A stunning Szmodics bicycle kick and an inevitable Delap goal left Spurs stunned at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, handing Town their first Premier League victory in 22 years. Alex Osborn reports.
Intense start
In contrast to last week against Leicester, we made a sharp start, and just two minutes in, Szmodics forced Vicario into a smart low save at his near post. However, after three minutes, Spurs had an even bigger chance when Son whipped in an inviting cross, but Johnson somehow managed to divert his poked attempt wide of the mark.
The flurry of chances at both ends continued. Town were close to capitalising on Tottenham’s set piece vulnerability when, after nine minutes, Burgess went agonisingly close to getting his first Premier League goal as his headed effort crashed against the crossbar. Tottenham responded in the 19th minute when Solanke forced Muric to make an excellent low stop at his front post.
Szmodics stunner
Town capitalised on their impressive start to the game. Johnson and Cajuste linked up nicely down the right, leading to a dangerous cross from Cajuste that was flicked into the air by Delap. As the Spurs’ defence failed to react, Szmodics improvised fantastically by directing a well-hit overhead kick into the far corner to make it back-to-back goals in away games.
Delap doubles advantage
This brilliant team goal was orchestrated by an exquisite touch from Johnson, who continued his excellent form from the Leicester game.
Hutchinson was the link, and his ball retention in the middle of the pitch was excellent. He stayed on his feet when he could easily have gone down and released Davis down the left flank. Davis played in Szmodics, whose cutback was only parried by Vicario against Dragusin; Delap was first to the loose ball and aggressively slammed the ball into the roof of the net for his easiest goal of the season, sending the away end into utopia.
Delap’s goal made him the third Ipswich player to score in three successive Premier League away games: Chris Kiwomya in ‘92 and Claus Thomsen in ‘94 were the others, in case you’ve forgotten!
Strong start to the second half for Spurs
Town have already learnt this season that being 2-0 up is a dangerous scoreline, and while many fans were delighted with the first-half performance, they would have been fearing the worst should Tottenham get the next goal.
Not surprisingly, Spurs came out chasing the game, and a couple of minutes after the restart, Son forced Muric into an athletic save. The strike was a little too central, allowing a huge top hand from Muric to deflect the ball over the bar.
Spurs thought they had halved the deficit in the 49th minute, but, for the first time this season, VAR finally came through with a decision that favoured us. The referee gave the goal, but Solanke’s strike was rightly disallowed for a handball following the VAR review. This was a huge let-off, as it would have been a terrible time to concede.
Spurs lifeline
Unfortunately, there was nothing VAR could do to bail us out of this goal. In the 69th minute, Bentancur lost his marker and directed a bullet header past a helpless Muric. A cheap goal to concede and plenty of time on the clock for Spurs to mount a full comeback, as they had done in their previous three home matches.
However, despite being under pressure, Town did well at progressing up the pitch when the opportunity arose, with Hutchinson, in particular, making some excellent carries and winning free kicks to provide some respite.
Massive Muric save at the death
I groaned inwardly when I saw eight minutes of added time, particularly considering the three points dropped in injury time against Brentford and Leicester.
Not for the first time, it looked like the 95th minute would prove our undoing as Town failed to clear their lines, and Solanke was played through. The English striker had scored three goals in his last two games and was in fine form, but Muric spread himself wide, using a long barrier technique to block Solanke’s shot and ensure the three points returned to Portman Road.
The Town players were out on their feet having given everything to the cause and the all round joy was obvious to see. Perhaps the long wait made the moment all the sweeter.
Phenomenal team and individual displays
As a collective, we performed incredibly, and there were some sensational individual displays. Starting with the defence, Muric made multiple saves to keep us in the game, especially in the second half when we had our backs against the wall and being dominant in the air to relieve pressure.
Having Tuanzebe back was a game-changer. It is no coincidence our defence looked much more solid, compact and secure with his presence in the back three.
O’Shea was also a rock in the middle of the back three despite continuing to play with a back injury, something you could not tell given his excellent all-around defensive display. Burgess was his usual solid self, and he was unfortunate not to open his account for the season.
The new-look midfield pivot of Cajuste and Morsy provided balance. Cajuste, especially in the first half, ran the show. His nonstop running and impressive ball-carrying were key, and he put in the cross for the first goal. Morsy was his usual imperious self and offered a calming presence in the middle of the park.
Both wingbacks had strong games, and Johnson played a role in both goals. He has come into his own the last couple of games, and he was strong both defensively and offensively. Davis was his usual classy self, and his crossing was very sound.
Hutchinson played his best game of the season—his ball retention, ball carrying, and ability to draw fouls were top-notch. Szmodics worked his socks off as always and continued his hot goalscoring away form. Delap did what Delap does, scoring a goal and picking up an assist while providing the Spurs’ defence with a thorough working over. Delap is now on six goals, an incredible tally so far in his first season of top-flight football.
Five at the back McKenna masterclass
Tactically, McKenna got it spot on. Our aggressive and high press prevented Spurs from building up, and we exploited Tottenham’s high defensive line with strong attacking transitional threats in Szmodics, Hutchinson, and Delap, who were all penetrating on the counter-attack.
The gaffer's preparation and team selection were perfect, and he showed his tactical flexibility by switching to a more defensive system to counter a very good team. McKenna has opted for this at times this season, and it will be interesting to see if this is now the tactical blueprint against the top teams, particularly away from home.
Long time coming
Before the Tottenham game, we had dropped 12 points from winning positions, but getting that elusive first win after holding onto a lead at such a tough venue should give the boys a massive confidence boost. The contrast to our last away game, when we lost a 2-0 lead, was outstanding, and it is clear we are learning on the job and becoming more compact and smart when defending leads.
Our performances against Brentford and Leicester were impressive, and it felt like the first win was only a matter of time before we could maintain those levels and cut out the mistakes. McKenna was right all along by saying we will be a better team in November. It is clear that the majority of the new signings are finally fully settled and thriving, especially the ones who have come under scrutiny in recent weeks, e.g, Muric and Johnson.
Good time for reflection
Going into another international break seems like a good time to reflect on our position. With the exception of the games against West Ham and Everton, Town have largely been competitive in all their matches, only losing five times so far. 22 goals have been conceded, but 12 of these came from three matches (Man City, West Ham, Brentford). Six goals scored in the last three games suggest that we are getting more clinical.
We now sit outside the relegation zone again and are within touching distance of the two teams above us (Everton and Leicester). The win came at a crucial time as relegation rivals Wolves secured their first three points of the season.
Perhaps I’m biased, but Town do genuinely seem to have been unlucky at times and could easily have had more points on the board.
Considering the lack of experience at this level following back-to-back promotions, it’s a testament to McKenna and his staff, alongside the support provided by Mark Ashton, that they have managed to mould a competitive squad so quickly. Let’s not delude ourselves into thinking that staying up will be anything other than very difficult.
However, the fact that survival still feels like a possibility is very exciting and I can’t wait to see how the season goes from here.
Moment of the match
A positive moment! Szmodics’s excellent bicycle kick got us off the mark and was a moment of genius from the sharpshooter.
Next up
Sadly, we will have to wait a couple of weeks as there is another international break. McKenna is up against another of his former employers, this time Manchester United.
This will be new United manager Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge, so hopefully, we can get Portman Road rocking and build on our first win of the season. It's a shame for us that Ten Hag is no longer in charge, as United’s form has picked up since his departure, and players will no doubt be trying to impress the new manager.
However, if we can maintain our current form, there is every reason to believe we can get a positive result.
Player ratings: Muric 9. Johnson 8, Tuanzebe 8, O’Shea 9. Burgess 8, Davis 8, Cajuste 8, Morsy 8, Hutchinson 9, Szmodics 8, Delap 8
Subs: Hirst 6, Clarke 6, Luongo N/A
