Jack Clarke’s 90th-minute strike hands Ipswich victory over Sunderland in opening weekend

Jack Clarke scored in the 90th minute as Ipswich secured a winning return against Sunderland in their opening weekend Premier League match, coming on as a 71st-minute substitute for Julio Enciso.

Ipswich’s summer recruitment and spending featured prominently in the build-up to the game: the club have spent more than £150m this summer, signing Emersonn as a club-record acquisition for £24m plus add-ons and then bringing in the attacking midfielder Julio Enciso for £26m. Emersonn is 22 years old and became the first Brazilian to play for Ipswich; his record before arriving included 13 games with no goals and a serious knee injury at Athletico Paranaense, two league goals in 17 appearances at Goztepe, and six in 28 at Toulouse.

The opener stemmed from a loose pass by Luke O’Nien at halfway that found Enciso. Enciso drove into Sunderland’s half, shrugged off Dan Ballard, and played a low pass across the face of goal that bypassed the onrushing goalkeeper Robin Roefs for Emersonn to tuck the ball away scruffily.

Emersonn’s involvement continued after the goal: on the left he evaded Thomas Meunier and Enzo Le Fée by slipping the ball between them and produced a low cross that sent Enciso’s control over the bar. Later in the first half Enciso cut inside Nilson Angulo and crossed to the back post, where Emersonn could not direct a header on target.

Enciso featured repeatedly in Ipswich’s attacking moves, at one point nicking the ball from Luke O’Nien and forcing O’Nien into a yellow card to stop the run. The midfielder also cut easily past Granit Xhaka and attempted a deft flick on the turn from Abdul Fatawu’s in-swinging delivery that missed by inches; his influence earned him the description of man of the match and he left the field to a standing ovation when substituted in the 71st minute.

Sunderland had a notable chance six minutes before half-time when they won a free-kick on the edge of Ipswich’s penalty area; Nilson Angulo swept the delivery in and it rebounded off the crossbar. Jack Clarke replaced Enciso in the 71st minute and, in the 90th, dribbled into space against retreating defenders before delicately finishing into the bottom right corner to secure the win.

Ipswich are back — and there is something different about them.