Szmodics and Delap stun Spurs as Ipswich end long wait for first win | Premier League

Ipswich had waited 22.5 years for this and how their energetic support rejoiced after nine seemingly endless minutes of stoppage time. It was clear that the first Premier League win since April 2002 was absolutely deserved. A clever first-half performance saw them prevail with goals from Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap before passing a test of their resilience in the second half.

Rodrigo Bentancur’s header was all Tottenham, who were unsettled throughout and never quite managed a late winning run, could manage and the result was another highlight for Kieran McKenna. The Ipswich manager started as an academy coach at Spurs and his team’s performance here was thanks to him.

McKenna knew Ipswich had to execute their plan perfectly to have a chance of holding off Tottenham, who could select the same starting XI that had blown away Villa a week earlier. The guests were more than able to hold their own right from the start and, from a playful point of view, their lead was not in the least undeserved.

The first opening goal was due to the good work of the long-legged Jens Cajuste, who was in the starting line-up in place of the suspended Kalvin Phillips and changed the pace with a patient passing game through the midfield. Finally, Cajuste delivered an awkward cross from the right side: Cristian Romero could only sneak the ball on, and Szmodics, who had his back to the goal and was hardly under pressure, had time to contort himself into an overhead kick that was met with a dive Guglielmo Vicario whizzed past.

Tottenham appeared sleepy at times, perhaps reflecting the air miles he racked up during much of the week in Istanbul. Things got worse before they could deliver another blow to the visitors, who had prepared with a low block but allowed the men to advance carefully and quickly. Ipswich looked sharp and, above all, hungry: both came into play when Omari Hutchinson, unwilling to bow to Bentancur’s challenge in midfield, moved the ball from end to end and passed it to Leif Davis on the left.

Szmodics, who had limped moments earlier but now took advantage of the overlap, was able to center from the baseline and Spurs were at sea when Vicario passed his pass to Radu Dragusin. The ball went into the goal but Delap, such an exciting young player at 21, showed the instincts of a poacher to score his sixth goal of the season.

Ed Sheeran, who watched from the stands as Ipswich played for the first time in a pink jersey, the design of which he partly influenced, was able to join the visiting squad and celebrate wildly. Those were hardly bolts from the blue. Within two minutes Szmodics had forced a save from Vicario after another excellent job by Hutchinson, and after nine minutes Cameron Burgess had dived to the far post only to direct Davis’ corner onto the crossbar.

It was an entertaining game, Ipswich prepared in a low block and the returning Axel Tuanzebe was brought in to keep pace with Son Heung-min. By halftime he had managed to beat the South Korean, whose most significant contribution had been a third-minute cross that might have been better hit by Brennan Johnson than a shot wide. He also saw a shot blocked by Ipswich keeper Aro Muric, who was even sharper and deflected Dominic Solanke’s shot wide.

But Spurs were exhausted and needed a direct goal from Ange Postecoglou at half-time. Hope was fueled by the spectacular response with which they had dispatched Aston Villa a week earlier. Almost immediately after the break they sensed a way back when Solanke steered the ball home from close range following a corner scored by Muric’s acrobatic overthrow of Son. Ipswich, who had recently been so annoyed by the video assistant referee’s decisions that they held a meeting with Howard Webb at Portman Road in midweek, were this time saved by technology when it was correctly assumed that the Striker had hit the ball onto his own hand.

From hour to hour, Tottenham, who were given all the territory in the world but took advantage of the opportunities presented to them, were barely able to break down the door. Ipswich, who were dangerously far behind for much of the game but posed a clear threat on the counter-attack, flared up again when the rampant Delap did brilliantly to beat Hutchinson for a shot that went wide. Postecoglou hit the jackpot by introducing Timo Werner in place of Pape Matar Sarr, and the picture changed almost instantly, be it coincidence or not.

The source was a surprise: Bentancur came quickly from a Pedro Porro corner and fired his first club goal since January past Muric. Now Ipswich would hold on perilously, Muric grazing a Werner ramming kick and then being lucky after fumbling another set piece from Porro. A switch seemed to have been flipped for the home team.

Werner, set up in space by Son, made it six minutes from the end of normal time but Ipswich handled the final stages well. When Muric parried against Solanke deep into stoppage time, the season could really begin.