'Strange': Enzo Maresca gives verdict on Chelsea's defeat to Ipswich and the penalty decision
Chelsea’s final game of 2024 ended in huge disappointment yesterday, losing 2-0 away to Ipswich Town.
The Blues suffered a shock defeat in the Premier League as they massively struggled on their visit to Portman Road on Monday night.
Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson both scored for hosts Ipswich to earn them a valuable three points in their fight against relegation. As for Chelsea, they’re now fourth in the league table and have hit a mini slump in form.
Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella reacted to the Ipswich result by explaining that the team lost their way and started to rush things on the football pitch.
Enzo Maresca reacts to Chelsea defeat and penalty decision
Enzo Maresca, the Chelsea manager, described the Ipswich defeat as “strange” after his side blew many chances in front of goal.
A big talking point was the first-half penalty that Ipswich striker Delap won and scored. However, the replays suggested there was very little contact with him and Blues goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen. Maresca described the award of the penalty as “soft”, too.
“Strange game in terms of creating many chances and we could’ve scored many but they saved goals on the line or great saves from the keeper. We could do many things better, defend better in some moments,” Maresca told BBC Sport (10:30pm, 30 December).
“They said it’s a bit soft but we have to accept it’s a penalty.
“We made four changes from the last game because they all deserve to play. Now we’ve finished the first part of the season, no one expected us to be where we are. We are in a good position but we can do many things better. It’s a long race.”
Chelsea fans fumed about the Ipswich penalty in yesterday’s game by insisting that it was never a spot-kick. The Blues haven’t had too much luck with VAR decisions in recent times, though.
It’s now only one point collected from the last three league matches, so Maresca’s side really need a reaction this weekend when they travel to Crystal Palace for their first game of 2025.
Where does defeat leave Chelsea?
Chelsea are now at that exact midway point in their league season, so it’s a good time to look where they are in the division standings.
As seen below, the Blues have been sucked into a top-four battle. The talk a few weeks ago about a potential title race always felt a bit premature, and that is now a very distant memory.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LiverpoolLiverpool |
18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 45 | 17 | 28 | 45 |
| 2 |  Nottm ForestNottingham Forest |
19 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 26 | 19 | 7 | 37 |
| 3 |  ArsenalArsenal |
18 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 35 | 16 | 19 | 36 |
| 4 |  ChelseaChelsea |
19 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 38 | 23 | 15 | 35 |
| 5 |  NewcastleNewcastle |
19 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 32 | 21 | 11 | 32 |
| 6 |  Man CityManchester City |
19 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 32 | 26 | 6 | 31 |
Alan Shearer still backs Chelsea for a top-four finish, plus he expects them to win the Conference League.
Maresca’s side can’t afford to let this poor run extend into 2025, or they threaten to undo all the good work they’ve done in the first half of the season.
from Latest Chelsea News and Updates - The Chelsea Chronicle https://ift.tt/mFOu0Pz
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