Ismaila Sarr scored late to give Crystal Palace a well-earned 1-0 win over game Ipswich Town at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Sarr mimicked wounded teammate Jean-Philippe Mateta‘s goal celebration after his second-half goal boosted Palace to a third-straight win in a game full of energy and shots.
WATCH – Crystal Palace vs Ipswich full match replay
Palace move into 11th with 39 points, three back of the top half, while Ipswich stay 18th with 17 points.
Both teams ripped off shot after shot, but Palace’s were more dangerous and their 56% possession produced numerous big chances, oft-denied by Ipswich keeper Alex Palmer.
Good vibes Palace are back, Ipswich get emblematic loss
Oliver Glasner loves the evolution of a Premier League season, as the man who helped Palace go 6W-1D in the last seven games of the 2023-24 season has the Eagles 7-2-2 since Boxing Day and eyeing a surprising run to a European place. Palace have key pieces from back-to-front in Maxence Lacroix, Adam Wharton, and Eberechi Eze. Jean-Philippe Mateta counts here, too, but was missing as he recovers from the gruesome injury suffered in the FA Cup. No worry — Sarr moved up top in the second half and made sure the center forward position kept producing goals for Palace. They have a tricky run left on the docket, but there are wins to be had for sure. As for Ipswich, they’ve performed this season in the Premier League but have had so many ‘nearly’ games. This one saw the Tractor Boys elicit seven saves out of Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson, but to be fair not many were dynamite. Kieran McKenna’s top young attackers Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson feel destined to be Premier League mainstays but the 22-year-old and 21-year-old are probably a season too green to drive Ipswich to enough wins instead of draws, or draws in place of losses.
Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town player ratings
(from fotmob.com)
Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town player ratings (from fotmob.com)
Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town player ratings (from fotmob.com)
What’s next?
Palace face a long lay-off thanks to Week 29 opponent Newcastle’s participation in the League Cup Final. The Eagles will play a friendly versus Norwegian side Hamarkameratene in Marbella on Thursday morning before awaiting a March 29 date at Fulham in the FA Cup quaterfinal round.
Ipswich Town host Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
How to watch Crystal Palace vs Ipswich live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 10am ET Saturday
Venue: Selhurst Park — South London
TV Channel: Peacock
Streaming: Premier League on Peacock
Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town final score: 1-0
Ismaila Sarr 82'
Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town live updates
Full time — Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town stats
Possession: Palace 56%
Expected goals: Palace 3.34-1.19
Shot attempts: Palace 18-15
Shots on target: Ipswich 8-4
Corner kicks: Palace 5-4
Ismaila Sarr goal — Palace 1-0 Ipswich (82nd minute)
There’s the goal, and it’s a beautiful one.
Adam Wharton plays in Ismaila Sarr, who works a 1-2 with Daichi Kamada before dinking over Palmer.
Is Palace’s table charge set to continue?
Ipswich come close!
Ben Chilwell is shouldered off the ball by Omari Hutchinson, and a couple of passes later it’s Ben Johnson trying to get his head on a hard cross from an acute angle.
He misses wide of the near post. 0-0, 81'.
Palmer saves Ipswich
Huge gaffe at left back and Daniel Munoz is 1v1 with the Ipswich keeper.
Palmer comes off his line and keeps his cool, flinging his right leg out to deny the in-form Palace back.
Palmer flies high, Eagles nearly make most of corner
Eze comes off the left wing and rips a hard shot that takes a huge skyward deflection.
Palmer leaps back to his left and palms the ball out for a corner kick.
Eze’s corner is thudded wide of the far post by Sarr.
Ipswich come close off corner
The Tractor Boys whip in a corner kick and Liam Delap heads it toward goal.
Dean Henderson’s two-fisted parry falls twice for Jaden Philogene-Bidace, the first effort saved by Henderson and the second blocked on the line.
0-0, 63'.
And another
Marc Guehi clips Julio Enciso, the same man fouled by Wharton, and he’s cautioned in the 55th.
Quickfire Palace yellows
Chris Richards and Adam Wharton are both cautioned in the 53rd minute.
0-0.
Halftime — Crystal Palace 0-0 Ipswich Town
The fast start did not prove foreshadowing to greatness, though there were 11 shot attempts in the first 45 minutes (seven to Palace).
Palace is more dangerous, with a full xG on the board compared to Ipswich’s 0.23, but this is in the balance and the visitors will hope to cue up Liam Delap who has been busy in the air.
Greaves intervenes
Eze is into the box and the ball is on his right foot just beyond the penalty spot.
The winger shapes for the far post but Greaves’ sliding intervention limits the damage to a corner kick, one handled well by the Tractor Boys.
0-0, 21'.
Dangerous free kick and red card review
Maxence Lacroix sends a long ball over the top, and Ismaila Sarr is dropped by Jacob Greaves outside the box.
VAR has a look but it’s not deemed denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity.
Eberechi Eze’s effort is slowed by the wall and Palmer grabs the ball before Sarr can track it down.
0-0, 18'.
Ipswich right at it, too
Leif Davis drives the left side in the second minute and crosses for Jaden Philogene-Bidace, who can’t put his volley home.
0-0, 3'.
Palace right at it
Adam Wharton unlocks the Ipswich defense and finds Eddie Nketiah, whose shot is saved by Alex Palmer.
Crystal Palace lineup
Henderson, Munoz, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi, Mitchell, Wharton, Lerma, Sarr, Eze, Nketiah
Ipswich Town lineup
Palmer, O’Shea, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis, Phillips, Cajuste, Philogene, Enciso, J. Clarke, Delap
Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town preview
The Eagles started the season far below expectations, winning just one league game through November. Oliver Glasner’s men have since gone 8-3-3 and sit 12th with 36 points, two wins off seventh place on the Premier League table.
The first win of that run was at Portman Road against Ipswich, a 1-0 win on the power of a Jean-Philippe Mateta goal. The French forward won’t be available for this match as he recovers from a brutal kick to the ear.
Ipswich have slipped five points back of 17th-place Wolves and the Tractor Boys’ goals of another Premier League season need a boost, fast. Ipswich have lost six-of-seven in the Premier League and have some stiff tests coming up on the fixture list. Palace are a good side, but Ipswich need to find some wins in fixtures like this.
Crystal Palace team news, focus
OUT: Jean-Philippe Mateta (head), Cheick Doucoure (knee), Chadi Riad (knee), Joel Ward (calf), Will Hughes (suspension)
Ipswich Town team news, focus
OUT: Arijanet Muric (shoulder), Axel Tuanzebe (hamstring), Sammi Szmodics (ankle), Conor Chaplin (knee), Wes Burns (knee), Chiedozie Ogbene (achilles - out for season)| QUESTIONABLE: Christian Walton (groin), Cameron Burgess (calf), Kalvin Phillips (lower leg), Julio Enciso (knee), Omari Hutchinson (knee)
Crystal Palace vs Ipswich prediction
The Mateta injury hurts Palace, but Ipswich’s list is too long and outweighs any benefits to the Tractor Boys hopes of a win. This is a big chance for Eddie Nketiah, Romain Esse, and others behind Mateta on the Palace attacker depth chart. Someone will take it on Saturday. Palace 2-1 Ipswich Town.
