JACK CLARKE FIRED newly-promoted Ipswich to an opening-day victory with a 90th-minute winner to down old club Sunderland.
A new era at Portman Road got under way with Gary O’Neil in the dugout for a competitive fixture for the first time since he replaced long-serving boss Kieran McKenna in June and with six full debutants on display.
It had been a busy summer for Ipswich with 12 signings made in an attempt to follow in the footsteps of opponents Sunderland, who finished seventh on their own return to the top-flight in the 2025-26 campaign.
This first day fixture looked set to finish all square after Nilson Angulo produced a superb 39th-minute free kick for the Black Cats to cancel out Emersonn’s opener after 24 minutes following excellent play from Julio Enciso.
Substitute Clarke had other ideas and made the most of Omar Alderete’s wayward pass on the stroke of full time to curl into the bottom corner to send Portman Road into pandemonium after they witnessed only a second Premier League home win in 24 years.
Republic of Ireland international Dara O’Shea played the full game for Ipswich, with Kasey McAteer a second-half substitute.
There was late drama elsewhere as Anton Stach’s free-kick saw Leeds kick off their campaign with a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest.
Stach curled in from the edge of the area in the 88th minute as Daniel Farke’s men recorded their first victory at the City Ground since 1972.
It was a smash-and-grab win from the Yorkshire club, who had seen Forest miss a number of chances to go in front, with Nikola Milenkovic hitting a post and Igor Jesus wasting two headers.
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Forest have ambitions of a top-half finish this season under new boss Oliver Glasner, but it was all very reminiscent of last term.
There were no new signings in the starting XI and the failure to put the ball in the back of the net was costly.
Leeds, who are also looking to be upwardly mobile after last season’s flirtation with relegation, got the upper hand ahead of Tuesday’s rematch in the Carabao Cup.
Thierno Barry scored in Everton’s comfortable 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace to give manager David Moyes one less thing to worry about – for now.
The Frenchman took until December last season to score his maiden goal for the club but with no reinforcements for a strikeforce – together with Beto – which netted only 18 goals in 2025-26, an early breakthrough for the 23-year-old was a welcome boost for Moyes, who is less than happy with the club’s transfer business.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had made the breakthrough late in the first half as Everton celebrated season ticket-holder Andy Burnham’s first visit as Prime Minister with a morale-boosting victory after last term’s final seven games without a win cost them a chance of a return to European football.
There was little freshness in terms of Moyes’ starting line-up, aside from new signing Hayden Hackney in the holding midfield role, with midfielder Merlin Rohl filling the troublesome right-back slot.
And there was a familiar feeling to the opening 38 minutes as Jean-Philippe Mateta stabbed wide the kind of close-range chance he would usually bury and also hit a post – the same upright Eddie Nketiah saw Jordan Pickford acrobatically tip his shot onto.
But the momentum changed when Dewsbury-Hall lashed home left-footed across Dean Henderson and the second half was a completely different story.
Barry’s downward header from five yards came from greater urgency on the ball, which saw Hackney’s quickly-taken free-kick whipped in with very little fuss by Iliman Ndiaye.
Ireland internationals Jake O’Brien and Mark Travers unused substitutes for the Toffees.
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Premier League wrap: Newly-promoted Ipswich sink Sunderland in 90th minute
Ipswich Town 2-1 Sunderland
JACK CLARKE FIRED newly-promoted Ipswich to an opening-day victory with a 90th-minute winner to down old club Sunderland.
A new era at Portman Road got under way with Gary O’Neil in the dugout for a competitive fixture for the first time since he replaced long-serving boss Kieran McKenna in June and with six full debutants on display.
It had been a busy summer for Ipswich with 12 signings made in an attempt to follow in the footsteps of opponents Sunderland, who finished seventh on their own return to the top-flight in the 2025-26 campaign.
This first day fixture looked set to finish all square after Nilson Angulo produced a superb 39th-minute free kick for the Black Cats to cancel out Emersonn’s opener after 24 minutes following excellent play from Julio Enciso.
Substitute Clarke had other ideas and made the most of Omar Alderete’s wayward pass on the stroke of full time to curl into the bottom corner to send Portman Road into pandemonium after they witnessed only a second Premier League home win in 24 years.
Republic of Ireland international Dara O’Shea played the full game for Ipswich, with Kasey McAteer a second-half substitute.
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Leeds United
There was late drama elsewhere as Anton Stach’s free-kick saw Leeds kick off their campaign with a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest.
Stach curled in from the edge of the area in the 88th minute as Daniel Farke’s men recorded their first victory at the City Ground since 1972.
It was a smash-and-grab win from the Yorkshire club, who had seen Forest miss a number of chances to go in front, with Nikola Milenkovic hitting a post and Igor Jesus wasting two headers.
Forest have ambitions of a top-half finish this season under new boss Oliver Glasner, but it was all very reminiscent of last term.
There were no new signings in the starting XI and the failure to put the ball in the back of the net was costly.
Leeds, who are also looking to be upwardly mobile after last season’s flirtation with relegation, got the upper hand ahead of Tuesday’s rematch in the Carabao Cup.
Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace
Thierno Barry scored in Everton’s comfortable 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace to give manager David Moyes one less thing to worry about – for now.
The Frenchman took until December last season to score his maiden goal for the club but with no reinforcements for a strikeforce – together with Beto – which netted only 18 goals in 2025-26, an early breakthrough for the 23-year-old was a welcome boost for Moyes, who is less than happy with the club’s transfer business.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had made the breakthrough late in the first half as Everton celebrated season ticket-holder Andy Burnham’s first visit as Prime Minister with a morale-boosting victory after last term’s final seven games without a win cost them a chance of a return to European football.
There was little freshness in terms of Moyes’ starting line-up, aside from new signing Hayden Hackney in the holding midfield role, with midfielder Merlin Rohl filling the troublesome right-back slot.
And there was a familiar feeling to the opening 38 minutes as Jean-Philippe Mateta stabbed wide the kind of close-range chance he would usually bury and also hit a post – the same upright Eddie Nketiah saw Jordan Pickford acrobatically tip his shot onto.
But the momentum changed when Dewsbury-Hall lashed home left-footed across Dean Henderson and the second half was a completely different story.
Barry’s downward header from five yards came from greater urgency on the ball, which saw Hackney’s quickly-taken free-kick whipped in with very little fuss by Iliman Ndiaye.
Ireland internationals Jake O’Brien and Mark Travers unused substitutes for the Toffees.
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