Tottenham Hotspur’s rough start to the 2024/25 Premier League season continued as they suffered a surprising 2-1 defeat against Ipswich Town on Sunday.
A win would have propelled Spurs into third place, just behind league leaders Liverpool and champions Manchester City. However, the defeat has left Spurs struggling in 10th place, barely holding onto a top-half position through goal difference over Brentford.
The match saw a sluggish Tottenham side struggling to find their footing as Ipswich took advantage early on.
Both teams created early chances, but Ipswich capitalized with two first-half goals. Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap each scored, giving Ipswich a 2-0 advantage by halftime.
Tottenham responded energetically after the break. A potential comeback moment emerged when Dominic Solanke found the net, but his goal was ruled offside.
Eventually, Rodrigo Bentancur managed to cut the deficit to 2-1 with a powerful header in the 69th minute. Despite a strong push in the final stages, Ipswich held on, sealing their first Premier League victory since 2002.
The result left Spurs fans frustrated, with boos echoing through the stadium, adding pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou to find solutions quickly.
Tottenham Player Ratings
Guglielmo Vicario – 5/10: Couldn’t be faulted for Ipswich’s opener but will feel he could have done better on Delap’s strike.
Pedro Porro – 5/10: Slow to start but improved in the attack; delivered the corner that set up Bentancur’s goal.
Cristian Romero – 6/10: Struggled with positioning, inadvertently aiding Ipswich’s opener.
Radu Dragusin – 3/10: His lack of confidence showed, directly involved in Ipswich’s second goal.
Destiny Udogie – 6/10: Strong offensively but struggled defensively against Ipswich’s Omari Hutchinson.
Pape Sarr – 7/10: Tottenham’s standout until his injury, displaying accuracy in passing and strength in duels.
Rodrigo Bentancur – 8/10: Spurs’ best performer, scoring a bullet header and contributing significantly in defense.
Brennan Johnson – 4/10: Missed several chances and couldn’t capitalize on his pace against Ipswich’s defense.
Dejan Kulusevski – 7/10: Constantly created opportunities, attempting eight crosses and producing three key passes.
Son Heung-min – 7/10: His direct style caused problems for Ipswich, though he lacked finishing accuracy.
Dominic Solanke – 5/10: Had a goal disallowed and missed a big chance late on.
Substitutes:
- Timo Werner (66′) – 7/10: Added pace but missed a good opportunity in the box.
- Yves Bissouma (84′) – 5/10: Came on too late to impact the game.
- James Maddison (84′) – 5/10: Limited impact due to the late substitution.
Tottenham’s unexpected loss has left questions for Postecoglou and his team, who will need a significant turnaround to keep their season hopes alive.
