A brilliant solo effort from Liam Delap, who scored twice, secured Ipswich Town a draw against Aston Villa, preventing Villa from moving level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool.
With Ipswich trailing 2-1 in the second half, Delap picked up the ball just inside Villa’s half, surged into the penalty box, outmaneuvered Diego Carlos, and slotted the ball low past goalkeeper Emi Martinez.
Earlier, the former Manchester City forward had opened the scoring for Ipswich in the eighth minute, converting Jack Clarke’s cutback. However, Villa responded and led by halftime at Portman Road.
Morgan Rogers capitalized on a poor clearance from Jacob Greaves, exchanged passes with Ollie Watkins, and hammered in his first goal of the season to equalize.
Leon Bailey then delivered a perfect cross to the unmarked Watkins, who headed past Arijanet Muric from six yards out.
At that point, Villa appeared set for their third consecutive Premier League comeback victory, but Delap’s late heroics secured a fourth straight league draw for Ipswich, lifting them to 15th in the table.
Positives for Ipswich but win still elusive
Ipswich Town earned a well-deserved point, moving them out of the relegation zone.
While their search for a first win since returning to the Premier League continues, manager Kieran McKenna will take encouragement from this strong performance.
Liam Delap’s two goals stood out, each executed in a different manner. His first was a clinical, first-time strike inside the penalty area, while his second was a brilliant solo effort, reminiscent of his first Premier League goal in the 1-1 draw against Fulham on August 31.
The 21-year-old could have had a hat-trick, but Emiliano Martinez denied him during a one-on-one in the first half.
Kalvin Phillips played a key role in Ipswich’s opening goal, winning possession deep in Villa’s half and passing to Jack Clarke, who set up Delap. Phillips also forced a save from Martinez with a powerful shot from outside the box.
However, defensive lapses from Ipswich led to two soft goals, something McKenna will be keen to address.
With their next four league fixtures against teams outside the top 10, Ipswich will be hopeful of securing their first league win soon, especially if Delap maintains his impressive form.
Villa denied another comeback special
Villa came from behind to secure a 3-1 victory over Wolves in their last Premier League match, just a week after overturning a two-goal deficit to defeat Everton at Villa Park.
That trend seemed set to continue on Sunday as the visitors bounced back from an early setback.
One of the standout performances for Villa has been from 22-year-old England hopeful, Rogers, who scored his first club goal of the season with a composed finish inside the box.
England forward Watkins also continued his fine form, with his header marking his fourth league goal in three games, setting Villa on course for what could have been their fifth win in six Premier League matches this season.
Although Villa looked comfortable in parts, they struggled to maintain their best form for the full 90 minutes, and this time, they were unable to claim all three points.
Attention now shifts to two high-profile home games in five days. Unai Emery’s side will host Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday (20:00 BST), followed by a Premier League clash against Manchester United at Villa Park on Sunday (14:00 BST).
Player of the Match: L. Delap.