Ipswich Town marked the opening day of their Premier League campaign with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Sunderland at Portman Road, courtesy of a stoppage-time winner from substitute Jack Clarke against his former club.
The match represented a fresh chapter for Ipswich under new manager Gary O'Neil, who took charge of his first competitive fixture since replacing long-serving Kieran McKenna in June. Six players made their full debuts as part of a squad overhaul that saw the club make 12 new signings during a summer outlay exceeding £150m.
Among the new arrivals was Brazilian forward Emersonn, a club-record £24m signing whose modest goal-scoring record in previous spells at Athletico Paranaense, Goztepe and Toulouse did little to suggest he would make an instant impact. Yet he opened the scoring after 24 minutes, finishing off a slick move started by fellow new signing Julio Enciso, who intercepted a stray pass from Luke O'Nien before beating Dan Ballard and squaring for Emersonn to convert.
Sunderland, who impressed in their own return to the top flight last season with a seventh-place finish, responded before the break. Nilson Angulo curled a stunning free-kick over the wall and in off the crossbar in the 39th minute after Granit Xhaka had won the foul on the edge of the box, leveling the score at 1-1 heading into halftime.
The second half saw Ipswich dominate for long spells without finding a breakthrough. Abdul Fatawu twice threatened to create a second goal with dangerous crosses, while Enciso continued to torment the Sunderland defense with his dribbling, though a decisive final touch proved elusive for much of the half.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 90th minute. Sunderland substitute Omar Alderete gave the ball away cheaply, and after Sasa Lukic found Clarke, the winger — who had replaced man-of-the-match Enciso in the 71st minute — cut inside and curled a precise finish into the bottom corner past goalkeeper Robin Roefs, sending Portman Road into raptures.
The victory represented just the second Premier League home win for Ipswich in the last 24 years, and offered early encouragement that the club's heavy summer investment could pay dividends after their previous top-flight stint ended in relegation.
Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris acknowledged the scale of the challenge his side faces this season. "It's important to assess the gap between the Championship and the Premier League – it's massive," he said. "They made a good start, which is important, but the consistency throughout the season is a big challenge."
O'Neil was pleased with the impact of his new Brazilian forward despite some rough edges still to iron out. "We've thrown Emersonn in," the Ipswich boss said. "There are still some bits he has to tidy up on. He gave Ballard a tough time, fought him physically."
The O'Neil-Enciso reunion also bore early fruit. The pair worked together previously at Strasbourg, and the Ipswich manager praised the attacking midfielder's willingness to contribute defensively as well as create going forward. "He's a No 10 who can produce unbelievable quality, but not many 10s in the world are willing to work the way he works," O'Neil explained. "I worked hard with him in Strasbourg around his defensive game. He was excellent stopping [Granit] Xhaka dictating. When he beats two players and there's a shot on goal there's no thought for himself, he passes to Emersonn. You won't find many that can do all the sides like him."
Enciso, who previously spent time on loan at Ipswich and had a spell at Brighton, looked to be making up for lost opportunities with his all-action display, repeatedly troubling the Sunderland backline including several difficult moments for O'Nien.
Based on reporting from Guardian Football and Independent Football.