Ipswich Town continued their impressive form by battling to a thrilling 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Portman Road on Super Sunday.
The result followed their remarkable victory against Tottenham Hotspur before the international break, showcasing the resilience and growing confidence of Kieran McKenna’s side.
The match began with an explosive start from Ruben Amorim’s men. In just the second minute, Manchester United took the lead through Marcus Rashford.
Amad Diallo, showing his pace and sharpness, darted down the right wing, leaving Ipswich’s Leif Davis and Jens Cajuste in his wake.
With composure, he delivered a precise cross into the box, and Rashford, unmarked, made no mistake in stabbing the ball past Arijanet Muric.
United continued to look dangerous on the break, with their fluid transitions testing the Blues’ defensive organization. One counterattack saw Bruno Fernandes find Diallo, who set up Christian Eriksen for a long-range strike that whisked just wide of the post.
The visitors’ adaptability in shifting between a 4-2-3-1 and 3-4-3 system gave Ipswich plenty to think about, but it also left vulnerabilities.
Ipswich began exploiting those gaps, particularly down the flanks. Wes Burns caused problems for United’s high-flying fullback, Diogo Dalot, cutting back a pass to Sammie Szmodics, whose powerful effort required a low save from Andre Onana.
Despite Amorim’s side enjoying extended spells of possession, Ipswich remained dangerous, using turnovers to mount quick attacks.
As the first half progressed, Ipswich steadily grew into the game. Omari Hutchinson, dynamic and creative, played a pivotal role in unsettling United’s defense.
Just before the half-hour, his interplay with Liam Delap forced a dangerous free-kick on the edge of the box, though Onana managed to handle the resulting shot comfortably.
Set pieces proved a promising avenue for Ipswich. Leif Davis’ pinpoint corner delivery found Dara O’Shea in the box, but United scrambled to clear.
The ball fell to Hutchinson, whose subsequent effort was heroically blocked by Dalot. Moments later, Delap appeared destined to level the score with a point-blank effort, but Onana produced a stunning save, denying the Ipswich striker and preserving United’s narrow lead.
The equalizer finally came just before halftime, as Hutchinson seized his moment of brilliance. Turning sharply past Casemiro, he unleashed a curling strike from the right.
A slight deflection off Noussair Mazraoui wrong-footed Onana, and the ball nestled into the top corner. It was a goal reminiscent of Hutchinson’s spectacular efforts last season, drawing raucous cheers from the home crowd.
The second half picked up where the first left off, with both teams pushing for the lead. Ipswich came close early on when Delap threaded a pass to Burns, whose cross found the striker once again in the box.
Delap’s clever flick was parried by Onana, with Szmodics’ follow-up attempt deflected wide for a corner. United responded with a counterattack, as Alejandro Garnacho’s electric pace nearly created an opportunity, only for Cajuste to intervene with a perfectly timed tackle.
Both managers made changes to steady their teams as the clock ticked on. Hutchinson continued to impress, linking up with Delap for another long-range attempt that narrowly missed the target in the 71st minute.
As the game entered its final stages, Ipswich nearly snatched victory through their substitutes. Conor Chaplin, showcasing deft skill, played an outside-of-the-boot pass to Jack Clarke.
The winger returned the favor with a precise cross, but Chaplin’s flick was comfortably saved by Onana in the 88th minute.
Manchester United, content to see out the draw, held onto possession during stoppage time without creating further danger.
The final whistle confirmed a hard-fought point for both sides, leaving Ipswich buoyed by their performance and the belief that they could compete with the Premier League’s elite.
