Aston Villa 1-1 Ipswich Town

Aston Villa were frustrated by an inspired display from Ipswich Town goalkeeper Alex Palmer as the sides played out a draw in the Premier League at Villa Park on Saturday.

The hosts carried a numerical advantage for most of the contest after former Villan Axel Tuanzebe was shown a second yellow card five minutes before the end of a goalless first half.

But despite being down to ten men, the Tractor Boys took the lead when Liam Delap turned Omari Hutchinson’s cross past Emi Martínez after 56 minutes.

Ollie Watkins hit back with his 12^th top flight strike of the season when he buried the rebound from Marcus Rashford’s free-kick with just over 20 minutes to play, and Villa quickly set about finding a winner.

However, Palmer stood in the way at every turn, producing great saves from Morgan Rogers twice and Marco Asensio before clawing a deflected effort away in the final seconds of stoppage time to ensure his side left B6 with a point.

Axel Disasi came in for his debut and Watkins returned from injury as Unai Emery made two changes from the side that beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the FA Cup.

Rogers, who scored in a 2-2 draw between the teams in the reverse fixture, was involved in an early flashpoint, tumbling under the challenge of ‘keeper Palmer, who was adjudged to have made no contact with the attacker after rushing out of his penalty area.

Watkins saw a shot blocked by Jens Cajuste as the hosts made a bright start, monopolising possession and penning Town inside their own half.

An injury to Boubacar Kamara saw Tyrone Mings make an early entrance against his former side after 16 minutes, and he had some defending to do as Ipswich grew into the game and posed more questions of Villa’s backline.

There was little for either set of fans to get excited about until the 34^th minute when Disasi sliced the visitors open with a through ball that bounced perfectly into the path of Watkins.

The striker held off a defender before sliding his effort wide of the target with only Palmer to beat.

Ipswich were holding firm but their task became infinitely more difficult with five minutes left in the first half when Tuanzebe was shown a second yellow card for hauling Jacob Ramsey down just outside the box.

Villa pushed hard for the opener in the remaining stages of the half and were denied a goal only by a superb reaction save from Palmer, who tipped Rogers’ close-range effort over the crossbar.

Emery outlined his attacking intentions for the second half by making a double switch at the break, introducing Rashford and Ian Maatsen for Ramsey and Lucas Digne.

It took Villa’s on-loan striker just four minutes to fire an effort on target, curling a shot towards the far corner that was parried away by Palmer.

The England international added pace and poise to the hosts’ attacking play, creating a chance for Rogers soon after that was poked wide by the playmaker.

But just as Villa looked to seize the initiative, they were by a sucker punch that saw Delap turn Hutchinson’s low cross past Martínez.

Asensio entered the fray in place of Donyell Malen, and it wasn’t long before the home team hauled themselves level.

A free-kick just outside the box was sent crashing against the crossbar by Rashford, with Watkins reacting quickest to bury the rebound.

Palmer did well to tip Rogers’ header over moments later as Villa Park suddenly sensed three points were there for the taking.

The Ipswich goalkeeper was enjoying a strong game between the sticks and he thwarted Villa once again with 12 minutes left when he tipped Asensio’s low shot around the post.

Shooting towards a passionate Holt End, the home side desperately searched for a winning goal and came agonisingly close in stoppage time when a surging run from Rashford and subsequent cross spun goalwards following a deflection, with Palmer clawing it away to safety to earn Town a point.