Match Report | Everton 1-0 Ipswich Town

Premier League, GWK 5

David Moyes handed a start to Jack Grealish and Tyrique George dropped to the subs bench in the only change to the team that started the previous league match away to Tottenham in the 0-0 Draw in Game week 4.
Harrison Armstrong retained his place in the starting eleven despite not being involved in midweek after suffering a minor niggle. Tyler Dibling who impressed against Wolves in the 3rd Round of the cup & helped the Toffees secure a 1-0 win, was also named on the bench alongside Hayden Hackney. Christian Norgaard remained sidelined along with Merlin Rohl.

Everton created the first real chance of the game in the 5th minute as Armstrong threaded a lovely pass through to Brennan Johnson.
He then swivelled brilliantly in the Ipswich box and placed a shot with his right foot towards the corner of the net, but the Welshman got too much width on the shot and an excellent chance went begging! Johnson who has a really good pedigree in front of goal really should have took that opportunity.
In the 9th minute Everton were so close to shooting themselves in the foot as Dewsbury-Hall’s stray pass fell straight to Enciso.
He turned a few yards outside of the Everton box before playing in Emersson, whose right-footed shot was well denied by Pickford.
Everton eventually cleared, but that was so careless from the Everton number eight and could have easily seen us behind.
Just moments after almost conceding, in the 11th minute the home side took the lead in bizarre circumstances through Thierno Barry.
Tarkowski’s audacious shot from range ricocheted off Barry and flew beyond Walton in the Ipswich net. Watching the replays it was plausible that maybe Barry had very cleverly reacted to the ball coming at him by angling his frame to face the goal.
Either way it was Everton 1-0 Ipswich Town!
The goal meant Everton goalscorer Barry was now one of just two Premier League players to score five or more goals in all competitions this season alongside Erling Haaland (six).
In the 18th minute the visitors almost drew level as Palacios threaded a beautiful ball into the feet of Enciso. He then turned and looked to shoot in the box, but Mykolenko got across to make a crucial block. Great chance for Ipswich, but equally great defending.
Ipswich had responded well to going a goal down – the away side were probably been the better team since Barry’s opener.
The 26th minute saw an audacious attempt from Fatawu to equalise. The Ipswich winger had looked sharp so far and he stole back possession in his own half before slipping the ball through the legs of Mykolenko and then Garner. Fatawu then tried to lob Pickford, who had come off his line.
The Everton goalkeeper just about recovered to tip the ball behind for a corner, and Everton survived. The effort from Fatawu may have been going wide but Pickford wasn’t to know and gestured towards the crowd to let them know that he had to make sure.
We really hadn’t done much since taking the lead and Ipswich were playing some really nice football but then in the 33rd minute we really should have doubled our lead.
Maitland-Niles put in a peach of a cross to find the head of Barry towards the back post, but he couldn’t quite execute the header & steer it into the bottom left-hand corner as the ball bounced past the post. That should’ve been 2-0, but the chance went begging.
In the 35th minute Ipswich winger Fatawu was shown the first yellow card of the game for tugging Dewsbury-Hall to the ground just as the latter was driving forward in the visitors’ half. That was always going to end in a card and would later prove costly for Fataw and Ipswich.
In the 38th minute the visitors should’ve made it 1-1 after a lovely cross from Fatawu on the left. He floated in a lovely, inviting ball to the back post and found Leif Davis, but he somehow failed to hit the target with his left foot, with the goal at his mercy and it bobbled wide.
Huge let off for the Toffees.
Ipswich boss Gary O’Neil had lost all four of his Premier League games against Everton’s David Moyes before today, which is his joint-most defeats against another manager (also four vs Erik ten Hag and Mikel Arteta); O’Neil is the manager that Moyes has faced most without dropping a point and the Scotsman seemed on course to maintain that run today but Ipswich were certainly still in this game.
Everton defender Mykolenko was booked for hacking Fatawu down on the counter-attack in the 42nd minute. Again, that was a textbook yellow card and the Ukrainian could have no complaints. Fatawu who Everton had previously been linked with was proving a real lively threat for Ipswich.
a minute of added time was played but Everton were able to reach half time with their one goal cushion.
HALF-TIME: EVERTON 1-0 IPSWICH TOWN

Everton 1st Half Ipswich
1.3 XG 0.86
55% Ball Possession 45%
10 Total shots 6
1 Shots on Target 2
3 Big Chances 1
9 Touches in Oppo box 8

Ipswich started the 2nd half on the front foot and in the 47th minute brought a save from Jordan Pickford as Clarke found Enciso in the Everton box.
The latter then took a touch before firing towards the near post, only for Pickford to get down and palm the ball behind.
Pickford was at it again in the 49th minute as we found ourselves under the cosh as Johnson’s stray pass fell straight to Ouattara in our half.
The latter then drilled a low effort from range, forcing Pickford to get down and palm the ball away for the second time in under four minutes…
Ipswich were on top and Pickford had already had to make five saves this afternoon. That was already the most he’d made in any game this season.

We hadn’t had a shot yet in the 2nd half but in the 59th minute it looked like we had doubled the lead through Barry. Thierno rose brilliantly from Dewsbury-Hall’s corner, but the goal was chalked off as Johnson is adjudged to be interfering with play from an offside position.
Given how many goals are given when players are offside near the keeper in this league it was a ridiculous decision though technically it could be argued it was correct. The goalkeeper was never getting near Barry and his header went into the opposite side of the goal.
Johnson was standing in front of the goalkeeper from an offside position, but there’s no way Walton would’ve made a save there either way!

The 66th minute saw some changes as Ipswich also made a switch, with Philogene replacing Clarke.
We made our first change as Dibling replaced Johnson.
We then fluffed our lines at a free kick with Dewsbury-Hall, looking to slide in Armstrong, but the pair clearly weren’t on the same page and the ball bobbled behind for an Ipswich goal kick
Things took a bad turn for Ipswich in the 67th minute as they were reduced to 10 men. Fatawu was given his marching orders after receiving his second yellow of the afternoon for simulation. It was poor from the Ipswich winger, who left his leg in before throwing himself to the ground after a coming together with Garner. Fatawu could have no complaints, and after a really good display from him he had left Ipswich with a hill to climb.
Blues fans were hoping this might now see us turn up our intensity and start to test the visiting keeper far more.
Ipswich were pinned back in their own half and had to absorb wave after wave of attack.
Florentino replaced Lukic in the 73rd minute.
Everton continued to ask questions of Ipswich as Armstrong tried his luck with a curling effort from range. There was far too much behind the shot, though, and the ball whistled high into the stand behind the goal.
Remarkably, Fatawu is only the third player to receive a second yellow card for simulation across the last six Premier League seasons, along with Yves Bissouma for Tottenham in October 2023 and Jacob Ramsey for Newcastle in March 2026.
Ipswich’s Enciso made way for Maeda in the 74th minute. Everton had done well to limit Enciso who has been a key player for them so far this season.
Dewsbury Hall then had a golden chance to get the elusive 2nd goal in the 76th minute. Tyler Dibling was involved again as he crossed a deep ball towards the back post, finding the head of Dewsbury-Hall, but he couldn’t hit the target, and the chance went begging.
Then the Ipswich goalkeeper denied Dibling, who cut inside onto his left before looking to bend the ball into the far corner. Walton saw it all the way, though, and punched the ball clear to keep the score at 1-0.
The 77th minute saw Dibling at it again, the young winger was looking bright since coming on, and looked to fire the ball beyond Walton at the near post. Dibling’s accuracy wasn’t quite there though and he sliced the chance wide.
The openings were there for Everton, but we needed to take them to be sure of winning the three points and maintaining our unbeaten run.
Grealish was then replaced by George and then Ipswich’s Palacios also made way for Akpom, who netted in the 4-2 loss to Arsenal in the EFL Cup on Tuesday.
81 saw Emerson’s afternoon end as he appeared to have picked up a knock, and Flemming come on as a replacement.
into the 82nd minute and Ipswich had barely gotten out of their own half since Fatawu’s red card and were really under the cosh now. This time it’s Garner who fed Dibling on the right, before the latter looked to fire a right-footed effort towards goal. Davis did well to get a block in.
The Toffees had nine shots in the second half at this point but only one of those had been on target. Moyes was surely hoping and praying our carelessness in front of goal wouldn’t come back to haunt us before full-time.
The 86th minute saw another big opportunity for a goal. Everton looked to seal the win as Barry released Armstrong on the counter-attack. It was 2 on 1 as KDH peeled away to the side of Armstrong who drove all the way to the edge of the Ipswich box. He should have slipped in the unmarked KDH but instead he had an effort and dragged it wide to allow Ipswich to survive again. We really were not at our best today but yet had created several glaring opportunities now to be comfortably ahead but instead we were now nervously entering the final minutes of the match.
A minimum of seven minutes of stoppage time were indicated. The last thing the home crowd wanted to see.
Everton made a couple of changes on 91 as O’Brien replaced Maitland-Niles and as Hackney replaced Dewsbury-Hall.
Flemming was shown a late yellow card on 92 for a late challenge on Tarkowski then in the 94th minute he had a chance to level for Ipswich….
Ipswich launched the ball forward through Diop, and Everton failed to clear. It then fell to Flemming, who tried to poke a right-footed effort beyond Pickford in the penalty area, but the Ipswich forward couldn’t keep the shot down, and the ball flew over the crossbar.
Armstrong was shown a late yellow card for a tactical foul on Philogene in the 96th minute but we were able to see out the final few minutes albeit nervously to make it to full time ahead.