Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea LIVE RESULT: Lacklustre Blues hand Tractor Boys first home Premier League win of season – reaction
IPSWICH have beaten Chelsea 2-0 to claim their first Premier League win of the season at Portman Road.
The Tractor Boys took a shock lead through Liam Delap's 12th-minute penalty.
Right after half-time, former Chelsea youngster Omari Hutchinson fired Ipswich into a 2-0 lead.
The hosts held firm, despite late pressure from the Blues, to claim a well-deserved three points.
- Match result: Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
- Ipswich team: Walton, Burns, O'Shea, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis, Morsy, Cajuste, Hutchinson, Broadhead, Delap
- Chelsea team: Jorgensen, Disasi, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Madueke, Palmer, Joao Felix, Nkunku
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That's all from Portman Road
And that's all from the Premier League for 2024.
It's been a mixed year for Chelsea, and it's ended on a sour note with defeat at a struggling but spirited Ipswich.
But the Blues will be aiming to roar right back in 2025, and we'll be there with them when they football restarts in January.
Until, thanks for joining us and a happy new year!
Extra! Read all about it!
Before we call it a night, it's time to relive a memorable night at Portman Road by enjoying David Kidd's match report of Chelsea's 2-0 defeat at Ipswich Town.
Here, Chelsea’s lavishly-assembled team were made to look foolish by an Ipswich side who hadn’t won at home all season. And Maresca was right about one thing - Chelsea were never in a title race. After taking just one point out of nine over the festive period, they are now ten points adrift of Liverpool having played a game more.
David KiddNext up for the Blues
Chelsea will hope to right their run of form when 2025 arrives, and first up for the Blues is a London derby at Selhurst Park.
After an FA Cup tie with League Two Morecambe, Enzo Maresca's side return to league action at Stamford Bridge against high-flying Bournemouth.
Further home games with Wolves and West Ham await, sandwiching a trip to faltering champions Manchester City.
Maresca calls for improvement
Just as he played down talk of a title challenge, Enzo Maresca was quick to quash the suggestion that Chelsea are going through a minor crisis.
Instead, the Italian insists that a difficult period like the Blues are currently experiencing was inevitable, and shows just how much his squad still have to do in order to truly compete at the top.
And while Maresca believes the club can be proud of where they're at as they enter 2025, he has called for an improvement in performance when they head to Crystal Palace on January 4th.
I expected this kind of moment in the season. It’s almost impossible to have a season when you don’t have a moment like this. No one expected us to be in this position where we are. It shows we are moving in the right direction, but we are also far from the best teams in England. We have to be satisfied with where we are but we also have to do many things better.
Enzo Maresca
Misfiring Blues blank again
After bagging 16 goals in five successive wins, Chelsea's forwards appear to have forgotten where the net is.
The Blues have scored just once in their three games since.
Their 20 shots against Ipswich this evening is the club's most attempts without scoring in a Premier League away game since a 0-0 draw at Everton in December 2017 (25 shots).
Devastating Delap destroys Chelsea defence
Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap put in a sensational match-winning performance this evening, one that will undoubtedly have had clubs all over Europe taking notice.
The 21-year-old not only won and scored his first half penalty, but then brilliantly teed-up Omari Hutchinson's goal after the break.
Delap was a tireless runner and outlet for his team throughout, and his performance saw him score and assist in the same game for the second time this season.
He is only the second ever Ipswich player to do so more than once in a single campaign, following in Finidi George's footsteps from back in 2001-02.
Portman problems remain for Blues
Ipswich finally land their first home win since returning to the Premier League - but perhaps we should have seen it coming.
After all, the Tractor Boys have never lost to Chelsea here since the top-flight was rebranded in 1992.
In six Premier League meetings at Portman Road, four have been drawn with Ipswich's last win before this evening coming in August 1993.
Match stats from Portman Road
Twenty shots at goal, 722 passes and 76% possession, but still Chelsea couldn't find a way through the Ipswich rearguard.
It means the Blues have failed to score in consecutive Premier League away games in a single season for the first time since a run of three under Maurizio Sarri in February 2019.
Going fourth into new year
Preparing themselves for a two-horse title race just a fortnight ago, Chelsea will begin 2025 in fourth place behind leaders Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Arsenal.
And after results elsewhere, the Blues also have in-form Newcastle breathing down their necks.
- Aston Villa 2-2 Brighton
- Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
- Man Utd 0-2 Newcastle
Credit: premierleague.com
Full time - Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
Portman Road erupts as John Brooks blow his whistle, and Ipswich have their first Premier League home win for 22 years.
Kieran McKenna's Tractor Boys are full value for their victory too. They soaked up pressure superbly when necessary, and then bullied Chelsea on the counter-attack thanks in main to the immense Liam Delap.
Delap won and scored a penalty in the first half, and then set up former Chelsea youngster Omari Hutchinson to score in the second.
It means that Ipswich will begin 2025 with renewed hope in their battle against relegation, but for Chelsea, their title challenge may already be over before it began.
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
90+5. It's going off again in the middle, and Chelsea are once again cementing their reputation for being bad losers.
At their best this season, they have been a scintillating side of attacking flair.
At their worst - like this evening - they have been a disgrace.
On this occasion, Enzo Fernandez steps out of line and is the latest to receive a yellow card.
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
90+3. Another Chelsea shot goes awry, and now it's time for Ipswich's two goalscorers to receive a heroic reception as they take their leave.
Omari Hutchinson is withdrawn for Jack Taylor, and then the magnificent Liam Delap makes way for Ali Al-Hamadi.
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
90. Cole Palmer takes a dive by the corner flag and gets nothing for his troubles other than some choice words from the Ipswich defence and barracking from the home support.
The visitors have five more minutes of stoppage time to get through before they can draw a line under a shambolic evening.
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
88. The Chelsea players are losing their heads here somewhat.
Now Colwill picks up a booking for his reaction to not getting a free-kick after an aerial challenge with Delap.
He didn't deserve one, and if anything had a sly kick out at his opponent.
And his reaction to being booked isn't the best either with his mouth giving it plenty in the direction of both the Ipswich bench and the match officials.
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
87. It's another flashpoint!
Malo Gusto and Leif Davis are going at it after the Ipswich left-back refused to give the ball back after being pushed over by his opponent.
I'm not sure why he had to, to be honest, it was certainly his free-kick.
After some grappling, pushing and shoving, the referee issues yellow cards to both players.
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
85. Chelsea are up to 678 passes for the evening. It's their most in a Premier League game this season.
Unfortunately, it has got them precisely nowhere.
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
83. Cole Palmer drifts a hopeless cross behind for a goal-kick as ironic cheers ring out from the home fans.
You know things are bad when ever Chelsea's star performer is getting it wrong.
From Jordan Davies at Portman Road
Some Chelsea fans have already started heading for the exits and the train back to London. They have seen enough.
It is probably the right call. Chelsea do not even look close to getting back into this one.
(You have to stay though, Jordan).
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
80. There's some more nonsense involving Cucurella, who has gone down off the ball after a coming together with Morsy.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are complaining about a Phillips challenge on Neto.
In truth, there is nothing in either incident, and all it serves is to break the game up much to the home side's delight.
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
78. Two changes apiece as the clock moves towards the 78-minute mark.
Kieran McKenna brings on the fresh legs of Kalvin Phillips and Sammy Szmodics for Jens Cajuste and Nathan Broadhead, while Enzo Maresca sees if Pedro Neto or Malo Gusto can change his team's fortunes.
Noni Madueke and Axel Disasi make way.
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
76. The flag stays down as Nicolas Jackson races through on goal!
The Chelsea substitute sidefoots wide and the flag goes up!
A whole evening summed up in one act for the Blues.
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
74. Liam Delap is at it again!
When his team need it most, the Ipswich striker carries the ball upfield on his own, shrugging off challenge after challenge.
But rather than just alleviating the danger for a short period, h then creates a chance of his own - breaking beyond two defenders and thumping a shot at goal that Jorgensen has to tip over.
This has been a phenomenal performance from the 21-year-old.
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
72. A dangerous inswinging corner from Enzo on the left draws an excellent defending header from Woolfenden.
Chelsea's Argentine gets another go, but once again the Ipswich backline stands firm to clean.
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
70. There are claims for a handball from the Chelsea players as the ball ricochets around the Ipswich penalty area, but these are more in hope that expectation.
Twenty minutes remain and the Londoners are getting desperate.
Ipswich 2-0 Chelsea
68. Ipswich fancy their chances of increasing their lead on the counter!
A Delap knock down ends with the ball falling nicely for Broadhead, who steers a half-volley into the hands of Jorgensen.