Ipswich Town 5-0 Sheffield United: EFL Championship Match Report and Player Ratings

Ipswich Town 5-0 Sheffield United: EFL Championship Match Report and Player Ratings

Ipswich Town notched their first win of the season with a dominant 5-0 victory over Sheffield United on Friday evening, while also condemning the Blades to a fifth consecutive defeat of the campaign.

Five-Star Tractor Boys Shatter The Blades

In a game which saw winless Ipswich take on winless Sheffield, the stakes were high as both sides looked to improve their table position. Sheffield made a bright start, and looked the more likely of the two sides to take the lead - Ipswich centre backs Dara O'Shea and Jacob Greaves had to be on high alert early on, making a number of vital interventions that kept things level.

Japhet Tanganga saw multiple United corners land right on his head, but failed to hit the target with either, and eventually Ipswich started to grow into the game. Both Jaden Philogene-Bidace and Casey McAteer saw powerful efforts smartly stopped by Michael Cooper, while Leif Davis proved menacing down the other end from the left flank, producing a number of wonderful crosses that deserved conversion.

Eventually, the pressure told, as former Aston Villa winger Jaden Philogene capitalised on a fortunate deflection into his path, and calmly buried the ball in the corner past the the despairing Michael Cooper.

Five minutes into the second half, he doubled he and his sides tally with a laser-guided effort into the corner from the edge of the box - a truly outstanding finish, representative of a player who competed in the Champions League last season.

Things got worse just past the hour mark, when a calamitous touch from Harrison Burrows was pounced on by George Hirst who - after taking a moment - squeezed the ball home from a tight angle, with plenty of questions to be asked of Cooper in goal.

And the metaphorical icing was put on the metaphorical cake with 23 minutes remaining when Philogene once again took things into his own hands, blasting the ball into the far top corner with a swing of his left after a quick Ipswich break down the flanks. Jack Clarke completed the rout with a simple close range finish in the 78th minute.

Sheffield never lost their intensity, and huffed and puffed for the remaining 90 minutes, but never managed to create more than a half chance. After the third goal, their heads dropped, and they became incredibly sloppy, contributing to their eventually heavy downfall.

The result leaves them stranded at the foot of the table, having gone over seven hours since their last goal, while Ipswich see their prospects change for the better, rising to 12th.

Match Highlights

Ipswich Town Player Ratings

Alex Palmer - 7/10

Virtually a bystander in this game, Palmer did his job when called upon, making just one save. Distribution was good, always picked the right option when passing out from defence.

Leif Davis - 8/10

A typical Leif Davis performance - acceptable in defence, he really came to life in the final third of the pitch. Between his misleading runs, clever overlaps and teasing crosses, Ben Godrey had a nightmare containing him and Philogene.

Jacob Greaves - 6/10

Solid on the ball and showed good anticipation - had a couple of moments involving poor decision making and lack of communication, which fortunately went unpunished.

Dara O'Shea - 8/10

Vital in seeing off United's early barrage, O'Shea was never ruffled. Firm in the challenge, excellent in the air, and limiting Tom Cannon to scraps, it was an excellent performance from the Irishman.

Darnell Furlong - 7/10

Solid performance from the Englishman - always picked the sensible pass, and never took unecessary risks in defence. Had Louie Barry locked up until he was taken off, and Gustavo Hamer had little more success.

Jens Cajuste - 7/10

The midfield tempo setter, Cajuste had a good performance while not standing out. He drew fouls from Sheffield players excellently, and made a couple of lovely through balls, but also found himself caught on a number of occasions.

Azor Matusiwa - 8/10

Never afraid to get stuck into a tackle, Matusiwa was a midfield general for Ipswich tonight. Leading by example, he never shyed away from the ball, and his physicality in the midfield fatigued United to the point where they could barely defend by the 70th minute.

Jaden Philogene-Bidace - 10/10

The undisputed man of the match, Philogene's directness caused problems from the first minute. With three excellent finishes, as well as Ben Godfrey's house keys, wallet and possibly his reputation as a footballer, it was a fine night for the Englishman, who will surely be playing in a top league next season.

Chuba Akpom - 7/10

A decent performance from Akpom, he showed his physicality and hold-up skills superbly. Drawing countless fouls, and breaking lines with regularity, he was unfortunate not to notch a goal or assist.

Kasey McAteer - 6/10

The quietest Ipswich player on the night, McAteer's only significant involvement saw him draw a low save out of Cooper in the first half. Sensible with the ball but producing no fireworks, he needs to validate his summer transfer window price tag.

George Hirst - 8/10

With bags of energy and a talent for hold up play, Hirst was a constant thorn in the side of the Blades defence. Setting up Philogene for his second, and netting a richly deserved goal, he seems to be taking the mantle of Ipswich's starting striker in his stride.

Subs

Marcelino Nunez - 6/10

Showed some nice touches and good vision when he did get the ball. Came inches away from netting a stunning late free-kick.

Sammie Szmodics - 7/10

Immediately positive, saw a close range attempt saved, and his movement proved a nightmare for the tired United defenders.

Jack Clarke - 8/10

Similar to Szmodics, Clark's energy proved too much for the Blades' backline, and he was rewarded with a goal.

Ivan Azon - 6/10

Made a handful of nice runs without affecting the game too much.

Sindre Walle Egeli - N/A

Sheffield United Player Ratings

Michael Cooper - 3/10

Made a couple of good saves in the first half, and could do little about both of Philogene's goals, but should be saving Hirst and Clark's goals all day every day. Distribution was decent, but nothing special.

Harrison Burrows - 4/10

Put some useful deliveries into the box, and showed spark down the left flank, but was directly at fault for the third goal, after an attempted control richocheted into Hirst's path.

Mark McGuinness - 3/10

A bad night at the office for McGuinness - showing little back bone in defence, he relied on those around him to clear up any danger, and rarely looked reliable by himself.

Japhet Tanganga - 4/10

Started the game strongly, but was caught out a number of times as the game went on. Positioning became questionable the more the game went by, and despite his physicality, the Ipswich front line ran rings around him. More impressive than McGuinness though.

Ben Godfrey - 1/10

An absolute shocker for the former Everton defender. Didn't win a single battle against either Leif Davis or Philogene, and added to the pile of questions surrounding Sheffield's "strongest lineup".

Sydie Peck - 3/10

Failed to control the middle of the park despite showing a nice passing range in the first period. Barely touched the ball in the second period, and quickly faded out of the game.

Alex Matos - 5/10

A welcome physical presence in the heart of the Blades midfield, throwing himself into tackles and leaving his mark. Didn't make much of an impact on the ball, but considering it was his first game for the club, the signs are promising.

Louie Barry - 2/10

A night to forget for the exciting young Englishman. Unable to get the better of Darnell Furlong, Barry was banished to the fringes of the game, rarely getting involved, and doing nothing of note.

Andre Brooks - 2/10

Lively, and showed plenty of willing, but indecision in the final third rendered him a figurehead of United's frustration. Wayward crosses and mis-hit shots exemplified his sides current issues in front of goal.

Callum O'Hare - 2/10

Showed some good intent, and managed a couple of snapshots when presented with a half chance, but never worried Alex Palmer.

Thomas Cannon - 2/10

Managing just 12 touches, and one shot on goal, it was as if Cannon wasn't even on the pitch.

Subs

Tahith Chong - 2/10

Failed to get involved off the bench.

Gustavo Hamer - 4/10

Had a little more luck than Louie Barry against Darnell Furlong, but it was too little too late.

Tyrese Campbell - 1/10

Went almost completely unnoticed following his introduction.

Djibril Soumare - 1/10

Unable to stop a host of Ipswich town break aways.

Femi Seriki - N/A

Simply didn't have enough time to make an impact.

Man of the Match - Jaden Philogene-Bidace

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿💥 | 𝐉𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄-𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐂𝐄 (𝟐𝟑) vs Sheffield United:

• MOTM
• 3 GOALS
• 100% SHOT ACCURACY
• 100% SUCCESSFUL DRIBBLES
• 100% SUCCESSFUL CROSSES
• 100% SUCCESSFUL LONG BALLS
• 2 Chances Created
• 4 Passes Into Final 3rd

𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3UpcKoLRMe

— Rising Stars XI (@RisingStarXI) September 12, 2025

A masterclass of wing-play brilliance, Philogene showed exactly why he is so highly rated in the youth ranks of the England squad. His first was a well-placed, careful attempt that unnerringly found the corner. His second, a fabulous, curling strike from the edge of the box, and his third was a rocket off his weaker left foot, and was arguably the best of the night.

Combining such a range of finishing prowess with his superglue control and cheetah like speed, Bidace will be a nightmare for Championship defenders this season. If he can maintain the level he showed tonight, there is no reason why the Premier League won't come calling for his services again, whether Ipswich make it there or not.

Worst Performance - Ben Godfrey

Brought in to provide valuable top level experience as a former Premier League regular, Ben Godfrey looked like he had been freshly picked from a Sunday League side - one near the bottom of their respective division.

Hassled by Philogene and Davis from the outset, Godfrey simply couldn't get up to speed, and was repeatedly beaten on both the inside and out as the Ipswich left flank ran rings around him.