And so, from the beau monde of the Bernabéu to prosaic Portman Road to face Ipswich Town in one of Easter Sunday’s three 2pm Premier League kick-offs.
Arsenal will become the first Premiership side to play on three consecutive Easter Sundays — now there’s trivia for you! — but this will be our first visit to Portman Road since 2011. That was an upset 1-0 loss in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final, a portent for the final against Birmingham, as it happened. Our most recent league visit was in December 2001, a 2-0 win.
Today, the Tractor Boys are staring into the vortex of relegation. They go down if we win and results elsewhere go against them. Yet, when we first visited Portman Road, Ipswich was not only chasing down a fading Burnley at the top of the old Division One but also seeking to become the first club to win the First and Second Division titles in successive seasons.
What newly promoted team in these money-drenched times could even dream of doing that?
Regardless, as Good Friday, April 20, 1962, dawned, Alf Ramsey’s unfancied team were within three games of achieving that unprecedented feat. For a short review of Ipswich’s three magisterial managerial eras — Ramsey’s, Robson’s, and McKenna’s — and more history of the Suffolk club, I refer you to my preview of this season’s home game between the two clubs.
Two of those three remaining games were to be against us; the snows at the turn of the year had wreaked havoc on the fixture list. A visit from Villa awaited on the final day of Ipswich’s season.
A record crowd of 30,649 packed into Portman Road that Friday, some clinging to the floodlight pylons. Hundreds more were unable to get into the ground. Ipswich salvaged an invaluable point from a hard-fought 2-2 draw.
We had gone one up in the 55th minute through John McLeod, a Scottish outside right whose footnote in Arsenal history is to have scored our first goal in a UEFA competition. Three minutes later, George Eastham made it two with a spectacular overhead bicycle kick. But then we conceded a penalty in the 64th minute when Terry Neill tripped Ray Crawford. The Ipswich equaliser came five minutes from the end — Jimmy Leadbetter ‘crashing into the Arsenal defence like a rugby forward’, in the words of the Daily Express’s Mike Langley.
The return at Highbury on Easter Monday attracted a crowd of 44,694 — good for the Arsenal players, who got a bonus for every thousand spectators above 30,000. They got little change out of Ipswich, however. The visitors went two up in the first 20 minutes against the run of play and then resisted everything Arsenal could throw at them after that.
Ten minutes from time, Ray Crawford scored a third to kill off the game. ‘Arsenal had the stars that didn’t sparkle’, wrote Peter Lorenzo in the Daily Herald. ‘Ipswich had the nobodies who worked non-stop for their deserved success.’
Five days later, the nobodies would be the champions of England.
The opposition
Ipswich’s US owners have stuck with their 38-year-old manager Kieran McKenna, who was appointed in December 2021 and then achieved back-to-back promotions to get the club back to the Premier League for this season. McKenna has stuck with his philosophy of playing attacking, positional football, trusting in his side’s technical and structural superiority to dominate opponents.
That worked in League One and the Championship, perhaps against the odds. In the Premier League, it needs better players than McKenna has. Twenty-one points from 32 games and a 14-point gap from safety with six games left provide the evidence.
Since we narrowly beat them 1-0 at the Ems in December, Alex Palmer has arrived from West Brom to replace Arijanet Muric in goal. The Kosovan international is out for the season with a shoulder injury.
McKenna ditched his customary 4-2-3-1 for a 5-4-1 in N5, but he may stick with his preferred system at home on Sunday. His team has been putting in better performances of late, if not getting the wins it desperately needs.
That would mean Axel Tuanzebe and Lief Davis as the full-backs flanking Daro O’Shea and Cameron Burgess, international centre-backs both, for Ireland and Australia, respectively. Local lad Luke Woolfenden will be the third centre-back if McKenna goes with a five, with Jacob Greaves, a star with Hull in the Championship last season not cutting it in the Premier League with Ipswich this term.
Club captain Sam Morsy and Jens Cajuste will provide the defensive screen protecting the back line. The ill-starred season of Kalvin Phillips continues. This time, it is a heel injury that is keeping him out.
Injury has also depleted McKenna’s squad of wide midfielders. Sammie Szmodics is out after ankle surgery, as is Omari Hutchinson, formerly of this parish, before bolting to the Bus Stop. He has a thigh injury. Jaden Philogene is also unavailable (a season-ending MCL picked up last weekend). Wes Burns is a long-term absentee, having torn his ACL. Chiedozie Ogbene has torn his Achilles.
Burns and Ogbene’s absences have taken the pace and physicality out of the midfield needed to compete in the Premier League.
That long list of absentees should mean starts for Julio Enciso, who is on loan from Brighton and will play as the 10; Jack Clarke, a £15 million summer buy from Sunderland; Nathan Broadhead, the Welsh international; and Sam Johnson, a former England U-21 right back now in his mid-twenties, who has been pushed into midfield service out of necessity and is earning good notices there.
Striker Liam Delap is carrying an injured rib that restricted him to a cameo in last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Chelsea. George Hirst will continue to substitute for Delap if necessary.
Delap is Ipswich’s top goal scorer with 12. The next best is Szmodics with four and Hutchinson with three. Hirst has two. You will not be surprised to learn that Ipswich has scored the third-fewest goals in the league, 33.
They have conceded 67. Only Leicester and Southampton have been leakier. Yet, their Achilles heel is an inability to hold leads. They have dropped more points from winning positions, 27, than any other team in the league this season.
The Arsenal
Team selection is tricky. There are two league games before the CL semi-final against PSG. From his pre-match press conference, Arteta is keen to get back to winning ways in the league, and he will want to put off Liverpool’s coronation for as long as possible. That suggests he will rotate less than might be anticipated. Regardless, some legs will get a rest, and some less-used ones will get more match minutes.
However, Arteta also needs to start rehearsing his options for playing without both Partey, who will be suspended for the first leg against PSG, and the Ghanaian’s natural replacement, Jorginho, whose rib injury will rule him out. Arteta needs to do that without tipping his hand to Luis Enrique.
On those flimsy premises, I am plumping for a midfield start for Zinchenko with MLS and Ødegaard replacing him and Partey in the second half, and all of Saka, Merino and Martinelli starting on the bench.
Thus:
Raya
White, Saliba, Kiwior, Tierney
Partey, Zinchenko, Rice
Nwaneri, Trossard, Sterling
It will probably make for a disjointed game, as against Brentford. There is a risk of a hangover from Wednesday, with the additional jeopardy of Ipswich scrapping for their Premier League survival. Nonetheless, that XI should still be able to squeeze out a controlled 2-0 win against a team that has not won at home in the league this year.
Finally, because the monks are full-service, a tip for travelling Gooners: Consider taking a detour to visit The Newbourne Fox in Newbourne, east of Ipswich, which is on the newly announced shortlist for Britain’s Pub of the Year.
Enjoy the game, ‘holics, near and far.
AND NOW A BONUS REPORT …..
2. The Champions League Semis Begin! – Lyon Too Quick for the Gunners Backline by TTG
There was an interruption to the European feel good factor at Arsenal today as a very canny and extremely quick Lyon side beat Arsenal with two well – taken breakaway goals. Their mid-block was just too much for the Arsenal side.
I’ve produced copy in many situations but today confined to bed with a raging cold and chest infection I haven’t often felt rougher when reporting on a game.
Today we took on the ladies of Olympique Lyonnais in the home semi-final of the Champions League. Lyon, through their men’s team had a much worse week than we did, capitulating in extraordinary fashion to lose three goals in extra- time against those makeweights from Old Trafford. Lyon have won this competition eight times and are coached by Joe Montemurro who spent three and a half years coaching us pre-Covid and led us to our last WSL title. The tie attracted a crowd of upwards of 40,000 on a bright Easter Saturday morning. Women’s football has been fully embraced by Arsenal and there is something very special about the simultaneous success of our sides in Europe. The Arsenal team was the one expected, with Russo returning to the attack.
After five minutes we saw what could be a problem in that Zinsberger who is very much a reserve keeper to Van Domselaar weakly parried a drive out to Van De Donk but our former player failed to touch home. Frida Maanum was following a shoot on sight policy and it yielded a couple of early corners. Both sides were playing an open game but on 17 minutes Arsenal got caught upfield and Diame was able to run through and finish emphatically into the far corner. It was initially ruled out for offside but VAR reversed that decision.
Arsenal 0 Lyon 1
Shortly thereafter Arsenal cleared a goalbound header off the line but then created a dangerous opportunity at the other end after a left wing break. Diame unfortunately had the Arsenal defence on toast and almost created another goal with a powerful and incisive run.
Arsenal produced their first big chance for Maanum on 28 minutes after the ball was headed back by Russo at the far post and then the lively Carpenter forced an important block by Catley. Shortly thereafter Dumornay was desperately unlucky with a wonderful chip that hit the bar.
Arsenal weren’t as cohesive as they would have liked to be and Lyon were causing huge problems in behind with their pace. They were clearly the better side. Nevertheless Arsenal forced a flurry of corners which sadly came to nothing. Lyon were very well organised and had a clear understanding of how to shut Arsenal down.
Arsenal did threaten just on half time as Russo was denied by the crossbar with a fine header and then McCabe was seemingly brought down as the ball bounced loose but the referee was unimpressed.
The half ended with Lyon much the happier side but there was room for optimism. Having watched the quarter final, Arsenal came very strong in the second half and there were belated signs that they were getting a foothold in this match.
Half-time Arsenal 0 Lyon 1
Arsenal began the second half with more energy. Russo was foiled at close range and then had a shot blocked on the line. Beth Mead headed over when very well placed and Blackstenius played the most anaemic return to a poor clearance and it trickled into the penalty area. After Maanum missed an easy header at the far post she was flagged offside. Maanum was replaced by Blackstenius and Mead replaced by Chloe Kelly .
It was hard to escape the thought that Kim Little is a little long in the tooth to be the main playmaker despite yeoman service over the years. In one period of play she was dispossessed three times just outside her own area.
On 75 minutes Arsenal were awarded a penalty after a VAR review when Leah Williamson was punched by the flying fist of the Lyon keeper. Caldentey calmly placed the ball into the corner .
Arsenal 1 Lyon 1
There was a definite spring in Arsenal’s step now and Lyon were shaken. But DeMornay ran through the centre of the Arsenal defence to restore Lyon’s lead four minutes later.
Arsenal 1 Lyon 2
The pace of the Lyon side was a major problem and does not augur well for the return leg.
I was surprised that Kim Little was awarded Player of the Match – I haven’t seen her stats but my football instincts tell me this was a sentimental rather than a dispassionate decision.
I watch the ladies team quite regularly although mainly against other WSL sides. Here Lyon overmatched them with the three players up front always ready to break hard on them and create problems with their pace and directness. The history of Arsenal is studded with great recoveries but our team have their work cut out next week.
Two for the price of one!
Thank you for both for a fine preview and a lightning quick
review. A speedy recovery is wished to both TTG and to the
Arsenal Women for whom all is not yet lost,
I honestly have no idea who MA will select but Ned’s XI
looks ok. Is Jorginho definitely out for PSG? Anyway,
I think a break for MLS is ok but I am not sure
either Sterling or Zin will start. I’d guess Gabi M /
Saka will start and Ethan will take Ode’s role.
A thrashing for the barcodes, seems everyone wants us to be 2nd
in as stress free a way as possible!
Team selectiin trickiness, post Madrid letdown, and Tractor Boys relegation battle working against us but all that be damned, a big performance is the order of the day and Ethan could be our star boy to shine. COYG
What great value we offer here at GHF! Nice work both. Even without some of our Madrid heroes, we must beat a team which has won 1 and lost 11 of their 16 home games in the PL this season. I expect Saka to start from the bench and would like to see Nwaneri start for the hard running Odegaard, who ran furthest of all players in the Bernabeu the other night.
TTG, get well soon. You saw the same Ladies game as me. I must say, I was hugely disappointed at the cynicism shown by the Lyon team. Cheating, fouling, time wasting. I can get all that in the men’s game. The Ladies game has an opportunity not to follow the oath if the men’s game in this regard. I found it hugely dispiriting that Lyon have chosen simply to mirror the men’s game. What’s the point of watching, frankly, slower, less skilful football if it’s going to be the same cynical approach we see every week in the men’s game. Their approach showed a huge lack of ambition and vision for me. I noted the same from the Madrid women’s team a few weeks ago when I went to that game. I thought Arsenal Ladies were a breath of fresh air in comparison in both games. Well played.
Just a postscript on the ladies following Renee’s press conference where she talked about the difficulties of facing three such fast forwards .
I think the Arsenal squad is admirable but needs a refit in midfield. Kim Little will increasingly struggle at this level but I’d such a fine professional they may want her in and around that dressing room. I thought Maanum had a shocker and if such a person existed what the team require is a box to box midfielder, a sort of female Declan Rice . They don’t grow on trees . I’m particularly impressed by Emily Fox the right back and Mariona brings guile and quality gained from years at this level with Barca and Spain . This is the level we must pitch our transfer aspirations at to climb just that bit higher
Thanks for an excellent and characteristically informative preview, Ned. I do remember, all those years ago, the surprise expressed by ‘cognoscenti’ in a primary school playground in northern Scotland, that Ipswich had won the English First Division that season. In retrospect, never having seen a moment of their play, I can’t imagine that they played free flowing entertaining football with Sir (to be) Alf at the helm. Your team looks right for me and it’s yet another ‘must win’ as, though the ‘codes have faltered, C115y are looking perilously close. It would be divine justice if neither of those financially doped outfits gained a CL place for next season.
Get well soon, TTG. Hot toddies should be your tipple this weekend. Thanks for the report of a game that I did not see.
I only caught early minutes in the first half of the Arsenal Ladies including Lyon’s opener before I had to deal with other matters. In that brief glimpse it was clear that the Ladies were facing a stern test and I was actually relieved to see the final score. They’re not dead yet but the challenge is huge.
CER’s comments on the Lyon tactics are indeed saddening. I found the play in the Ladies v Mugsmashers game, which I was privileged to watch live, extremely refreshing but I guess as the stakes get higher and the prizes richer, the reptilian instincts of the basal ganglia overwhelm the ideals of the cerebral cortex for ambitious female players just as much as in the men’s game in which those tactics are a given these days and regularly overlooked by officials.
Thanks Ned and TTG
I never took much notice of Ipswich although when much younger I do remember watching some of their European exploits on tv when they had the Dutch duo and also some of their players, most notably Butcher, Beattie, Wark and Paul Mariner who also played for us for a couple of years. I can’t think of any others offhand who we may have stolen from them.
I hope we batter them tomorrow.
As for the women, I’m sick of Chelski winning everything and if we are to be a really serious challenger then it seems apparent that we need to make significant investments in the squad – come on Kroenkes, make it happen.
UTA
When I first moved south from north of the wall, Ipswich, inspired by the Dutch duo of Arnold Muhren and Franz Thyssen, were a wonderful team to watch and accordingly I spent many a happy day at Portman Road and often travelled with them to away games.
With Arsenal refusing to sell me tickets these days, I joined up at both Ispswich and Fulham this season with, in particular, a view to watching the Gunners play at Portman Road for the first time. I had an eye on their pre-match lunch and directors box seat as a special ‘treat to self’ – but guess what, their ballot is as challenging as Arsenal’s. The Premier League remains a money machine, even in its depths.
So, the green grass of Hertfordshires fairways beckon this afternoon and I hope to watch a fine away win on ‘record’ after doing my very best Rory impersonation and shooting a few burdies (EHGC’s visiting geese beware).
Superb work by both the monks and TTG with a helping hand from Ned along the way in both of the excellent posts above.
Enjoy the game, Holics.
Ned, an amazing level of detail in your usually informative history lesson of a preview which included this –
“ A record crowd of 30,649 packed into Portman Road that Friday, some clinging to the floodlight pylons.”
I found myself surprised, although only mildly disappointed, that you didn’t include the names of all those in attendance !
And now to TTG’s report on the women ….
Before anyone else says it – the names of all those in the crowd at Naaarch would be a possibly only slightly easier task ….. ? 🤷♂️
TTG – many thanks for your self sacrifice – lying in bed watching 22 women run around for an hour and a half !
Seriously, I did watch a fair amount of the second half and was surprised at how much the the womens game has progressed since I last watched any. Some nice intricate play by Arsenal but ultimately missing some decent chances but, as you say, Lyon threatened with their pace every time they attacked.
It is still different to the mens game but I will probably watch again.
Thanks all. And get well soon, TTG.
Trev@10: Privacy regulations. Honest…
West Ham’s draw yesterday means Ipswich can cling to the faint hope of a great escape, regardless of their result against us. There is even a combination of results that lead to the West Ham v Ipswich game on the final day of the season being the decider for the third team to be relegated. Sadly, I think Ipswich’s fate will be sealed long before that — not least because my Predictathon predictions had them staying up.
Strong starting XI. Much closer to the team I had expected to close out the game:
Raya
White, Saliba, Kiwior, Zinchenko
Rice, Merino, Odegaard
Saka, Martinelli, Trossard.
Bench: Neto, Timber, Tierney, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Henry-Francis, Butler-Oyedeji, Nwaneri, Sterling.
Pleased and very interested to see Martinelli through the middle. We’ve seen signs before, e.g. Man Utd away and RM in the week where his pace is almost unplayable, but not over a run of games. If Merino is going to drop back against PSG then I’d like to see Martinelli up there.
Trev@15: It will be interesting to see if Martinelli starts in the middle. The club usually posts its team list with the nine as the last name in the XI, so that may be Trossard’s starting role today, although Arteta has made the nine and eleven’s roles fluid. I agree with you that there is a potential nine in Martinelli, in the same vein as Isak, playing like a winger but through the middle.
👍🏻
Not that I care but the Ipswich defending is so poor for the third goal.
Yeah, the third goal was a nice present. The 2nd was very well worked and it has been a good run out, that tackle on Saka aside. Good to see several taken off early and not sure but I think it’s Butler-Oyedeji’s league debut? Congrats to him
4-0 and have we now mastered short corners as well? 😂
Nice Easter Sunday kick about.
>>>>>>>