Liam Delap scores twice as Ipswich deny Aston Villa chance to go joint top.

Ipswich 2-2 Aston Villa: Following Delap’s early opening, Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers gave Villa the lead.

Liam Delap’s brace helped Suffolk Town secure a fourth straight draw while preventing Aston Villa from taking a share of the Premier

League lead.

After Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins’ first-half efforts cancelled out Delap’s opening, Villa appeared ready to warm up for

Wednesday’s Champions League visit from Bayern Munich with another comeback win.

After an exciting 2-2 draw at Portman Road, Delap’s outstanding solo effort in the 72nd minute ensured that the prizes were shared.

However, Kieran McKenna’s recently promoted squad had other ideas.

The match revived the rivalry between the two teams from 1981, when they fought for the First Division championship. Although Villa

was back in the thick of things in the middle of the week, they lost at Portman Road just eight minutes.

Following a shot by Sam Morsy that struck Omari Hutchinson, Kalvin Phillips, who had recovered from his injury, took control of the

situation and slid into the area before locating Jack Clarke, who cut back for Delap to score. This was Ipswich’s opening assault.

Emi Martinez, who was named captain in John McGinn’s absence, attempted to help Delap with his shoddy effort but was only able to

push it.

The home team’s joy was short-lived as Villa equalized in the fifteenth minute thanks to a gift from defender Jacob Greaves of Ipswich.

Graves regained possession, but his clearance with his left foot only reached Rogers, who passed to Watkins inside the box before

scoring his first goal of the year.

Following Rogers’ celebration, which included a gesture to former Manchester City teammate Cole Palmer, Ipswich equalized through

an effort from Axel Tuanzebe. This was followed by a fantastic opportunity for Clarke, who headed a brilliant cross from Leif Davis

over the bar.

In the 32nd minute, Villa made up for that carelessness when they pushed the ball wide to Leon Bailey on the right, who then created a

beautiful cross that Watkins headed in from close range.

Once more, following another risky set-piece, newly promoted Town responded with a Phillips piledriver that Martinez pushed wide.

After 38 minutes, Davis went in to Delap following a clever dummy by Clarke, giving the hosts a golden opportunity, but Martinez

stuck out a boot to deny the Ipswich forward a second goal.

The second half began at a slower tempo than the first, and with 26 minutes remaining, Unai Emery substituted Jhon Duran for the

starting lineup.

Left-back Davis wasted an opportunity to equalize shortly after Jack Taylor and Wes Burns were introduced, and in the seventieth

minute, Ipswich scored an incredible equalizer. That’s when McKenna initiated contact.

With nine minutes remaining, Clarke carried the ball and played it to Burns, almost repeating the magnificent breakaway attempt, but

Pau Torres made a critical block.

After Emiliano Buendia, a former striker for Norwich, was brought in by Emery, Villa withstood a late barrage of Norwich corners and

the points were split. However, Buendia missed a free kick.

Liam Delap scores twice as Ipswich deny Aston Villa chance to go joint top