Angulo, Xhaka and Meunier earn 7s in 2-1 Premier League loss

Ipswich Town defeated Sunderland 2-1 in the Premier League on 22 August 2026. Emersonn put Ipswich ahead in the 24th minute, Nilson Angulo equalised before half-time, and Jack Clarke scored the winner in the 90th minute.

Angulo, Granit Xhaka and Thomas Meunier were Sunderland’s leading performers, each receiving a rating of 7. Their efforts were not enough to secure a point as Sunderland suffered a late defeat at Portman Road.

Sunderland had to recover from a difficult opening period after Emersonn gave Ipswich the advantage. Angulo restored parity in the 39th minute with a direct free-kick, leaving the teams level at 1-1 at the interval.

The visitors remained in contention until the final minute, when Clarke found the decisive goal for Ipswich. Sunderland’s defensive work included two recoveries by Meunier and a forward run, while Dennis Cirkin was noted for his contribution at the back. Luke O’Nien made important clearances but also committed an error that proved costly.

Abdoullah Ba showed promise in the opposition half, while Xhaka provided a steady influence across both sides of the pitch and kept his distribution neat. Trai Hume created opportunities in the final third without scoring. Another Sunderland player made a positive run but struggled to trouble the Ipswich goal, while a further attacking effort produced no goal.

The result leaves Ipswich 11th and Sunderland 18th in the listed table, with both teams shown on zero points after zero matches. Ipswich entered the game with three wins and three draws in their previous five matches, while Sunderland had won three of their last five, alongside a defeat and a draw. Sunderland’s recent run included victories over York, Chelsea and Everton, but the loss to Ipswich followed their 4-2 defeat by Liverpool.