Soccer

Premier League: Arsenal go second with win over Ipswich; Brighton lack finishing touch

Kai Havertz goal earns home win for the Gunners

Arsenal's Kai Havertz is challenged by Ipswich Town's Arijanet Muric and Jacob Greaves during their Premier League game at the Emirates Stadium. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Arsenal's Kai Havertz is challenged by Ipswich Town's Arijanet Muric and Jacob Greaves during their Premier League game at the Emirates Stadium. Photograph: Julian Finney/Getty Images
Fri Dec 27 2024 - 22:27
Arsenal 1 Ipswich Town 0

Arsenal moved up to second in the Premier League and within six points of Liverpool after a largely trouble-free, if slightly pedestrian, 1-0 win at home to struggling Ipswich Town on a chilly night in North London.

A first-half goal from Kai Havertz, who pounced on a smart pullback from Leandro Trossard, proved the winner although the hosts should have scored more goals as the Gunners’ performance failed to provide many pre-New Year fireworks.

Lacking the creativity of the injured Bukayo Saka, it took 19 minutes before Arsenal mustered their first shot although four minutes after that Havertz netted his sixth of the season in all competitions by tapping in Trossard’s whipped cross.

Ipswich had a spell of pressure after 10 minutes of the second half but it proved fleeting and Arsenal should have comfortably put the game to bed after that.

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Defender Gabriel Magalhaes missed a golden opportunity to extend his run of scoring from corners when he headed just wide when completely unmarked. Captain Martin Odegaard then blazed over after he danced from midfield into the visitors box.

Brighton 0 Brentford 0

Brighton were held to a 0-0 draw with Brentford in a mid-table Premier League clash at a misty American Express Stadium after dominating the match but lacking a finishing touch.

Fabian Hurzeler’s side extended their winless run to six games and are 10th in the table with 26 points after 18 games, two points ahead of 11th-placed Brentford who are still without an away victory this season.

Brighton peppered Mark Flekken’s goal with shots all night after Julio Enciso set the tone in the early minutes when he clattered one off the woodwork after the keeper’s pass was intercepted.

It was a sign of things to come for the 20-year-old Paraguay forward, whose eight shots in the first half were the most by a player in the first half of a Premier League game since Luis Suarez’s eight for Liverpool against Aston Villa in March 2013.

Brentford’s Yoane Wissa celebrated what he thought was a sumptuous goal against the run of play in the first half when he latched on to Mads Roerslev’s through ball on the counter and fired into the top corner but it was ruled out for offside.