With Chelsea already having fallen to a defeat, the door was ajar for Villa to close the gap to the league’s top six, but the hosts made a slow start to this contest, with the overall flow of the game not helped by early injuries to Boubacar Kamara and Julio Enciso, both of whom were replaced on the quarter-hour mark.
Frustration was growing around Villa Park as Unai Emery’s men struggled to break down the Ipswich door, and even when they did, Ollie Watkins could only drag a shot wide having been found by Axel Disasi.
The Tractor Boys had largely been comfortable throughout the first half, but their chances were dealt a huge blow when former Villa defender Axel Tuanzebe was sent off, receiving his second yellow card for hauling Jacob Ramsey down on the edge of the area.
Getting to the break on level terms was therefore critical for Kieran McKenna’s side, and they achieved that thanks in no small part to a brilliant save from Alex Palmer, who denied Morgan Rogers from close range.
Emery introduced Marcus Rashford for his PL debut for Villa at the break, looking to press home their advantage, and the forward made his presence felt immediately with a dangerous curling strike that Palmer parried away from goal.
However, completely against the run of play, Ipswich striker Liam Delap was the man to break the deadlock as he brilliantly picked out the far corner from Omari Hutchinson’s cutback to score for a third time in this season’s two head-to-heads.
Villa Park was stunned into silence, but the hosts regained composure to restore parity just 13 minutes later through Ollie Watkins, who steered home the rebound from a Rashford free-kick.
The Ipswich goal was suddenly living a charmed life, with another substitute, Marco Asensio, spurning a huge chance to put Villa in front as he fired over from inside the box.
The Spaniard was denied by Palmer again moments later, but Emery’s men gradually ran out of steam as the final whistle approached, meaning they ultimately fell short of victory.
As a result, the hosts remain down in ninth and five points shy of the top six, while Ipswich earn a priceless point – the 10th of their 16 this season to arrive on the road – in their fight for top-flight survival.