Marc Guehi Leads Palace to Vital Away Win, Defying FA’s Armband Restrictions
Marc Guehi led Crystal Palace to a significant 1-0 victory over relegation rivals Ipswich, securing the club’s first away win of the season and a crucial clean sheet. Guehi’s leadership on the pitch was matched by his defiance of the FA’s rules, as he wore a rainbow armband featuring the message “Jesus Loves You,” despite previous reprimands for such displays. The win, sealed by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s second-half goal, denied Ipswich their first home victory of the season, keeping them in the relegation zone.
Palace weathered an early storm from Ipswich, who came out strong with aggressive play, but Guehi stood firm, nullifying the threat of Ipswich’s physical striker Liam Delap. The match, a long-awaited Premier League fixture between the two clubs for the first time since 1995, took place in near-freezing conditions in Suffolk. During the match, Guehi once again drew attention for his rainbow armband, a bold statement that continued despite the FA’s warnings following a similar incident in Palace’s recent fixture against Newcastle. However, Ipswich’s captain Sam Morsy, who practices Islam, was permitted to wear the same armband for religious reasons.
Ipswich’s early pressure saw Guehi involved defensively, making a crucial tackle to stop Jack Clarke from advancing. Delap also left his mark on Palace’s defense with a dangerous challenge on Maxime Lacroix, but the referee only issued a verbal warning. Palace struggled to make the most of their attacking opportunities in the first half, with Lacroix, Trevor Chalobah, and Daniel Munoz all missing key chances. Eberechi Eze also had an effort denied by Ipswich goalkeeper Arjanet Muric.
The home side came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half when Harry Clarke’s header from a Leif Davis corner was saved by Palace’s Dean Henderson. At the break, Palace manager Oliver Glasner made a tactical change, replacing the booked Cheikh Doucoure with Jefferson Lerma. The decision paid off shortly after the restart, as Eze found Mateta, who powered past Jacob Greaves to score his second goal in 12 matches. Mateta’s goal gave Palace the lead, and though he nearly added another shortly after, Muric was quick to make a save.
Ipswich, fresh off back-to-back promotions, struggled to find their rhythm, with Delap and Omari Hutchinson unable to make an impact. Manager Kieran McKenna responded by making a triple substitution on 66 minutes, bringing on Conor Chaplin, Nathan Broadhead, and Jack Taylor in an attempt to ignite his side’s attack. Despite the changes, Ipswich struggled to sustain pressure on Palace, and their frustration mounted. Every decision against them was met with loud boos from the home crowd, and McKenna’s decision to substitute Delap with Ali-Hamadi in the 81st minute showed his desperation to find a breakthrough.
Ipswich came close to an equalizer in the 87th minute when Greaves’ header ricocheted off the post, deflected off Broadhead, and rolled wide. Palace, sensing the danger, held firm in the closing stages, keeping possession and seeing out the game. Ismaila Sarr picked up a yellow card in the final moments, but the victory was secured, and Palace’s traveling fans were able to celebrate a rare away win.
MATCH FACTS
Ipswich Town (4-2-3-1):
Muric 6; H. Clarke 6, O’Shea 7, Greaves 5, Davis 6.5; Morsy 6, Cajuste 6.5 (Taylor 66 6); Burns 5.5 (Chaplin 66 6.5), Hutchinson 5.5, J. Clarke 6 (Broadhead 66 6); Delap 5.5 (Al-Hamadi 81)
Subs unused: Walton (GK), Philips, Johnson, Townsend, Szmodics
Booked: O’Shea, Greaves
Manager: Kieran McKenna 5.5
Crystal Palace (3-4-3):
Henderson 7; Chalobah 6 (Richards 81), Lacroix 6.5, Guehi 7.5; Munoz 6, Hughes 6.5, Doucoure 6 (Lerma 45 6); Mitchell 6; Sarr 6.5 (Nketiah 90), Mateta 7, Eze 7 (Devenny 76)
Subs unused: Turner (GK), Ward, Nketiah, Schlupp, Clyne, Kporha
Goal: Mateta 59
Booked: Doucoure, Hughes, Sarr
Manager: Oliver Glasner 7
Referee: Craig Pawson 6
Attendance: 29,553
