Arsenal Move to Second After Narrow Win Over Ipswich Town

LONDON: Arsenal moved up to second in the Premier League and within six points of Liverpool after a largely trouble-free, if slightly pedestrian, 1-0 win at home to struggling Ipswich Town on a chilly night in north London on Friday night.

A first-half goal from Kai Havertz, who pounced on a smart pull-back from Leandro Trossard, proved the winner, although the host should have scored more as the Gunners’ performance failed to provide many pre-New Year fireworks.

Lacking the creativity of the injured Bukayo Saka, it took 19 minutes before Arsenal mustered its first shot, although four minutes after that, Havertz netted his sixth of the season in all competitions by tapping in Trossard’s whipped cross.

Ipswich had a spell of pressure after 10 minutes of the second half, but it proved fleeting, and Arsenal should have comfortably put the game to bed after that.

Defender Gabriel Magalhaes missed a golden opportunity to extend his scoring run from corners when he headed just wide when completely unmarked. Captain Martin Odegaard then blazed over after he danced from midfield into the visitor’s box.

The win lifted Arsenal to 36 points behind Liverpool, which has 42 and a game in hand, and meant the Gunners leapfrogged both London rival Chelsea, which has 35 points, and one of the season’s surprise packages Nottingham Forest, fourth on 34. Agencies

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