Portman Road found its voice late as Ipswich turned a losing position into a 2-1 home victory over Álvaro Arbeloa’s Fulham, leaving the London side still without a win after six rounds.
Key takeaways
- Ryan Sessegnon put Fulham ahead in the 55th minute after a succession of corners.
- Ipswich struck twice in the closing stages through Ouattara and captain Dara O’Shea.
- Goalkeeper Christian Walton preserved the result with a crucial late save from Rodrigo.
- Fulham controlled much of the first half but created too little from their possession.
A lead surrendered in Suffolk
Fulham arrived in Suffolk needing a result and began with authority, keeping the ball for long stretches before the interval. Ipswich were more direct, looking to release Emersonn quickly, while the visitors tried to build patient attacks around the edge of the home penalty area.
Yet Walton was not regularly tested despite Fulham’s territorial advantage. Their clearest first-half opening fell to Gonzalo, the former Real Madrid player, who took a pass inside the box, worked space with a sharp turn and drove narrowly past the left-hand post.
The breakthrough eventually came 10 minutes after the restart. Ipswich had struggled to clear a series of Fulham corners and the ball arrived at Sessegnon outside the area. His firm, low effort travelled through the crowd and into the net for 1-0.
Rather than use that moment to extend their advantage, Fulham retreated. The need for a first victory of the campaign appeared to weigh on Arbeloa’s side as they increasingly defended their own area and allowed Ipswich to gather momentum.
Ipswich answer the Portman Road call
Leno and the Fulham back line held out for much of the final stretch, but Ipswich’s pressure became increasingly difficult to contain. In the 88th minute, Ouattara unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box to bring the hosts level.
The equaliser changed the temperature inside Portman Road. Urged forward by the home crowd, Ipswich found the winner in added time when O’Shea, the club captain, met the ball at the near post and headed beyond Leno in the 91st minute.
There was still one final escape for the home side. Rodrigo had a close-range opportunity to rescue Fulham, only for Walton to block with his foot and secure the three points.
For Ipswich, it was a comeback fuelled by urgency and the noise of the stadium. For Fulham, the defeat deepens the scrutiny around Arbeloa after six league matches without a victory.
