Liam Delap’s ruthless Ipswich double denies Aston Villa share of top spot | Premier League

They may have to wait a little longer for their first win of the season, but on this evidence Ipswich are not far away. They denied Aston Villa the chance to move level on points with Liverpool at the Premier League summit with a hard-fought 2-2 draw at Portman Road, a goal from Liam Delap in each half following strikes from Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins nullified.

For fans who lived through the club’s 80s glory days, this gathering was imbued with a sense of deep nostalgia. As Villa dine at the top of Europe for the first time since the 1982-83 season – the season after their underdog European Cup victory, and two seasons after they last won the competition when Ipswich finished runners-up under Bobby Robson – there were echoes of history everywhere.

Villa fans lined up for photos before kick-off with the statue of a smiling Robson outside the Cobbold Stand, in memory of the manager who so often engineered victories for their side even in that golden era.

From the moment Liam Delap smashed home the near post with eight minutes on the clock, it was clear that, as in the Robson era, Villa were in for a difficult afternoon at Portman Road.

Kieran McKenna made three changes to the side that drew against Southampton last weekend – Chiedozie Ogbene and Jack Clarke came on to the wings as Kalvin Phillips replaced Jens Cajuste in midfield – while Emery made a single change to the team that beat Wolves, the injured John McGinn made way for Leon Bailey. Phillips and Clarke helped score the opening goal, with the former holding on to Ezri Konsa’s loose pass from the back and the latter freeing it to set up Delap.

The stands erupted as Ipswich fans enjoyed what was only their fourth league goal of the season. The euphoria had barely dissipated before Villa leveled the score, but a seriously misplaced ball from Jacob Greaves found Rogers who, after a neat one-two with Watkins, fired past Arijanet Muric in the home goal.

Ipswich pushed hard and came again. Axel Tuanzebe headed just over from a free-kick before Leif Davis, after an overlapping run down the left flank, whipped in a dangerous cross that Clarke could not direct on target.

Gradually, however, Villa began to turn the dial and maintain control with carefully constructed passing moves and patient possession. It paid off when, just over half an hour later, they created a crossing opportunity for Bailey who, after finding Watkins with a sweeping ball wide on the right, watched his teammate head back over Muric to give the visitors the opportunity to provide leadership.

Ipswich came forward again, Emi Martínez made two great saves to prevent a rebound hit from Phillips and then Delap one on one, but they could not find an equalizer themselves.

The hosts kept up their pace after the break, with Clarke and Davis proving a tricky combination on the left. Clarke started to win the battle with Konsa, drifting into the inside channel to set up Davis, who burst in from the outside, for a shot that whistled past the upright.

Cracks began to appear in Villa’s defensive structure before it fell apart in the 72nd minute. Omari Hutchinson spotted Delap in a huge space wide, again on that tricky left flank. Delap burst in from the back, turned Diego Carlos inside out with a subtle step-over and fired over Martínez and towards the far post.

Ipswich were half a yard away from taking all three points, Clarke sprinted clear and teed up substitute Wes Burns on the right before Pau Torres raced across and made a decisive block.

The hosts pushed hard for the winner, the match ended in a succession of corners that must have had the traveling fans watching through their fingers, but even it ended with honours, Ipswich’s fourth draw on the bounce was enough to lift them out of the relegation zone and give them hope for better things.