Arsenal - 2 Ipswich - 0SOCCER: Among the England coach's compatriots Fredrik Ljungberg is likely to cause Sven-Goran Eriksson more embarrassment this summer than any fair-weather Swede.
The alacrity with which Ljungberg scored twice here yesterday to take Arsenal back to the top of the Premiership not only sharpened Highbury's prospect of a second title under Arsene Wenger, it also reminded the nation of the threat the player will pose to Eriksson's defence in the World Cup when England meet Sweden in Saitama on June 2.
For more than an hour Arsenal toiled to find the finishing touch demanded by the neatness and imagination of their football. Bar or posts were struck four times and it began to look as if Ipswich, having hit a post themselves, would deny Arsenal a ninth successive league victory and tilt the championship towards Liverpool and Manchester United.
Then Ljungberg twice found the net to settle his team's nerves and end the ragged resistance of an Ipswich team not yet relegated but five points away from safety and running out of matches. Arsenal, by contrast, will be four points ahead of Liverpool if they win their game in hand at home to West Ham on Wednesday.
Wenger's team are now three wins away from becoming champions and may or may not need the points when they go to Old Trafford four days after meeting Chelsea in the FA Cup final.
The interchanges of position between Thierry Henry and Ljungberg, steadily supported by the vision of Bergkamp and Edu, promised Arsenal a comfortable win until their attacks started to get bogged down amid the bodies Ipswich were drawing back behind the ball.
The industry of Marcus Stewart for Ipswich was ill-matched by some of those around him and not for the first time contributions from Finidi George were almost condescending.
Yet there came a moment, four minutes from half-time, when the Nigerian sprang to life and it so nearly cost Arsenal a goal. Having sidestepped Lauren on the right George sprinted beyond Ashley Cole before producing a precise centre to the far post, the foot of which was then hit by Martijn Reuser's downward header.
Reuser remained Ipswich's most likely scorer and with 12 minutes remaining forced a stretching, diving save from Seaman with an excellent long drive.
Angst had began to set in after 47 minutes when Bergkamp saw one of his shrewdly flighted cross-shots rebound off the inside of the far post. Wenger replaced Edu with Nwankwo Kanu just before the hour, and with Arsenal achieving more width Ipswich inevitably left them more space. When Henry set up Ljungberg to drive the ball against the Ipswich bar Highbury gritted its teeth. But relief quickly followed as Vieira's ball back into the penalty area was met by a combination of Keown and John McGreal and found its way to Ljungberg, who in the same movement pivoted and drove the ball low past Andy Marshall's right hand.
Another 10 minutes and poor defending allowed Ljungberg a free header following a cross from Gilles Grimandi, who had just replaced Bergkamp. Marshall could not hold it, and Ljungberg forced it over the line for his and Arsenal's second.
ARSENAL: Seaman, Lauren, Keown, Adams, Cole, Ljungberg, Parlour, Vieira, Edu (Kanu 56), Henry, Bergkamp (Grimandi 76). Subs Not Used: Dixon, Jeffers, Wright. Booked: Lauren. Goals: Ljungberg 68, 78.
IPSWICH: Marshall, Bramble, McGreal, Hreidarsson, Clapham, George (Peralta 50), Holland, Tommy Miller, Reuser (Ambrose 85), Stewart, Marcus Bent (Armstrong 85). Subs Not Used: Wilnis, Salmon.
Referee: A Wiley (Burntwood)
