Manchester United needed a moment of individual brilliance from captain Bruno Fernandes to overcome a resilient Ipswich Town side, with the Portuguese midfielder scoring all three of his side's goals in a match that also saw Marcus Rashford make his first Premier League start for the club since December 2024.
Fernandes was the standout performer on the day, described as producing a sensational display that included a thunderous equaliser, a composed penalty converted despite two failed spot-kicks in pre-season, and a calmly taken third goal. He even came close to a remarkable fourth effort from inside his own half, underlining a performance that earned him the maximum rating among United's players.
Ipswich, however, were far from passive visitors and gave United's defence and midfield plenty of problems throughout the contest. Abdul Fatawu caused persistent trouble down the flank, repeatedly getting the better of Luke Shaw, who endured a difficult afternoon at left-back. It was Fatawu's awareness that helped set up Ipswich's opener, with Leif Davis finishing the move with a precisely executed goal. Davis was a threat throughout, having earlier played a clever pass inside Dalot to release Daizan Maeda for an early chance.
Ipswich's goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen also impressed, making a superb save to deny Dalot what would have been a rare goal for the full-back, and producing a crucial touch to stop Bryan Mbeumo from an easy finish. Scherpen could do little, though, when United's equaliser arrived, aided by a costly slip from Marcelino Nunez that let United back into the game at a vital moment.
At the other end, Harry Maguire was a steady presence in central defence for United and was fortunate to see a deflected effort count as his own goal, with question marks remaining over whether it might otherwise have been ruled out. Lisandro Martinez, too, was influential in helping United's backline hold firm for large periods, though he was at fault for Ipswich's late goal, scored by substitute Chuba Akpom's side after the striker had been introduced at half-time in place of Emersonn.
Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, restored to the starting line-up, showed his usual composure in possession, though United's midfield as a whole struggled at times to contain Ipswich's energetic running. Youri Tielemans continued to search for consistent form in a United shirt, drawing criticism for going down easily in the box and for defensive lapses.
Mbeumo was a persistent threat wide for United, striking the bar from close range after Rashford's cross took a deflection, before eventually getting his reward with a late goal of his own. Rashford, restored to a starting berth for the first time in the league since the end of last year, looked sharp on the ball and caused problems running at the Ipswich defence, nearly teeing up a goal for Mbeumo during the game.
Ipswich's Sasa Lukic was praised for his game intelligence in disrupting United's rhythm, even picking up a booking in the process, while Julio Ensico caused problems with a length-of-the-pitch run that ultimately lacked the power to trouble Senne Lammens in the United goal. Lammens himself produced a confident display between the posts, coming out well to deny Ensico and playing his part in helping United close out the win.
United made several changes late on, introducing Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui, Benjamin Sesko, Patrick Dorgu and Andrey Santos, with Dorgu earning praise for his impact after replacing Rashford.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.