The Premier League season has not yet reached the halfway point and yet Arsenal knew they had to win this game. Liverpool’s impressive form at the top of the table ensured this. It was tricky for much of the game, with Ipswich determined to respond to last Saturday’s 4-0 home defeat to Newcastle – the only time they have suffered a real defeat this season.

Arsenal was restricted. They found it difficult to take advantage of opportunities. But in the end one goal was enough – along with another clean sheet for David Raya, his 23rd in 50 league appearances for the club. The goalkeeper has more than the great David Seaman at this stage of his Arsenal career.

Kai Havertz was the scorer, converting a cross from Leandro Trossard midway through the first half, and he made it look easy. The game didn’t go that way for Arsenal and Ipswich, who remain in the relegation places, had much to gain from the resilience shown.

Arsenal did what they had to do, maintaining the division’s only unbeaten home record in the process. They sit in second place, six points behind Liverpool, despite having played an extra game. “Boring, boring Arsenal,” chanted the Ipswich fans towards the end as Mikel Arteta’s team shook with a few nerves. Everyone who was an Arsenal supporter smiled at that.

It was the evening Arsenal started the season without Bukayo Saka, who is coming off the first major injury setback of his career; when they had to start finding a way to replace his goals and assists.

Arteta’s move, as expected, was to shift Gabriel Martinelli to the right wing and bring Trossard to the left wing. More broadly, Arsenal’s idea is to do better without Saka than without captain Martin Ødegaard, who missed seven league games from mid-September. Without him, the team only won three of them. This was a step on the right path, even if Martinelli hardly noticed anything from his marker Leif Davis.

Kieran McKenna wanted Ipswich to be compact. He wanted his team to keep Arsenal in front of them and not allow them to get past the sides under any circumstances. That’s why the concession was so frustrating for him.

Ipswich were stable enough for the first 20 minutes or so. But then a cross from Martinelli on the right reached Trossard on the other side and there was a direct one-on-one between him and Ben Johnson. Trossard won the ball with ease, turning on the afterburners to get to the byline and cross. When the ball reached Havertz – leaving a few blue shirts behind on the way – the close-range finish was assured.

Ipswich alternated between a five and a four at the back; there were more five than four, depending mostly on where Johnson was on the right side. They created a half-chance in the first minute when a cross from Davis was deflected in and Sammie Szmodics could do nothing about it as it bounced away. But the pattern for the rest of the first half was ingrained: Arsenal dominated the ball, Ipswich had everyone behind them. After 27 minutes, Arsenal had controlled a staggering 92% of possession.

Liam Delap tried to position himself at the front of the Ipswich formation and it was telling that the visitors’ goalkeeper, Arijanet Muric, was mocked for wasting time after just 20 minutes. This happened after Jurriën Timber came straight at him following an attack through a small seam in the middle of the pitch.

Arsenal created little in the first half. Trossard’s shot was blocked by Kalvin Phillips, who impressed in his first start since November 2nd. Declan Rice hit it high from distance. Gabriel Jesus had the ball in the net but was pulled back for offside.

Arsenal were aiming for a fourth straight clean sheet at home in the league and it was a bold move from Arteta to continue with Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back and get Riccardo Calafiori fit again. The 18-year-old had a nice moment in the first half when he turned up away from a tackle and tried to make something happen. If that was notable, it was because there were a lot of little things and not that much inspiration.

The home fans needed a second goal to breathe a sigh of relief and it was a mystery why Gabriel Magalhães didn’t get it after Rice beat a corner in the 63rd minute. All alone and from three meters away, Gabriel headed past the post.

After the break, Ødegaard gained influence as he took the lead in the final third. He worked Muric and picked out Rice for a volley from the resulting corner. Dara O’Shea blocked. Arsenal pressed. Havertz missed his shot when it was well placed; Substitute Mikel Merino extended Muric. It was also about how the home team kept the back door locked. Although Ipswich got into good positions in the second half, they weren’t really dangerous.