Ipswich boss O’Neil takes ‘lots of positives’ from Arsenal defeat

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Ipswich Town boss Gary O’Neil believes his side can take “lots of positives” from their EFL Cup defeat to Arsenal into their Premier League trip to Everton.

The Tractor Boys lost 4-2 at Portman Road on Wednesday, with Anis Mehmeti and Chuba Akpom scoring consolation goals after Arsenal went 4-0 up inside an hour.

Ipswich are 10th in the Premier League after their thrilling win over Crystal Palace last time out, and have only lost to Manchester United and Liverpool in the competition this season.

Despite conceding four against Arsenal, O’Neil insisted there is reason for optimism at Ipswich this season.

“I thought they had a right go and stuck at it. It didn’t feel like a 4-0 game at any point, but the quality that they have meant they got into that position,” said O’Neil.

“We found a way to fight our way back into it, though. I’m disappointed that we didn’t win because that’s what we’re here for, but there are lots of positives to take.

“We managed to get some minutes into a lot of players that need it, and we still look a threat, which is the important thing for me.

“Arsenal are a good side defensively. They don’t concede many chances at all, and we were still able to get through. We were still able to create problems for them.”

Mehmeti and Akpom on target against Arsenal.  pic.twitter.com/VGM4g4fDmU

— Ipswich Town (@IpswichTown) September 16, 2026

Everton did manage to progress to the fourth round of the EFL Cup, defeating Championship side Wolves 1-0.

The Toffees have also won six points from their opening four Premier League games, drawing against Bournemouth, United and Tottenham after beating Palace on the opening day.

Everton are ninth in the league, above Ipswich only on goal difference ahead of their meeting at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Jordan Pickford kept his 100th Premier League clean sheet in Everton’s 0-0 draw with Spurs.

Since his first clean sheet in November 2016 in Sunderland’s 3-0 win over Hull City, only Ederson (122) and Alisson (105) have more.

Zian Flemming has scored 12 Premier League goals in 31 appearances (11 in 29 for Burnley, one in two for Ipswich).

Of players with 10+ goals in the last two seasons, only Erling Haaland (one every 107 minutes), Junior Kroupi (129 mins) and Benjamin Sesko (143 mins) have a better minutes per goal rate than Flemming (152 mins).

Everton are unbeaten in the Premier League so far this season, their best unbeaten start since 2021-22 (W3 D1), last enjoying a longer run at the start of a season in 2020-21 (W4 D1).

It is only the second time under David Moyes they have been unbeaten in their first four games, along with 2006-07 (first seven).

Everton have kept two clean sheets in four Premier League games in 2026-27, as many as they managed in their final 16 games in 2025-26. They have not kept as many as three clean sheets in their first five games since 2013-14 (three).

Ipswich are only the third team in Premier League history to have conceded 10+ goals (10) in their first four games of a season but still have as many as six points (W2 L2), along with Manchester United and Liverpool in 2020-21.

Ipswich are unbeaten in their last three away league games against Everton (W2 D1), with their last defeat coming back in December 1994 (1-4).

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