Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna speaking to BBC Sport:
"I think we created the better chances in the game but when
you came back from 2-1 down a point is a good result. Four games unbeaten and we just need to keep
going.
"It was a well fought game, I thought it ebbed and flowed. We had spells of domination both in of
territory and chances and they have their spells as well. I thought the game had a really good flow to
it with two good sides and to be competing with a team who have been together
for three years with a top manager I think there are so many positives to take
for us.
"Every game in the division is tough so we know the scale of
the challenge every week. That four
games in a row now that we have got a result, the only two teams to beat us are
Man City and Liverpool in the first two weeks when we where coming together as
a group. We are doing a lot of the right
things."
More from Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, speaking to Sky Sports:
"We controlled the first half better than the second half and I think the result was fair in the end. We are in a process, we got one point but of course we have to try and progress the way we are. Some players are getting better.
"We started the first half very well, we came back and we controlled the game really well. But in the second half they were pushing.
"They did it, they scored, because we couldn't control like we wanted to and it was a really fair result."
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery speaking to BBC Sport:
"It was a pretty good match and I think the draw was fair. We were better in the first half, the second
half we lost our concentration and the consequences happened because they
scored and they could have scored one more.
"We had our chances but we conceded more than normal and we didn’t control
things like we did in the first half. I
am not happy with the point but I have to accept it because I think it is fair.
"They had their game plan of course when they scored it was a surprise
because we started well. I wanted us to
finish strongly and oppose and we didn’t do that."
Postpublished at 16:26 British Summer Time 29 September 2024
16:26 BST 29 September 2024
FT: Ipswich Town 2-2 Aston Villa
Ipswich Town are up to 15th with their point, with four points now on the board from four successive draws since opening losses to Liverpool and Manchester City.
Aston Villa are in fifth, two points off the top in these early stages.
Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna speaking to Sky Sports: "I thought we managed to do that [make Aston Villa uncomfortable] for much of the game. They are a top team and they resorted to going long with many of their goal kicks. We dominated and controlled the ball and created more than enough chances to win. It's a good step for us.
"It was another good day for Liam Delap, he does really well and he takes a lot of credit. But the team at 2-1 down never dropped their heads and we were always competitive in the game.
"I think there's loads to come [from Delap], I still don't think fitness-wise he is anywhere near the level he can get to after a big injury at the end of last season. The impact he has had and all-round play, and to have so much growth left in him, we are rally happy to have him here.
"It is not easy to create chances in the division. Aston Villa haven't given up many big chances so to create the chances we did showed the boys are growing into it. The next step is taking a couple more. We are showing that we are an improving side.
"Four games unbeaten doesn't come easily in the Premier League. It is a fantastic first step and we still feel there is a lot of improvement to come."
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, speaking to BBC Sport, on whether that was a missed opportunity:
"100% the way we played we kind of fell into their hands. It was like a basketball game really, it was
end to end and that’s what they wanted and they caught us on the transition a
couple of times.
"We had a lot of opportunities
but we didn’t get the final right, I am included in that. We could have seen the game out after my
goal."
Ipswich Town midfielder Kalvin Phillips told Sky Sports:
"I was a good point and I feel like we dominated in the
second half we really took it to them and they really struggled to deal with us
and we were unlucky not to score at the end."
Team-mate and goalscorer Liam Delap said:
"It was really good and we showed what we are about from
minute one and we created so many chances. It was a really good result for us and we probably deserved the win
after the second half performance.
"I think
it’s the fourth time we’ve got something from a game so we are happy."
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins speaking to Sky Sports: "They always put a lot of pressure on us and we couldn't really implement our game plan. Ipswich were always on to us and it was a bit of a basketball game which is what they wanted but we didn't.
"It was a difficult game and I think a point is a fair result. We didn't get it right in the final third, we could have been more ruthless myself included.
"A point is a fair result but disappointing because there were a lot of opportunities for us. They kept putting pressure on us, they're here at home, the made runs in behind and we grinded the result out in the end."
On facing Bayern Munich in the Champions League in midweek: "Everybody is ready, there's a buzz around the club. Last year was special and this will be even better this year in the Champions League. You want to play in the best games in the world."
Postpublished at 16:10 British Summer Time 29 September 2024
16:10 BST 29 September 2024
FT: Ipswich Town 2-2 Aston Villa
Aston Villa have picked up 13 points from their opening six Premier League matches - the most they’ve picked up at this stage of a Premier League since season 2008-09, when they picked up as many points.
FULL-TIMEpublished at 15:59 British Summer Time 29 September 2024
15:59 BST 29 September 2024
Ipswich Town 2-2 Aston Villa
Image source, PA Media
Great game.
No first Premier League win of the season for Ipswich Town, but a strong second half performance against Aston Villa earns the promoted club a fourth successive draw.
Liam Delap has scored three of Ipswich Town's five Premier League goals so far this season
Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist
A superb individual strike from two-goal Liam Delap earned Ipswich Town a draw against Aston Villa, who missed a chance to move level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool.
With Ipswich trailing 2-1 in the second half, striker Delap collected the ball just inside Villa territory, raced into the penalty area and tricked his way beyond Diego Carlos before firing low past goalkeeper Emi Martinez.
The former Manchester City forward had turned in Jack Clarke's cutback to give Ipswich an eighth-minute advantage, but visitors Villa recovered to lead by half-time at Portman Road.
Morgan Rogers collected Jacob Greaves' poor clearance and exchanged es with Ollie Watkins before crashing in his first goal for the season to equalise.
Leon Bailey's cross from the right then picked out unmarked England striker Watkins, who nodded past Arijanet Muric from six yards.
At that stage Villa looked set to achieve a comeback victory for the third Premier League match in a row.
However, Delap's intervention secured a fourth successive league draw for Ipswich as the Tractor Boys climbed to 15th in the table.
Ipswich were decent value for their point, which lifted them out of the relegation zone.
Their wait for a first win since returning to the Premier League goes on, although manager Kieran McKenna will take positives from this latest display.
Delap's two goals were both well taken but quite different in execution.
His first was a predatory first-time strike from inside the penalty area and his second was all of his own making, reminiscent of his first Premier League goal for Ipswich in the 1-1 draw against Fulham on 31 August.
The 21-year-old perhaps should have had a hat-trick, but Martinez denied him when he was sent through for a one-on-one in the first period.
Kalvin Phillips had a hand in Ipswich's opener, winning a turnover deep in the Villa half before feeding Clarke to set up Delap.
England international Phillips also tested Martinez with a stinging drive from outside the penalty area.
Of concern to McKenna will be the defensive lapses that led to two soft goals at the other end.
Ipswich's next four league fixtures are against teams currently outside the top 10, so hopes of a first league win of the campaign arriving soon will be high - especially if Delap can continue this fine start to his career in Suffolk.
Villa denied another comeback special
Media caption,
Emery 'not happy' but says draw was 'fair' result
Villa came from a goal behind to beat Wolves 3-1 in their previous Premier League outing, a week after fighting back from a two-goal deficit to defeat Everton at Villa Park.
That pattern looked like continuing on Sunday, once the visitors had recovered from their early setback.
The form of England hopeful Rogers, 22, has been among the major recent positives for Villa and he found the net for the first time at club level this season with a composed finish from inside the box.
England forward Watkins' header was his fourth league goal in his last three games and put Villa on course for what would have been a fifth win in six Premier League outings in 2024-25.
They appeared comfortable in spells, but this was another game in which Villa were unable to show their best form for a full 90 minutes and on this occasion they could not take away all three points.
Villa's attention will now turn to two blockbuster home games in five days.
Unai Emery's side host German giants Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday (20:00 BST), before Manchester United visit Villa Park for a Premier League fixture on Sunday (14:00 BST).