Man United battle to win over Ipswich
Manchester United 3 - 2 Ipswich Town
Ten-man Manchester United recovered from gifting Ipswich a fourth-minute opener at Old Trafford to come out on top in a five-goal thriller thanks to Harry Maguire's header.
This win for United was achieved despite having Patrick Dorgu sent off before the break following the intervention of VAR Craig Pawson after his awful tackle on Ipswich winger Omari Hutchinson.
Within a few moments, Ipswich capitalised on the extra man to level when Jaden Philogene's touchline cross curled in at the far corner as Andre Onana failed to react once Liam Delap had missed it.
Maguire gave United the lead again when he powered home Bruno Fernandes' corner two minutes into the second half. This gave Ruben Amorin only his third home Premier League win. He would have been relieved with the win but could have probably done with a more relaxed evening at Old Trafford, So much more happened before all that drama.
A closer look at what happened on a crazy night at Old Trafford
This is probably an understatement but things began badly for United. Andre Onana started the game by getting too close to Dorgu as the defender attempted to deal with a long ball downfield. Instead, Dorgu played the ball past Onana to present Philogene with an easy finish. All to do for The Red Devils.
This was just the start of a crazy encounter. The home side quickly levelled thanks to Ipswich skipper Sam Morsy. Whilst trying to stop Rasmus Hojlund challenging for Fernandes' deep free-kick, Morsy planted a firm header straight into his own net.
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Four minutes later, United took the lead as Maguire and Diogo Dalot both had attempts on goal saved before the ball broke kindly for Matthijs de Ligt, who sent it into the roof of the net.
At that point, it seemed the home side would coast to victory. The reality was far crazier and entertaining. Nothing is quite so simple at Manchester United these days.
There are straws for Amorim to clutch at
An important win for Manchester United against Ipswich Town. #PremierLeague eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com
— Super News Affiliate (@sup3rnew5affiliate.bsky.social) 27 February 2025 at 21:30
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At Goodison Park on Saturday, United staged a comeback after being down 2-0. Here, they demonstrated a level of cohesion and balance in their play, at least until Dorgu, who appears to be the solution for the troublesome left-sided wing-back position, recklessly lunged into a tackle. This reckless action has now ruled him out of three matches, beginning with Sunday's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Fulham.
Two first-half goals, after one in their previous 17 games, was also reason to celebrate. This was something that they did not manage against Southampton or Leicester in this stadium earlier this month.
In addition, they are clearly causing more problems at set pieces now. They scored three goals from a set play in a Premier League game for the first time since September 2016. A definite positive step when the strikers look incapable of scoring on a regular basis.
Ipswich are still to win in 2025
Some Ipswich Town reaction here - Video from "Blue Monday: An Ipswich Town Podcast" #ITFC #IpswichTown www.youtube.com/live/chvTtkQ...
— Super News Affiliate (@sup3rnew5affiliate.bsky.social) 27 February 2025 at 21:35
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For the first time since 1970, they have failed to win any of their opening eight top-flight matches in a calendar year, and their hopes of avoiding an immediate return to the Championship are looking increasingly slim.
There are moments when they play well, and in striker Liam Delap and goalkeeper Alex Palmer, they have two players who look comfortable at Premier League level.
However, the harsh reality is that sustaining the physical and technical demands of a 38-game top-flight season appears to be beyond them.
Can Ipswich stay up? Stay informed with everything going on at Portman Road by clicking here.
Defensive frailties remain a major concern. They have now conceded 24 goals in their last eight league matches – a ratio that makes winning games virtually impossible.
Given they only secured promotion from the Championship a few months ago and should be well-versed in dealing with aerial balls into their box, Kieran McKenna will be frustrated at how frequently his side are conceding from such straightforward situations.
If they don’t find a way to fix it, this weakness could prove costly by the time May arrives.
