Ipswich's Premier League Return Highlighted by Clarke's Late Winner
Ipswich’s return to the Premier League could hardly have been scripted better. Ninety minutes on the clock, the game seemingly drifting towards a draw, and a former Sunderland winger cutting in to twist the knife.
Jack Clarke, left on the bench at kick-off, stepped off it to settle the contest in the final minute, curling a low finish into the far corner and lighting up Portman Road. A £20m signing from Sunderland two years ago, he chose his moment to remind his old club exactly what they let go.
Enciso announces himself
Ipswich, last season’s Championship runners-up and heavily backed in the transfer market, did not tiptoe back into the top flight. They went at Sunderland early, and the breakthrough came on 24 minutes from one of Gary O’Neil’s new centrepieces.
Julio Enciso snapped into life on halfway, pouncing on a loose Luke O’Nien pass. One touch to stride away, another to glide past Dan Ballard, and suddenly the Sunderland back line was in retreat. At the edge of the box, he slid the ball square to fellow summer recruit Emersonn, who had the simplest of tasks to tap in.
It was a goal built on aggression and alertness, exactly the traits O’Neil has spent the summer trying to buy. Ipswich, relegated after a single season two years ago, have thrown more than £100m at ensuring history does not repeat itself, and seven new signings started here. Enciso, signed from Strasbourg for an undisclosed fee, looked the pick of them.
“We worked our socks off to sign him,” O’Neil told BBC Match of the Day. He highlighted not just Enciso’s flair, but his willingness to press and track, pointing out the Paraguayan’s work to disrupt Granit Xhaka’s rhythm in midfield. In a league full of luxury No 10s, Ipswich may have found one who does the dirty work too.
Angulo hits back
For all Ipswich’s control, the Premier League rarely lets anyone stroll. Six minutes before half-time, Sunderland struck with a moment of pure quality.
Nilson Angulo stood over a free-kick 25 yards out and whipped it over the wall. The ball smacked the underside of the crossbar and bounced down over the line, a vicious, dipping effort that gave the home crowd a jolt and hauled the Black Cats level.
From cruising at 1-0, Ipswich were suddenly reminded of what O’Neil would later call their “welcome back to the Premier League” moment. One lapse, one set-piece, and the game was back in the balance.
Sunderland, under Regis Le Bris, know all about fast starts in this division. Last season they stunned West Ham 3-0 on the opening day and rode that momentum all the way to seventh place. On paper, they arrived in Suffolk with the stronger, more settled XI, having kept hold of their key players and added only full-backs Dayann Methalie and Thomas Meunier, both of whom started.
They saw plenty of the ball. What they did not do was carve Ipswich open often enough.
Clarke’s late twist
The second half turned into a test of nerve. Ipswich hunted high, refusing to sink back into their shape and settle for a point. Sunderland tried to pick their way through, but clear chances were rare.
Their big moment came with the score at 1-1. Brian Brobbey spun sharply in the box and fired from close range, only to see Marcelino Nunez throw himself in the way and block. It felt significant. Sunderland had the territory, but Ipswich had the tackles, the running, the willingness to suffer.
As legs tired, O’Neil made his move. Enciso, who had run himself into the ground, came off on 71 minutes. On came Clarke.
The game’s decisive act started with another Sunderland error. Defender Omar Alderete saw his pass intercepted high up the pitch, and Ipswich swarmed. The ball worked its way to Clarke just inside the area. One touch to set, one glance, then a curling strike bent low into the far corner.
Portman Road erupted. Sunderland, who had spent much of the afternoon probing without cutting through, were undone by a player they knew all too well.
O’Neil, overseeing his first competitive match since replacing Kieran McKenna in the summer, had demanded aggression to the final whistle. “We were never going to settle for 1-1,” he said. The winner, born from late pressure and a turnover high up the pitch, was exactly the kind of goal he will replay in team meetings for weeks.
“You can see how hard it is to win a Premier League game,” he added. “You’re 1-0 up, looking comfortable and someone smashes a free-kick in from 25 yards. But for our goal to come from a pressure phase that late in the game shows the togetherness, fitness and work-rate of the players.”
Ruthless reminders
Le Bris, by contrast, cut a philosophical figure. Asked whether Sunderland’s defeat could be put down to early-season rust, he told BBC Match of the Day that such sluggishness “is often the case – it is not unusual,” but admitted the cost of it at this level is brutal. “This is the Premier League, it is ruthless. We know every team we face has quality.”
Sunderland’s possession stats will offer some comfort, but their lack of incision will not. Beyond Angulo’s set-piece and Brobbey’s blocked effort, Ipswich kept them largely at arm’s length.
For Ipswich, this was more than three points. It was a statement that the club that came up playing front-foot football intends to stay that way, even against established Premier League sides. A rebuilt squad, a new manager, a raucous stadium, and a late winner from a former hero-turned-villain.
Next up is a Carabao Cup tie at home to League One Leicester City on Tuesday night, before a trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on 30 August. Sunderland host Fulham on the same Sunday and will discover their Europa League league-phase opponents in Friday’s draw.
Ipswich have their “welcome back” moment in the bank. The question now is whether this dramatic opening day becomes a launchpad, or just a flash of early-season adrenaline in a long, unforgiving campaign.
