Aston Villa relinquished their grip on the Premier League lead to Liverpool after settling for a 2-2 draw against Ipswich, where Liam Delap delivered a stellar performance that nullified goals from Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins, grounding Unai Emery's side.

This marks Aston Villa's second stumble in what had been an almost perfect campaign up to this point. Prior to this match, only Arsenal (0-2) had managed to disrupt the team's run, which included victories in all official matches, including a 3-0 debut against Young Boys in the Champions League and a 2-1 win against Wycombe in the FA Cup.

However, Ipswich, desperate for points to gain a cushion from the relegation zone, put Villa under pressure early on, with Delap striking the first blow just eight minutes in. His powerful shot from the penalty spot was too much for goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez.

Villa responded vigorously before halftime, with Watkins leading the charge. First, he assisted Rogers with a pinpoint cross from the left, which Rogers headed into the net. Then, Watkins celebrated by scoring the second goal himself just half an hour into the match, putting Villa ahead at the break.

In the second half, Ipswich returned with a renewed determination, and Delap once again made his mark. With just twenty minutes left, he finished a brilliant run with a left-footed shot past Martínez, forcing Villa to fight hard to regain the lead and avoid losing their top spot.

Despite their efforts, Villa couldn't find a winner as Ipswich defended resolutely. They even came close to taking all three points with chances from Jack Taylor and Wes Burns, who nearly earned a deserved victory on a challenging day for Villa. As a result, the team slipped from first to fifth place due to this second setback of the season, largely thanks to the efforts of Manchester City academy product Liam Delap.