Brighton & Hove Albion’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season continued, but they were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Ipswich Town and inspired goalkeeper Arijanet Muric.
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Brighton could not make their dominance count as Ipswich showed spirit and resilience to earn their first away point back in the Premier League on Saturday.
Muric kept his side in the contest with a series of excellent saves to deny Brighton in a one-sided first half.
Ipswich carried more of a counter-attacking threat after half-time, and Liam Delap nearly shocked the Amex Stadium when his strike hit the post following a powerful run.
Brighton kept pushing for a breakthrough goal at the other end, but Ipswich held on and are have earned their second point of the season, with their hosts staying third behind Manchester City and Liverpool.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Man City
MCI
|
4 | +8 | 12 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
4 | +5 | 10 |
| 3 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
4 | +3 | 10 |
| 4 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
4 | +6 | 9 |
| 5 |
Aston Villa
AVL
|
4 | +1 | 9 |
How the match unfolded
The hosts pressed for an early goal, and inside four minutes Muric made a good stop to repel Carlos Baleba’s low strike.
Muric also kept out Danny Welbeck’s far-post header, before a sensational double-save further frustrated Brighton.
Georginio Rutter’s curling effort was beaten away by Muric, whose quick reactions then denied Kaoru Mitoma on the rebound and kept the match goalless going into half-time.
Ipswich’s first shot of the game in the 55th minute almost broke the deadlock against the run of play as Delap blasted against the frame of the goal after bursting forward from the halfway line.
Brighton created further pressure as they sought a winner of their own, but Ipswich’s rear-guard action protected Muric more effectively than in the first half, and the visitors were rewarded with what could prove a valuable point come the end of the season.
Seagulls grow frustrated
After such a positive start to the season, this was the first real hiccup for Premier League Manager of the Month Fabian Hurzeler.
His Brighton side were scarcely threatened in a defensive sense in a dominant first half, but their territorial superiority could not be converted into a breakthrough goal – in large part due to Muric’s superb display.
Another fast start followed after the restart as the encounter continued in the same vein, with Welbeck sending a free-kick just wide and Rutter shooting across the face of goal.
But as the second half wore on, Brighton must have feared they would be caught at the other end, perhaps fortunate one of a number of Ipswich breaks did not result in an unlikely away goal.
Regardless, this will be seen as two points dropped for Brighton, who will have to prove they are capable of breaking down low blocks in these home matches against sides in the bottom half of the table if they are to challenge for a European place this season.
Fighting Town hold on for point
This was a tough afternoon for Ipswich as from the first whistle they were pinned back by Brighton’s possession-based approach.
Indecision in midfield led to Baleba’s early shot on goal, and a yellow card for captain Sam Morsy did not help their defensive endeavours.
Delap and Sam Szmodics pressed from the front, but the pair saw little of the ball before half-time and were spectators as Muric kept Ipswich in the contest.
Delap’s break did encourage Ipswich to push on in pursuit of a first win back in the Premier League, and Omari Hutchinson led another counter from a Brighton corner but shot straight at Bart Verbruggen.
Ipswich’s wait for a victory goes on after four tricky opening fixtures, but they might take confidence from this hard-earned point.
Club reports
Brighton report | Ipswich report
What managers said
Fabian Hurzeler: "Today we did everything to win the game. We had enough chances to win and defended well enough to win the game, so in the end, I'm happy with the performance, satisfied with the performance."
Kieran McKenna: "It was a great effort from the players from where we're at."
Next Premier League fixtures
Key facts
Brighton have failed to score in 10 different Premier League games so far in 2024, more than any other side this calendar year.
Ipswich kept their first away clean sheet in the Premier League since November 2001, and a 0-0 draw at Middlesbrough.
Ipswich didn’t register a single shot in the first half against Brighton – it’s the first time they’ve not had a shot in the opening 45 minutes of a league match since March 2020 against Fleetwood Town in League One.
32.2 per cent of Brighton’s Premier League games have been drawn (87/270), the highest share of any side to have played in more than one campaign in the competition.
