Arsenal cruised to victory against Ipswich Town at the Emirates to move up to second in the Premier League table.
The Gunners leapfrogged London rivals Chelsea to go within six points of league leaders Liverpool after 18 games played.
Arsenal dominated Kieran McKenna’s strong-willed side, who took the game to the hosts where possible, as Mikel Arteta watched his squad take control.
Kai Havertz found the net in what was a one-sided yet dull contest at the Emirates, with the most important thing being three points.
- READ MORE: Myles Lewis-Skelly impresses again as Brazilian misses sitter – Arsenal player ratings vs Ipswich
Five things you missed from Arsenal vs Ipswich Town
While Arsenal’s dominance was clear on a night that saw three points remain in the capital, there were several things you might have missed from the match up.
Martin Odegaard took on free-kick duty
Amid Bukayo Saka’s injury woes, Arteta had to call on another figure to bridge the gap left by the winger.
While Gabriel Martinelli filled in on the right side of attack, Martin Odegaard was called upon to take set-piece duty away from the Englishman.
The Norwegian stood over free-kicks to take the pressure off Declan Rice, who still made his presence known from corners during the contest.
Santi Cazorla’s Emirates return
Santi Cazorla returned to the Emirates as a guest of Arsenal to watch the fixture from the stands.
The Spaniard received a warm welcome from supporters, who sang his name as he was introduced on the sidelines.
Addressing the Emirates, Cazorla admitted he didn’t know why fans continue to love him so much, reacting emotionally to his standing ovation.
“I don’t know why they love me like this. The only thing I know is I love them the same way that they love me,” he said.
Kai Havertz topped Arsenal’s scoring charts
In what was a game that was dominated by Saka’s absence, it was another attacker who made his impact clear.
Havertz scored the match-winner, seeing him top the pile for 2024 as Arsenal’s top-scorer in all competitions with 21 goals.
The numbers are all the more impressive when considering that only Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland represent Premier League players with more goals in all competitions than Havertz this year.
Arsenal’s first-half dominance
The Gunners dominated the game without being overly impressive, as the half-time statistics revealed during the interval.
As per Sofascore’s data, Arsenal had an eye-watering 84% of possession, as well as recording 443 passes to Ipswich’s 83.
In attack, the visitors barely got a look in during the opening 45 minutes, registering eight final third entries to the hosts’ 46.
Omari Hutchinson booed on return
While Cazorla received a warm welcome, the same energy was not there for Hale End product Omari Hutchinson.
The former Arsenal academy star left on a sour note as he joined Chelsea in 2022, before leaving the Blues to sign permanently for Ipswich.
Every time the 21-year-old received the ball, he was met with a wall of boos from the Emirates, who made it known that there was no love lost for the former rising star.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
