Arsenal emphatically ensured that Liverpool would have to wait at least a few more days to clinch the Premier League title, cruising to a dominant 4-0 victory over a beleaguered Ipswich side reduced to 10 men in the first half. The result not only maintained the Gunners’ slim title hopes but also pushed Ipswich to the brink of relegation, with their Premier League status now hanging by a mathematical thread.
Mikel Arteta opted to keep the momentum going from Arsenal’s midweek Champions League triumph at the Bernabeu, naming eight of the same players who beat Real Madrid, including Bukayo Saka, making his first league start since December 21. The winger wasted little time making an impact, with Arsenal tearing down the right flank and scoring twice inside the opening 28 minutes.
Saka’s cutback led to the opener, with Martin Ødegaard deftly flicking the ball into the path of Leandro Trossard, who made no mistake from close range. Minutes later, a near-carbon copy unfolded—this time it was Mikel Merino who glanced the delivery into the path of Gabriel Martinelli for a simple tap-in. Ipswich, already struggling to cope, suffered a further blow when Leif Davis was shown a straight red card for a reckless rake down Saka’s Achilles. After a brief VAR review, the decision stood, leaving the hosts to battle with a man down.
Ipswich fans turned their frustration on Saka, booing his every touch, but the Arsenal winger nearly silenced them completely with three golden opportunities before half-time—all squandered. He was eventually substituted before the hour mark after appearing to aggravate the same leg Davis had fouled.
The second half lost much of its urgency, with Arsenal happy to manage the tempo. Yet they found a third when a cleverly worked short corner between Declan Rice and Ødegaard freed up space for Trossard to fire in his second goal of the afternoon. Ødegaard later clipped the post, and Arsenal wrapped up the scoring late on as teenage substitute Ethan Nwaneri saw his shot take two deflections before nestling in the back of the net.
While Arsenal extended their fine run and kept faint title hopes alive, the contrast in fortunes couldn’t have been starker for Ipswich. With Wolves winning at Old Trafford, the Tractor Boys are now 15 points from safety with only 15 left to play for—and a vastly inferior goal difference compared to 17th-placed West Ham. Relegation seems inevitable.
Arsenal now sit 10 points behind Liverpool, who remain top but are unable to secure the title until at least Wednesday evening following this result.
