The Blues found themselves trailing early on after Michail Antonio’s quick goal, but Liam Delap equalized with his fourth goal of the season. However, West Ham regained control with goals from Mohammed Kudus, Jarrod Bowen, and Lucas Paqueta, securing a comfortable win in East London.
It was a rough start for Town, conceding within just 48 seconds. Former West Ham loanee Kalvin Phillips lost possession to Guido Rodriguez, allowing the hosts to move the ball out wide to Bowen. Bowen then delivered a low cross into the box, which Antonio converted to make it 1-0.
Ipswich responded swiftly, earning a corner in the sixth minute. Leif Davis delivered the ball towards Dara O’Shea, but Rodriguez managed to intercept, flicking it backward to Delap. The striker held off Paqueta, turned, and unleashed a shot that found the back of the net, bouncing off Alphonse Areola’s gloves to equalize.
The hosts aimed to regain control, with Kudus playing a through ball intended for Bowen, who was making a run towards goal. Jacob Greaves attempted to guide the ball back to Muric, but Bowen intercepted, prompting Ipswich to concede a corner, which they successfully cleared.
As the match progressed, the frantic pace of the early minutes began to settle. West Ham had greater possession but found it difficult to penetrate Ipswich’s defense. The closest they came to scoring was in the 26th minute when Phillips sent a powerful shot soaring over the crossbar from outside the box.
This trend persisted past the half-hour mark, with Delap appealing for a penalty after being fouled by Jean-Clair Todibo inside the box, but referee Anthony Taylor waved it off. Moments later, Wes Burns was brought down by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, earning Davis a free-kick on the right flank. His delivery found Greaves, who headed just wide in the 36th minute.
This sparked a reaction from West Ham, who launched a counter-attack in the 38th minute. Kudus connected with a cross, but his header struck the post before the offside flag was raised.
As a result, Ipswich began to show signs of nerves. Following a free-kick, Sam Morsy played the ball directly to West Ham. Tomas Soucek made a quick touch to evade the skipper before firing a shot from close range, but Greaves came to the rescue with a crucial block on the line, preventing the goal.
Ipswich Town appeared uneasy with the ball in their own half, and they were punished 90 seconds before the break. Emerson found space on the left to deliver a cross, which Antonio headed onto the crossbar. Kudus capitalized on the rebound, leaping to nod the ball into the net from close range, putting West Ham ahead 2-1.
Needing a strong start to the second half, Ipswich instead found themselves in a difficult position. After a promising spell of possession, Ben Johnson misjudged an overhit lobbed backpass that caught Arijanet Muric off guard. This allowed Bowen to seize the opportunity, cutting in past Phillips and firing a precise shot into the bottom corner to make it 3-1 in the 49th minute.
With a two-goal deficit, the visitors faced an uphill battle, and they were fortunate not to fall further behind when Bowen’s chipped pass found Kudus in the box, only for Muric to deny him with a crucial save.
Ipswich had their moments, too. In the 65th minute, a well-placed cross from Burns located Delap, but Areola reacted quickly to push the ball wide. Moments later, Jack Clarke twisted and turned down the left flank but rolled a weak shot into the hands of the French goalkeeper.
However, for all their efforts during that stretch, they were made to pay in the 69th minute. Antonio played Bowen down the right, who delivered a low cross with the outside of his boot. Antonio allowed it to pass through to Paqueta, who tapped it into the net, extending West Ham’s lead to 4-1.
From that point, the game lost its intensity. The Town fans in the away end continued to sing passionately despite the disappointing result, which served as a reality check ahead of the international break.
West Ham XI (4-2-3-1):Areola; Wan-Bissaka, Todibo, Kilman, Emerson (Cresswell 83′); Soucek, Rodriguez (Alvarez 70′); Bowen, Paqueta (Summerville 83′), Kudus; Antonio (Soler 70′)
Ipswich XI (4-2-3-1): Muric; Johnson, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis; Morsy, Phillips (Taylor 74′); Burns (Ogbene 74′), Hutchinson (Chaplin 83′), J. Clarke (Szmodics 73′); Delap (Hirst 83′)