Tottenham Hotspur secured their third consecutive Premier League victory with a commanding 4-1 win over relegation-threatened Ipswich Town at Portman Road. Brennan Johnson’s first-half double laid the foundation for a comfortable evening for the visitors, before second-half strikes from Djed Spence and Dejan Kulusevski put the game beyond doubt. Omari Hutchinson had briefly given Ipswich hope with a well-taken finish, but the gulf in quality ultimately proved too much for Kieran McKenna’s side, who remained five points adrift of safety.
Ipswich Town’s fight for Premier League survival continues with a daunting trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United next week. They then travel to Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup fifth round, a competition that may provide some respite from their league struggles. With just three league wins all season, McKenna’s side need results quickly to avoid slipping further into the relegation mire.
Spurs, meanwhile, face a much sterner test in midweek as they host Manchester City in the league before resuming their Europa League campaign against AZ Alkmaar. Having climbed to 12th in the table, the Lilywhites will look to maintain their recent good form as they push for a European spot.
As it happened
Ipswich started brightly, with Delap twice going close inside the opening exchanges. His powerful header from Kalvin Phillips’ free-kick crashed against the bar, before a low drive was smartly turned away by Guglielmo Vicario. The hosts’ early momentum, however, was punctured in the 18th minute when Spurs took the lead with their first real chance. Archie Gray’s lofted pass found Son on the left flank, and the Korean international weaved past Ben Godfrey before squaring for Johnson to tap home from inside the six-yard box.
Embed from Getty ImagesThat combination proved devastating again just eight minutes later. Rodrigo Bentancur’s perfectly weighted ball released Son down the left once more, and the Spurs captain’s cutback was swept home by Johnson for his eighth league goal of the season. The Ipswich defence, and particularly Godfrey, struggled to contain Son’s movement, with Kieran McKenna’s side fortunate not to concede again before half-time.
However, Ipswich responded well and were rewarded in the 36th minute. Jack Clarke surged down the left before picking out Hutchinson, who took one touch before rifling a first-time effort well beyond Vicario’s desperate dive. The thunderous strike sparked jubilant scenes amongst the home crowd and nearly paved the way for a swift equaliser, but Woolfenden’s header from a set-piece was correctly ruled out for offside.
Ipswich pushed for a leveller early in the second half, but their attacking intent left them vulnerable to Spurs’ counter-attacks. Their hopes of a comeback were effectively extinguished in the 77th minute when James Maddison, fresh from the bench, slalomed into the box before teeing up Spence, whose deflected effort looped past Alex Palmer.
Any lingering doubts were erased in the 84th minute when Dane Scarlett’s clever flick released Kulusevski, who drove towards goal before bending a precise finish in off the far post. The result capped a dominant performance from Ange Postecoglou’s side, who continued their resurgence after a difficult start to the season.
The lineups
IPS: Palmer; Godfrey, O’Shea, Greaves, Davis; Phillips, Cajuste; Clarke, Hutchinson,Philogene-Bidace; Delap.
TOT: Vicario; Spence, Danso, Gray, Udogie; Bentancur, Bergvall; Johnson, Kulusevski, Son, Tel.