Ipswich 2 Aston Villa 2 - Report
Villa were forced to settle for a point as they could not hold a second half lead at Ipswich.
Unai Emery’s team fought back from a losing position for the third straight weekend but were unable to hold the lead at Portman Road.
Goals from Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins had them ahead after Liam Delap opened the scoring.
But Delap took advantage of lax defending to bring the home side level and neither team could then find a winner.
Analysis
The point was all Villa deserved on an afternoon when they were some way below their best.
Were it not for the excellence of Emi Martinez, they would likely have left with nothing against a newly-promoted team still searching for their first league win.
The Argentina international was at fault for Delap’s opener but then brilliantly denied the striker one-on-one.
Villa looked shaky in defence throughout and they have now conceded nine goals in six Premier League matches, with no clean sheets since April.
Needless to say, they will have to be much better when they host Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Emery has been reluctant to shake-up his starting line-up in the Premier League and there was only one, injury-enforced change from the XI against Wolves, Leon Bailey replacing John McGinn on the right of midfield.
Villa dominated the opening minutes with Youri Tielemans sending an effort from distance over the bar but the first time Ipswich attacked, they scored.
The visitors wasted two attempts to clear their lines, Delap pouncing on a poor clearance from Ezri Konsa, finding the run of Jack Clarke on the left and then forcing a shot under Martinez at the near post. Villa’s goalkeeper, who decided to go for the ball with his hand rather than his foot, will feel he should have done better.
It was defending which left plenty to be desired but nothing compared to the error which gifted Villa their equaliser seven minutes later.
Having seemingly snuffed out the danger, Jacob Greaves hammered a clearance across the face of his own goalmouth and straight to Rogers. The Villa attacker took a touch, exchanged passes with Watkins and fired his team level.
Emery’s men were bossing possession but it was the hosts carving out the chances. Axel Tuanzebe headed over from a free-kick, before Clarke squandered a glorious chance to restore the home side’s lead, diverting a delightful Davis cross over the bar.
Villa were far more clinical. A patient period of build-up play just past the half-hour mark ended with Bailey whipping a cross to the far post and Watkins, who had gotten in between Tuanzebe and Dara O’Shea heading home his fourth goal in three matches.
The quick turnaround was complete but it required two fine saves from Martinez to preserve the advantage until the break.
He first kept out a rising drive from Kalvin Phillips before then brilliantly denying Delay one-on-one, after the striker had been sent through on goal but Davis’ through ball.
Ipswich captain Sam Morsy fired wide from distance with the first effort of what was a scrappy opening to the second half. Villa felt Morsy, booked in the first half, was fortunate to still be on the pitch after catching Tielemans late, referee Stuart Attwell opting not to issue a second yellow.
Morsy also escaped sanction for a late challenge on substitute Jaden Philogene before the hosts got back on level terms with 18 minutes to go.
The visitors were caught on the counter and Delap, played onside by Carlos when he collected Omari Hutchinson’s pass on the left wing, beat the defender with ease when cutting inside before firing a low finish beyond Martinez and into the bottom corner.
Jacob Ramsey missed the chance to quickly restore Villa’s lead when he fired over.
Both teams were looking for a winner and it needed a diving stop from Pau Torres to prevent Wes Burns from testing Martinez when Villa were caught on the break again.
Ross Barkley came off the bench and tested Muric with a long-range effort but it was Ipswich pushing most at the end.
Teams
Ipswich (4-2-3-1): Muric, Tuanzebe, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis, Morsy (Luongo 90+1), Phillips (Taylor 69), Ogbene (Burns 69), Hutchinson, Clarke (Szmodics 90+1), Delap (Hirst 90+1) Subs not used: Chaplin, Johnson, Townsend, Walton (gk).
Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez, Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne (Maatsen 84), Onana, Tielemans (Barkley 84), Bailey (Philogene 64), Rogers (Duran 64), Ramsey, Watkins (Buendia 84) Subs not used: Nedeljkovic, Bogarde, Swinkels, Gauci (gk).
