Ollie Watkins came to Aston Villa’s rescue, ensuring they salvaged a 1-1 draw against a resilient 10-man Ipswich Town at Villa Park on Saturday.
Returning to familiar territory, Axel Tuanzebe, who had three loan spells with Villa between 2018 and 2022, had a forgettable evening, receiving two yellow cards in the first half and leaving his team a man short.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Ipswich stunned the home crowd by taking the lead early in the second half.
Liam Delap showcased his finishing instincts, beating Emiliano Martinez at the near post with a well-placed strike.
Had Ipswich secured all three points, they would have drawn level with Wolverhampton Wanderers in 17th place. Instead, they now sit 18th in the Premier League standings, edging past Leicester City on goal difference.
Villa, meanwhile, slip to ninth, six points adrift of the top four.
A Match of Missed Opportunities
Villa enjoyed plenty of possession but struggled to carve out clear-cut chances until the 35th minute, when Watkins latched onto a through ball but could only send his effort wide on the stretch.
Just six minutes later, the visitors’ challenge became steeper. Already on a yellow card, Tuanzebe brought down Jacob Ramsey in full stride, prompting referee Robert Jones to show a second booking and reduce Ipswich to 10 men.
Villa pressed forward, with Morgan Rogers testing Alex Palmer, but it was Ipswich who struck first in the 56th minute.
Omari Hutchinson delivered a low cross from the right, and Delap’s deft flick sent the ball into the far corner, leaving Martinez with no chance.
Villa responded by ramping up the pressure and found their equalizer in the 69th minute. A brilliantly struck free-kick from half-time substitute Marcus Rashford crashed against the crossbar, and the rebound fell kindly for Watkins, who made no mistake in tapping home.
The hosts pushed for a winner, with Marco Asensio missing two golden opportunities, first skying a shot over and then forcing Palmer into a vital save in stoppage time. However, Ipswich held firm to secure a hard-earned point.
Mixed Debuts for Villa’s New Arrivals
Making his Premier League debut for Villa after joining on loan from Manchester United, Rashford wasted no time making an impact.
Shortly after coming on, he tested Palmer with a curling effort before playing a crucial role in the equalizer, his powerful free-kick setting up Watkins’ tap-in.
Meanwhile, fellow loanee Asensio was also introduced by Unai Emery as Villa searched for a comeback, but his finishing let him down in the final moments.
With a deeper squad following their mid-season transfer activity, Villa have options, but they remain winless in four matches.
Their new signings must settle quickly, with tough tests against Liverpool and Chelsea on the horizon.
