The glory of this victory cannot be taken from Ipswich Town and it is impossible too for Arsenal, at the very least, to free themselves from the inconvenience of defeat in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final. Arsène Wenger now has to commit his squad to the full in the return leg, unless he is prepared to let a small inconvenience turn into another wounding embarrassment.

The side he sent out at Portman Road had looked far from flimsy. It is a tribute to the victors that they excelled after the weekend's 7-0 evisceration by Chelsea in the FA Cup. In the process, the newly-appointed Ipswich manager Paul Jewell is associated with instant glory, even if Ian McParland, who is expected to leave the club, was actually in charge for this game. If this was not Jewell's moment, no such thought would have been gnawing at him in the euphoria of the full-time whistle.

Everyone with an attachment to Ipswich would have been revelling in the thought of the single goal. A pass by Colin Healy freed Tamas Priskin to burst beyond Johan Djourou and finish impeccably in the 78th minute. They might have had another through Carlos Edwards on the break but Ipswich's goalkeeper Marton Fulop had also pulled off good saves to secure the win.

Wenger would have supposed that his selection had all the know-how and technique needed for this encounter. It would surely dismay him that Samir Nasri, who had the evening off, was missed so badly. Arsenal's angst was, all the same, far less absorbing than the endeavour and determination of Ipswich. They had been sent out in a 4-5-1 formation, but after making a careful start they did not huddle in their own area.

The pressure they applied would ultimately expose the core of an Arsenal defence weakened by injuries and the purchase of a centre-half does seem likely, but that piece of trouble cannot excuse the subdued nature of the attacking that lasted for too much of the night. The flurries were delayed and insufficient in any case. The visitors did seem tired, but it is an explanation that must be shunned by Wenger since he dare not issue excuses for any future disappointments.

The quick breakthrough for Arsenal proved impossible. The Ipswich formation took no one by surprise and that five-man midfield, with a promising attacker like Connor Wickham called upon at first to cover on the left, was sensible. Ipswich detached themselves from the memory of misery at Stamford Bridge. The side never cowered here and, with 14 minutes gone, Priskin, a menace to Arsenal who has not always been in favour at Ipswich, had cut inside the suspect Emmanuel Eboué to put his shot a yard beyond the far post.

Arsenal themselves had a trace of the expected sheen, but lacked focus in and around the goalmouth. It was hard to know whether to blame the forward Nicklas Bendtner or sympathise with him over a lack of assistance. The match was a synopsis of Arsenal's campaign. The finesse and technical accomplishment were obvious, but so, too, was the disinclination to capitalise.

As three defeats in the League at the Emirates show, this team excels at making difficulties for itself. The means had appeared to be present. However, Andrey Arshavin had once again been muted and not even Cesc Fábregas could produce a cutting edge. The second-half here called for a higher intensity that was not be reached.

For his part, Jewell was witnessing a heartening fixture, with a night of this sort galvanising Ipswich to the extent that there had been half-chances, with Gareth McAuley heading over in the 33rd minute. The side was finding an enjoyment in the tie that was not available to the visitors. Mark Kennedy ruffled Arsenal with his breaks from midfield and as time passed the sense grew that that Wenger would be unable to treat the return leg as a formality. Ipswich, on the other hand, were increasingly suited to the tie.

The omens were clear. A long ball in the 69th minute came very close to releasing Priskin, although Djourou did get the ball away for a corner. At least Arsenal persevered following the goal and Fulop did well to throw up an arm and parry Theo Walcott's attempt to clip the ball over him from an angle.

It was an evening that spoke well of the tournament. The prominent managers may not make it a priority, but someone like Sir Alex Ferguson, for instance, would not have anticipated a 4-0 defeat at West Ham when there were several familiar players in the Manchester United party. Arsenal did not have to endure anything so galling, but the next encounter with Ipswich will be treated with complete seriousness.