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AFTER prolonged periods of steadfast hope, Chelsea have found themselves once again in the position of being labeled ‘billionaire bottle jobs’.
This sharp remark about Mauricio Pochettino’s struggling squad was made by Gary Neville during the previous season.
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Enzo Maresca appears to have addressed earlier critiques while taking on a new set of challenges this week.
Yet, Chelsea’s lavish squad looked inexperienced against an Ipswich team that had yet to taste victory at home this season.
Maresca was right about one thing—Chelsea was never truly in the running for the title.
With only one point from nine over the holiday break, they currently trail Liverpool by ten points, having played one more game.
If this trend persists, Liverpool may well be enjoying their success by Easter.
However, Maresca has made several misjudgments lately, particularly in his player selections for this match—dropping Nicolas Jackson and Jadon Sancho among five changes led to a second consecutive loss.
During his previous Championship title run with Ipswich as manager of Leicester, he should have realized that lighter players like Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku may not fare well against a physically strong team. They were indeed exposed.
The decisions made by Chelsea’s owners seemed ill-conceived, especially when faced with the identity of Ipswich’s second goalscorer, Omari Hutchinson, a promising local talent they sold for what they term ‘pure profit’ in line with Profit and Sustainability rules.
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The £20m fee received from Ipswich for the winger last summer will not appear so ‘pure’ after this match.
With the exception of the exceptional Cole Palmer—who hit the post twice and provided a brilliant pass for a disallowed goal by Felix—Chelsea’s performance was average at best.
Enzo Maresca provides a brief response when asked about Noni Madueke’s omission
Ipswich, who took the lead with an early penalty from Liam Delap, are now only a point away from safety following their first win at Portman Road.
In their last match on Boxing Day, the Blues were thoroughly outclassed even within their own London SW6 area, as Fulham overran Stamford Bridge.
This surprising defeat initiated widespread changes, including the switch from Robert Sanchez to Filip Jorgensen as goalkeeper.
This marked Chelsea’s first visit to Portman Road in 25 years, a time predating Roman Abramovich’s ownership.
While the excitement of hosting elite Premier League teams had begun to diminish for Ipswich fans, McKenna’s squad sensed Chelsea’s vulnerability early on.
Hutchinson initiated the first threat, darting down the right and delivering a cross for Nathan Broadhead, whose shot was blocked just before the goal line by Tosin Adarabioyo.
Then came the pivotal moment, shocking for Jorgensen.
Leif Davis executed a through ball that confounded Moises Caicedo, leading the Chelsea keeper to rush off his line and clip Delap’s trailing leg.
Referee John Brooks ruled for a penalty, and there was insufficient evidence to overturn the decision. Delap confidently converted.
Delap nearly found the net again moments later, as Jorgensen saved a powerful shot after Marc Cucurella’s clearance attempt was intercepted by Hutchinson.
Chelsea ratings vs Ipswich as Blues defenders falter and only ONE star shines
CHELSEA suffered back-to-back defeats, falling to a lackluster performance that resulted in a 2-0 loss against Ipswich.
Enzo Maresca’s team entered the match hoping to bounce back from their 2-1 loss to Fulham on Boxing Day.
However, their title aspirations took a significant blow with goals from Liam Delap and former player Omari Hutchinson.
Amidst a night to forget for the Blues, SunSport’s Jordan Davies critiques each player’s performance.
FILIP JORGENSEN – 6
His first action was a careless trailing leg that fouled Delap, leading to an unnecessary penalty.
He later made a few good saves to prevent further damage, but the initial mistake proved costly.
AXEL DISASI – 4
Did little until a quality pass early in the second half reached Madueke.
However, that was soon overshadowed by poor defending, leading to the second goal after a stray pass to Delap and then allowing Hutchinson an easy chance.
TOSIN ADARABIOYO – 5
Had difficulty containing Delap both physically and in terms of pace. Appeared reluctant to challenge him and looked sluggish throughout much of the match.
LEVI COLWILL – 6
Performed better when partnered with a strong defender, but this match was not his best.
MARC CUCURELLA – 5
Almost allowed Delap a second by misjudging a clearance on Hutchinson, frequently caught out of position during Ipswich’s counter-attacks.
Struggled during offensive scenarios.
ENZO FERNANDEZ – 6
Showed a mixed performance, finding space at times but getting overpowered on occasions.
MOISES CAICEDO – 6
Missed a key opportunity by shooting over from the edge of the box.
At times, he controlled the game effectively from a deeper position.
NONI MADUEKE – 7
Was central to Chelsea’s better moments, being aggressive against defenders and unlucky not to score in the first half.
Displayed solid chemistry with Palmer and Enzo.
COLE PALMER – 8
A joy to watch. His skillfully disguised free-kick struck the post, and his cross for Joao Felix was superb, only for the goal to be annulled for offside.
Later, a curling attempt was excellently saved; he was the standout performer on the pitch.
JOAO FELIX – 6
Perhaps receiving a harsher rating; he should have stayed onside before finishing Palmer’s excellent cross.
Had a header cleared off the line early in the second half.
CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU – 5
An unremarkable first half was followed by more of the same in the second, resulting in his substitution shortly after the hour mark.
Seems to have wasted a significant opportunity created for him by Maresca.
SUBS
NICOLAS JACKSON (for Felix, 55) – 6
Missed a glaring one-on-one opportunity but was saved by a delayed offside flag.
JADON SANCHO – (for Nkunku, 65) – 6
Added little as the game was largely decided by the time he entered.
MALO GUSTO (for Disasi, 77) – 6
Came on simply to replace Disasi—made a late mark with an altercation with Davis.
PEDRO NETO (for Madueke, 77) – 5
Gained some urgency but let himself down by exaggerating a challenge from Kalvin Phillips.
The confidence that had once filled Maresca’s team just two weeks ago seemed to have evaporated.
Regardless, Chelsea had Cole Palmer, who exudes confidence and is on track to vie for the Ballon d’Or someday.
When Nkunku won a free-kick just outside the box, Chelsea’s top player struck a shot that hit the post—Nkunku followed up but shot straight at Walton.
Then Palmer, known for his imaginative playmaking, delivered a stunning outside-of-the-boot cross to Felix, who found the net only to be ruled offside after a lengthy VAR check.
Chelsea opted for constant passing yet became frantic in the final third.
Cucurella and Caicedo both squandered chances that required a composed finish from their best player.
In an Ipswich counter, Delap fired a shot that Jorgensen had to parry wide.
Yet, Palmer was once again involved. Capitalizing on a misplaced pass from Enzo Fernandez, Palmer took on his defender, Jens Cajuste, and executed a beautifully curled shot that Walton managed to push onto the crossbar.
After the break, Felix had a header cleared off the line by Wes Burns, while Madueke was denied by Walton.
However, reminiscent of the first half, Ipswich stunned Chelsea with yet another early goal.
An errant pass from Axel Disasi gifted possession to Delap, who set up Hutchinson, and he skillfully navigated between two defenders to fire a shot past Jorgensen.
Only then did Maresca decide to introduce Jackson, but Ipswich was now riding high on momentum, with Delap threatening to add a third.
In the closing minutes, Davis instigated a physical clash with substitute Malo Gusto.
Chelsea’s wealth-laden players had evidently been outmatched.
