Arsenal beat Ipswich 4-2 in the Round of 32 of the League Cup on Tuesday evening at Portman Road. The visitors took a lead they held until the final whistle, though Ipswich made the result tighter than the scoreline suggests. Max Dowman opened the scoring for the hosts before Arsenal responded.
Noni Madueke levelled at 16 minutes, and then Dowman struck again at 47 to put Ipswich ahead. Mikel Merino restored equality at 58, and Anis Mehmeti put Arsenal in front at 62. The match looked settled until Chuba Akpom added a fourth at 90+1, closing the game out.
Arsenal had more control, with 59 per cent possession against 41. They created four big chances to Ipswich's one, and their six shots on target carried more weight than the hosts' three. Ipswich won 11 aerial duels, the same as Arsenal, but the visitors pressed higher and generated 109 attacks to 78.
Substitutions came thick and fast after the interval. Gabriel dos Santos Magalhães was brought on at 45, and Arsenal made four changes around the hour mark with Bruno Guimarães and Abdoul Ouattara among those introduced. Ipswich also shuffled their pack, with Jaden Philogene-Bidace and Zian Flemming off at 61.
Kasey McAteer and Marcelino Núñez picked up yellow cards for Ipswich, while Arsenal kept their discipline clean. The hosts had 25 clearances to Arsenal's 18, and Ipswich landed 11 crosses with just one success. Arsenal's 0.95 expected goals tells a different story from the one goal they conceded in the first half.
Arsenal move on, Ipswich are out. The visitors have kept three clean sheets on the spin in all competitions now, but this was not one of those nights for either side defensively. The result means Arsenal will face another side in the next round, and Ipswich return to the league with work to do.
