, and it was equally obvious how the “tractorists” would conduct it. The guests did not surprise anyone – they closed in defense and hoped for counterattacks. But in the first half, McKenna’s team fought back, and the Gunners showed that they are quite pragmatic guys. We didn’t see anything interesting from the hosts, except for constant wing passes with an attempt to earn corners.

And if opponents gradually get used to Arsenal’s corners, Arteta’s team still managed to push through the opponents’ defense with a banal number of crosses. At the 23rd minute, Trossard sent a free kick from the left flank to the far post under an empty net for Havertz, and this was the end of the list of really dangerous moments before the break. Good football for fans who have trouble sleeping after a long feast.

In the second half, it wasn’t so much that Ipswich started to offer something interesting up front, but that Arsenal stopped understanding how to manage their own advantage. At the same time, Arteta’s team managed to create a much larger number of scoring chances, but all of them were wasted. Yes, even Gabriel’s header from a yard out into an empty net while taking one of those trademark corners.

As for McKenna’s team, indeed, the desire to win back at Ipswich was noticeable. Especially in the last minutes, which the hosts once again decided to let the opponents down. But how many times did Raya have to enter the game to save his own goal? But none. There and in total, only three shots in the direction of Arsenal’s possessions were collected, so such a spectacle turned out.

In the next round, London Arsenal will visit Brentford, and Ipswich will host London Chelsea.

Arsenal — Ipswich 1:0
Goal: Haverts, 23

Arsenal: Raya — Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly — Edegore, Havertz, Rice (Party, 86) — Trossard, Jesus (Merino, 72), Martinelli.

Ipswich: Muric — O’Shea, Wolfenden (G. Clarke, 90+1), Greaves — Johnson (Broadhead, 80), Phillips, Caiuste (Taylor, 80), Davies — Hutchinson, Schmodics (J. Clarke, 71) — Delap ( Al-Hamadi, 80).

Warning: Havertz