Sky Sports Saved by Delap: McKenna was let down by Ipswich star who lost 71% duels.

Ipswich Town opened their Premier League account in 2025 with a tense 2-2 draw away at Fulham, with three penalties awarded over the course of the exhilarating 90 minutes. If it hadn’t been for Raul Jimenez’s second penalty of the day, awarded deep into additional time, the Tractor Boys would have had back-to-back wins in the top division, an unprecedented feat for the freshly promoted side.

However, that crucial victory would disappointingly slip through their fingers, leaving them in the relegation zone on goal difference, but Liam Delap could surely walk off the pitch happy of his efforts again.

Top Ipswich performers at Fulham

Delap confidently tucked away his side’s sole penalty of the game after Sammie Szmodics’ first-half goal, and the ex-Manchester City striker made sure he leaped for joy when his effort beat Bernd Leno in front of the away crowd. He must have expected it would be enough to give his team another much-needed three points after winning the penalty with a tricky charge into the danger area, but it wasn’t. Aside from merely Delap, Szmodics deserves plenty of credit for being in the right place at the right time to fire his side ahead courtesy of a generous deflection, while Nathan Broadhead also impressed going forward with four successful dribbles racked up.

Even the Tractor Boys defence held firm for the majority of the game, with Jacob Greaves winning four duels in the heart of the back five, but there was one standout underperformer for Kieran McKenna’s men, who let his team down with an often reckless performance.