20 April 2025
Ipswich Town 0 Arsenal 4
Time is fast running out for Kieran McKenna’s side as they stare down the barrel at relegation to the Championship. They welcomed Arsenal to Portman Road, desperate for an unlikely three points. While the manager can often find positives to their performances, this means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Points are what matter and they were not getting enough of them.
The Gunners were dominating possession from the off. Ipswich seemed content when out of possession to drop behind the ball and make themselves difficult to break down. As they crossed into the box, it found Trossard with the goal in his sights. He took a touch and by the time he got his shot away it was blocked by Martinelli as he ran in front of him.
This is part of the ongoing saga in North London. The lack of a natural goalscorer. Had the Belgian shot first-time, he would have scored. He managed to make amends moments later when Saka played it into Odegaard in the box. The Norwegian’s poor touch took it into the path of Trossard who tucked it through the defender’s legs and into the back of the net.
Portman Road fell silent as the travelling fans celebrated. The Gunners should have doubled their lead when a corner swung into the far post found a completely unmarked Merino. He got his header all wrong as he it sent it well wide of the target. The Spaniard has scored some crucial goals this campaign but really isn’t a natural goalscorer as this attempt showed.
Saka was causing plenty of problems for Davis down flank. The winger skipped past his marker and cut it back to Merino in the middle. His instinctive flick laid it into the path of the advancing Martinelli, who had the simple task of tucking it into the back of the net. Even at this stage of the game, it seemed like this game was now beyond the hosts.
A moment of madness was then to end this match as a contest. As Saka received the ball deep in his own half, Davis lunged in with a challenge. The Arsenal man hit the deck, seemingly in a lot of pain. The replay showed that the defender had stood on his Achilles. The referee seemed to take an age to ponder his decision before producing a red card. VAR saw no need to get involved either.
As a result of the sending-off, the home fans booed Saka whenever he touched the ball. He received the ball wide in the box and cut inside onto his left-foot. He only had one thing on his mind as he tried to bend a shot into the far corner. He got it all wrong as he sent it well wide of the far post, we have come to expect so much more from the Arsenal dangerman.
Moments later Odegaard slid a pass in behind the Ipswich defence, putting Saka clean through on goal. As Palmer came off his line to try and close him down, he sliced his shot wide once again. The home fans cheered as went behind the goal, the only joy they had experienced in this lacklustre performance from their team.
It did not seem like it was going to be Saka’s day against the Tractor Boys. Odegaard played it out wide to Trossard who looked up and picked out the winger in the middle with a pass. He looked to get a first-time shot away but completely mishit it and sent it wide of the goal once again. On another day, he could have had a hat-trick before the interval.
After the break, the hosts came forward on a rare attack. A long ball forward over the top was picked up by Hirst. With five red and white shirts in front of him, he was allowed to cut inside and get a shot away with no challenge from any of them. His effort narrowly missed the far post and had it been on target, there was no way Raya was keeping it out.
The Gunners forced a corner when Palmer got down to turn Odegaard’s effort behind. Rice played it short and immediately received it back. He spotted Trossard in space in the box and slotted a pass into him. The Belgian was given enough time and space to steady himself, before tucking his shot into the far corner to put this game beyond doubt.
Odegaard had the freedom of Portman Road in the middle of the park. He was keen to get himself on the scoresheet. As he checked onto his left-foot, he drilled a low shot towards the bottom corner of the goal. Palmer was beaten and relieved to see it strike the inside of the post and back into play. So close to a fourth goal for the visitors.
Mikel Arteta’s side were able to put the icing on the cake when Zinchenko played a pass into Nwaneri in the penalty area. He ran across goal before unleashing a venomous left-footed shot. Palmer committed to a dive and when the effort deflected off two Ipswich defenders it ricocheted into the opposite corner to rub salt into the wound for the hosts.
Victory kept Arsenal’s feint hopes of catching leaders Liverpool alive. This result condemned Ipswich Town to relegation realistically, now needing to win their last five games and score twenty goals in the process. The chances of the Tractor Boys doing just that was as likely as seeing Odegaard lift the Premier League trophy this season.
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