FA PREMIER LEAGUE 

ARSENAL 1 (Havertz 23)
IPSWICH 0

“POSSESSION FC” Arsenal ground out a nervy win against struggling visitors that managed one off target shot in the entire match.

The Gunners had the luxury of the ball for the full ninety, but failed to create many clear cut chances other than a brief flurry of goal-mouth action in the second half.

It was another cautious and conservative performance from a side that is supposedly chasing the title.

Worse yet, the style of play has become machine-like – more boring than breathtaking – and few fans will enjoy this manner of victory.

On top of the obvious lack of goal hunting forwards, is the pragmatic approach – large spells of this contest took place with safe passes between central midfield and defence. There is a sluggishness to the forward play, with the ball rarely finding its way to the danger zone.

Two shots on target after an hour of complete dominance is not going to win titles.

Kai Havertz, playing in an advanced midfield role due to in form Jesus starting up front, tapped in the game’s only goal.

He steered in a cross from Leandro Trossard, who did well to beat his man and whip the ball along the six yard line.

The Ipswich defence was non existent and Havertz couldn’t miss.

It was the Gunners first meaningful chance and up until that point home fans had been getting edgy over the lack of creative play – fearing a repeat of the devastating goalless draw with Everton.

Jesus scored with a nifty finish from a tight angle, but the goal was disallowed after he was flagged well offside.

In the second half, a Declan Rice corner was met by Gabriel at the back post, but his header flashed wide.

With 15 left on the clock there was a sustained spell of pressure that saw a wonder volley from Rice saved by the largely untested keeper Muric.

It came from a corner won after a great drive and shot by Martin Odegaard.

But this was the only real period when Arsenal looked dangerous, and exciting to watch for the fans who have six homes games to spend their money on in January.

The Arsenal captain looks out of sorts – he hit an air shot in the first half and a terrible free kick in the second.

With the side in desperate need of some invention, Thomas Partey and Mikel Merino were brought on to shore up the midfield.

Gabriel Martinelli was promising but ineffective playing down the right wing in replace of the injured Bukayo Saka.

He doesn’t have the same invention to work his way past the two defenders.

Trossard had a decent game but barely got into a position where he could take a shot.

Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney on the bench will have been wondering when they will get a game if not ahead of Skelly, who was in some ways Arsenal’s most progressive player.

Ipswich threatened from the kick off twice, and after the first Arsenal goal – but otherwise did not get near the Arsenal box until the 94th minute when they could have easily equalised.

Arsenal are second. But no one will be writing home about it.

“We should have scored more, but, it’s the consistency,” admitted Arteta after the final whistle. “The team conceded nothing, again. Their defensive behaviour was, again, outstanding. So that’s something that’s always going to give us always the chance to win games.

“We have to rely on the team. That’s the biggest strength of us. We never rely on an individual scoring 25, 30 goals and we have managed to be very, very competitive still and we’re going to manage to do that.”

Arsenal: Raya, Saliba, Gabriel, Skelly, Timber, Rice (Partey 85), Havertz, Odegaard, Martinelli, Trossard, Jesus (Merino 72)
Subs not used: Neto, Tierney, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Califiori, Nwaneri

Ipswich: Muric, Davis, Woolfenden (Clarke), Phillips, Cajuste (Taylor 78), Johnson (Broadhead 77), Delap (Al-Hamadi 77), Hutchinson, Szmodics, Greaves, O’Shea
Subs not used: Walton, Clarke, Burns, Chaplin, Townsend