Arsenal moved up to second place in the Premier League, closing the gap to six points behind leaders Liverpool, after a composed 1-0 win at home against struggling Ipswich Town on a chilly Friday night in north London.
A first-half goal from Kai Havertz, who pounced on a smart pull-back from Leandro Trossard, proved to be the winner. Despite numerous opportunities, the Gunners couldn’t extend their lead, missing the chance to provide more fireworks ahead of New Year’s Eve.
Without the creativity of the injured Bukayo Saka, Arsenal took 19 minutes to muster their first shot. Four minutes later, Havertz netted his sixth goal of the season in all competitions by tapping in Trossard’s whipped cross.
Ipswich had a spell of pressure early in the second half, but their push was fleeting. Arsenal should have comfortably sealed the game afterward. Defender Gabriel Magalhaes missed a golden opportunity to extend his run of scoring from corners, heading just wide while completely unmarked. Captain Martin Odegaard then fired the ball over the bar after a skillful run into the visitors’ box.
The win lifted Arsenal to 36 points, behind Liverpool who have 42 points and a game in hand. The Gunners leapfrogged London rivals Chelsea, who have 35 points, and Nottingham Forest, who sit fourth with 34.
“Very happy with the victory, with the clean sheet, and with large parts of the game. We should have scored more, but it is the consistency. The team conceded nothing again,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
“Considering all the circumstances we had this season—the amount of times we had to play with 10 men, all the injuries that we had—it’s good to be in the position that we are, but it’s not where we want to be. We want to be first.”
The Gunners will visit Brentford on New Year’s Day and Brighton & Hove Albion on January 4, before playing two domestic cup games and then hosting local rivals Tottenham Hotspur on January 15.
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Arsenal climb to second place with 1-0 victory over struggling Ipswich
cgtn.com
