Ipswich had the ball, but Bournemouth had the better chances

Ipswich held more of the ball than usual at Portman Road, but Bournemouth created the stronger chances and came away with the win.

Bournemouth scored inside the first five minutes, and an own goal in the 46th minute gave them a two-goal cushion as the second half began. Ipswich's reply came from the penalty spot when Jack Clarke converted in the 73rd minute, and it was the only goal the home side managed. A two-goal lead being cut to one is a tidy story, but the more useful question is who made the better chances, and the numbers answer that more clearly than the scoreline does.

Ipswich had far more of the ball than they usually do, keeping 56% of possession against a home average of 46%. Having the ball is not the same as threatening with it, though, and their shooting was ordinary for them. They took 10 shots, only two of them on target, and their expected goals figure, a score that weighs each chance by where and how it was taken, was 1.32. That is close to their usual home figure of 1.36, so the extra possession did not produce unusually dangerous attacks.

Bournemouth were the reverse picture. They had 44% of the ball, below their usual 49.6%, yet they took 14 shots, eight of them from inside the box. Their expected goals of 1.88 was a little under their usual 1.96, which means the quality of their chances was roughly what they normally create, but they produced it with far less of the ball.

Evanilson was the player who turned that into goals. He scored the opener in the fifth minute and stayed on the pitch until the 85th, when he was replaced, and his four shots were more than anyone else managed on either side. His match rating of 8.2 was the highest of the night, and it reflects a forward who took his chances rather than one who simply saw plenty of the ball.

Clarke's penalty was Ipswich's only goal, and it was also his only shot of the afternoon. Their defence, meanwhile, conceded two, which is exactly their average at home this season. The goals they gave away came from an own goal and a penalty rather than from open play, which is a different kind of problem for a side to look at.

Ipswich are 14th in the table with 11 points from nine games, and their last six results have brought two draws, a win and three defeats. Bournemouth are ninth with 12 points from the same number of games, and this was their sixth straight win. They kept five clean sheets in that run, and they have won every match they have played since the start of the sequence.

Player of the matchEvanilson1 goal8.2

J. Clarke1 goal7.4

I. Diop2 duels won6.9

D. O'Shea13 duels won6.8