Arsenal booked their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a lively 4-2 victory over Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
Mikel Arteta made sweeping changes to his side, but there was still plenty of quality in the team and the Gunners took control almost immediately.
Max Dowman was the star of the night.
The 16-year-old opened the scoring after seven minutes, collecting Eberechi Eze’s pass before showing the calmness of a far more experienced player to finish.
Noni Madueke doubled Arsenal’s advantage nine minutes later.
Mikel Merino helped create the opening and Madueke made Ipswich pay as the visitors turned their early pressure into a commanding lead.
The home side did improve as the first half went on.
|
Ipswich Town 2-4 Arsenal |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Match stat |
Ipswich Town |
Arsenal |
|
Possession |
41% |
59% |
|
Total shots |
8 |
12 |
|
Shots on target |
3 |
6 |
|
Expected goals |
0.72 |
0.95 |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
3 |
|
Corners |
3 |
2 |
|
Accurate passes |
340 |
521 |
|
Pass accuracy |
85% |
89% |
|
Duels won |
53 |
42 |
|
Saves |
2 |
1 |
|
Fouls committed |
11 |
13 |
Jaden Philogene offered a threat down Arsenal’s right and Ipswich found more space when they attacked at speed, but Gabriel Magalhães repeatedly stepped in to stop promising moves.
Any hope of a comeback was crushed shortly after the restart.
Martín Zubimendi moved into the box and found Dowman, who calmly added his second of the evening in the 47th minute.
Dowman then played his part in Arsenal’s fourth. His pass reached Merino on the edge of the area and the Spaniard curled a fine left-footed finish beyond Christian Walton.
Ipswich refused to fold, and substitute Jack Clarke made an instant impact by setting up Anis Mehmeti, who pulled one back in the 62nd minute.
Former Arsenal striker Chuba Akpom scored again in stoppage time, but it arrived far too late to trouble Arteta’s side.
The final score made the contest look slightly closer than it had been, with Arsenal doing the important work during a ruthless opening hour.
Dowman’s display provided the main talking point, although one of Arteta’s later substitutions also attracted attention.
Mikel Arteta questioned over Martin Ødegaard decision after Arsenal beat Ipswich 4-2
Martin Ødegaard replaced Madueke in the 76th minute, when Arsenal were leading 4-1 and appeared to have the tie safely under control.
Speaking on BBC Radio Suffolk, Joe Sheehan questioned whether the Arsenal captain needed to be sent on with the result already beyond serious doubt.
“I just wonder why players like Martin Odegaard get game time in games like this when come May that is a player who may accumulate 65 odd games,” he said.
“You wonder at 4-1 if this is a game he needs to be involved in.”
It was only a short appearance, and Arteta may have wanted Ødegaard to maintain his rhythm ahead of tougher assignments.
However, Sheehan’s concern was understandable.
Arsenal are fighting on several fronts and their captain remains one of the most important figures in the squad.
Even limited minutes can add up across a demanding campaign, while every unnecessary outing carries some level of injury risk.
Arteta will be delighted with the result, Dowman’s two goals and the opportunity to use several younger players.
Yet the decision to involve Ødegaard in a match Arsenal already controlled has left him facing a fair question about how carefully his captain’s workload is being managed.