Ipswich Town battle to hard-fought draw at Aston Villa
Aston Villa 1 - 1 Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town produced a gutsy performance to claim a valuable Premier League point at Villa Park, despite playing almost an hour with 10 men.
The match had been uneventful until Axel Tuanzebe, facing his former club, brought down Jacob Ramsey on the edge of the area, picking up a second yellow card and leaving Ipswich with an uphill task. Up to that point, the visitors had defended resolutely, and they continued to frustrate Villa even with a numerical disadvantage.
Against the run of play, Ipswich took a shock lead when Liam Delap beat Axel Disasi to Omari Hutchinson’s low cross, steering the ball into the far corner to silence the home crowd.
As frustration grew among the Villa supporters, Ollie Watkins eventually levelled, reacting quickest after Marcus Rashford’s thunderous free-kick crashed against the crossbar. Villa pushed hard for a winner, with Marco Asensio missing a golden chance before forcing Alex Palmer into a superb save.
Palmer, making his Premier League debut at 28, was Ipswich’s hero in stoppage time, producing another brilliant stop to deny a deflected effort from Conor Townsend and ensure his side left with a point.
The result lifts Ipswich above Leicester on goal difference into 18th, while Villa move up to ninth.
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Dropped points add to Emery’s frustration
This was the first of five matches in just 14 days for Unai Emery’s side, with upcoming fixtures against Liverpool, Chelsea and Crystal Palace in the league, as well as an FA Cup clash with Cardiff City.
Already frustrated with the fixture congestion, Emery will have been further dismayed to see Boubacar Kamara limp off after just 15 minutes, adding to a growing injury list that includes Pau Torres, Ezri Konsa and Matty Cash.
Tuanzebe’s red card in the 40th minute should have made life easier for Villa, but instead, they struggled to break down Ipswich’s well-drilled defence. Delap’s clinical finish put the visitors in front, and Villa needed a moment of brilliance from Rashford to force an equaliser, with Watkins pouncing on the rebound.
Despite late pressure, Ipswich held firm, with Palmer’s heroics ensuring Villa’s winless Premier League run stretched to four games. Their last top-flight victory came at Everton on 15 January.
Ipswich show fight in survival battle
Ipswich were up against a Villa side that had lost just once at home in the Premier League all season, and their task became even tougher after Tuanzebe’s red card.
Town’s fans had endured four consecutive top-flight defeats, and many may have feared the worst. But after containing Villa well in the first half, they stunned the hosts when Delap tucked away Hutchinson’s delivery—his 11th Premier League goal of the season.
Watkins’ equaliser in the 68th minute set up a tense finale, but Villa’s anticipated onslaught never truly materialised. Ipswich defended in numbers, while Palmer’s string of outstanding saves—including a late stop to deny Rashford—secured a morale-boosting result.
With crucial fixtures against Tottenham and Manchester United later this month, this battling draw could provide the confidence boost Ipswich need to pick up more vital points in their fight for survival.
