Football: Wright's quick retort

Ipswich Town. .1

Dixon og 70

Arsenal. . . . 5

Wright 18, pen 40, 86

Youds og 24, Parlour 52

Attendance: 18,656

IAN WRIGHT could hardly have made his point more emphatically if he had paraded round George Graham's front garden with a banner - then moved on to Terry Venables' house. Left out of the England squad, then Arsenal's European team last week, allegedly short of match fitness, he was still running strongly enough to complete a hat-trick three minutes from the end of the sort of performance that Arsenal delight in springing upon us when their typecasting is going too far.

'Boring, boring Arsenal' the away supporters chorused. The boring part for Ipswich is such regular demolition by a side who have put 15 goals past them in four meetings. They are getting plenty of practice at being good losers - losing to Wolves in midweek, losing their goalkeeper Craig Forrest just before kick-off and losing David Linighan at half-time.

Wright was wearing a smug look within 18 minutes. Lee Dixon, also snubbed by Venables, received Ian Selley's square pass and came inside on his left foot before encouraging Wright to dart ahead of Linighan and score from a sharp angle.

Only six minutes later Mick Stockwell's volley on to the stand roof - Ipswich's first shot - proved doubly profligate. David Seaman's goal-kick was helped on by Wright to another returning prodigal, Anders Limpar, whose cross-shot embarrassed Eddie Youds into conceding an inelegant own goal. It was soon three, Limpar's wriggle along the by- line drawing a foul from Stockwell, punished by Wright's penalty.

Ipswich left Linighan in the dressing room at half-time and sent on Paul Mason. There was barely time to judge whether any improvement had occurred before Ray Parlour headed in David Hillier's cross.

Even Ipswich's goal illustrated the futility of their task. The diminutive Chris Kiwomya, scorer of three goals in 26 games, was twice left to challenge Steve Bould in the air and had just about given up when Dixon headed Ian Marshall's centre into his own net.

Wright ensured that there was no sense of anti-climax by turning Tony Adams's pass past Clive Baker - who had every reason to wish he had spent a blameless afternoon sitting on the substitutes' bench.

(Photograph omitted)