Chelsea took their determination to prove they are not in a title race to a new level with an impact on Monday Defeat Ipswich Town 2-0.
The Blues were never seen again after Liam Delap scored a controversial penalty in the first half, and things went from bad to worse when ex-Chelsea winger Omari Hutchinson scored a second to give the team a ‘Enzo Maresca a second consecutive defeat.
How the game developed
Ipswich started bravely and were rewarded for their confidence ten minutes into the game. Striker Filip Jorgensen was adjudged to have caught Delap as he went for the ball and was awarded a penalty, and the forward made no mistake from 12 yards.
Jorgensen did well to deny Delap soon after, before Cole Palmer almost leveled matters with a smart free-kick. The Chelsea talisman saw his effort crash against the post, with Christopher Nkunku unable to convert the rebound, instead sending his effort straight at the grateful Christian Walton.
Chelsea thought they had equalized in the 24th minute when Felix got to the back post to tap in Palmer’s cross, but a two-minute VAR check eventually spotted the Portugal international beyond the last defender
Marc Cucurella crashed wide and Moises Caicedo fired over as Chelsea began to take control of proceedings, and with the clock ticking down into first-half stoppage time, Palmer pulled off an acrobatic save from Walton that felt relieved to see his team ahead at the break.
The second half started the same way. Chelsea went ahead immediately and Felix saw Wes Burns clear a header off the line.
A woeful pass from Axel Disasi gifted former Blue Hutchinson the chance to double their lead against the run of play. The Frenchman sent Delap on a run and a clever pass to Hutchinson was followed by a delicious strike into the bottom corner.
Nicolas Jackson’s blushes were spared when a late offside flag excused his one-on-one foul. It was one of the few instances where Chelsea got a clear sight of goal, with Ipswich happy to defend and frustrate the visitors to secure the three points.
2-0 is a scoreline that definitely flattered Ipswich, but the home side certainly had the better chances of the game and were good value for the three points.
For Chelsea, this was another example of their inability to break down a stubborn defence. Everton held firm to frustrate the Blues, Fulham did the same and Ipswich were clearly watching as they perfected their defensive strategy en route to victory.
Chelsea need to find more sources of creativity. They have been stagnant and empty in midfield, where Cole Palmer has struggled to command the influence he boasted earlier in the season. Maresca needs to change something to reactivate this side.
In his two years at Chelsea, Hutchinson had a total of 49 minutes before the Blues opted to part ways with the attacking midfielder for good last summer.
Hutchinson wanted first-team football when his loan spell with Ipswich ended last season. Kieran McKenna pledged to give him what he wanted this season, and the rewards were clear here.
In games like this, the big names on the smaller teams often don’t get many moments to stand out. Hutchinson may have only had one, but with a deliciously effervescent effort he made sure to grab it with both hands.
From the first second, Liam Delap set out to make an impact. He went toe-to-toe with Tosin Adarabioyo and was more than happy to use his body to cause trouble.
While it might have been a soft penalty, there was no doubt about the finish. Delap’s strike was devastatingly accurate, crashing into the bottom corner despite Jorgensen guessing where it was going.
Enzo Maresca did not hide his gratitude for Delap before the game, and his impression of the Leicester forward will only have grown here as the young striker ran and ran and ran, bullying the Chelsea defenders and doing his best to inspire a famous victory.
Maresca shuffled his starting line-up here, bringing Jorgensen, Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku into his usual Premier League group.
It was a nightmare start for Jorgensen after being awarded a penalty, but there’s no denying it was smooth. He did his best to atone and even pulled off a number of smart saves to try and redeem himself.
Felix got on but struggled to break down the stubborn Ipswich defence, which was more than could be said for Nkunku. The backup was barely involved in proceedings and definitely hasn’t done his chances of replacing Nicolas Jackson any favors.
Chelsea’s bench had three right-backs. Reece James returned from injury and sat alongside Malo Gusto and youngster Josh Acheampong, while centre-back Axel Disasi was surprisingly given the nod to the right by the Maresca defence.
On several occasions this season, Disasi’s underwhelming performances have attracted criticism from fans, and his poor pass that invited Liam Delap into the striker for the second goal did him no favours.
It’s been a while since Chelsea looked stable at right-back. Maresca is desperately hoping that James finally shakes off these injury problems and establishes himself as a reliable starter.
