Chelsea’s pursuit of a Champions League place suffered a setback after they were held to a 2-2 draw by relegation-threatened Ipswich Town, though they did manage to recover from a two-goal deficit to salvage a point.
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Enzo Maresca claimed that..Continue Reading
Expecting a comfortable victory against the struggling visitors, Chelsea were surprised when Ipswich took control in the first half, going ahead with goals from Julio Enciso and Ben Johnson.
The Blues responded quickly after halftime, pulling one back through an Axel Tuanzebe own goal, before Jadon Sancho struck late to level the match.
The draw briefly pushes Chelsea into fifth place, but their position in the Champions League qualification zone is at risk if Newcastle manage to beat Manchester United.
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Ipswich’s second goal stemmed from a long clearance by under-pressure keeper Robert Sanchez, who ignored Maresca’s instructions to play out from the back.
Maresca stood by his goalkeeper, suggesting that the tense atmosphere and boos from the home crowd may have influenced Sanchez’s decision, leading to the costly error.
‘I think we started quite well, creating chances. Then when they scored the first goal, the game completely changed,’ Maresca said in his post-match press conference.
‘The dynamic of the game, I think for 20-25 minutes until the first half, we were not good enough, especially defensively, because the two goals we conceded were from our mistake.
‘I think we lost a little bit of confidence, because we conceded, probably because of the environment. This is the moment that you have to continue doing the right things and don’t change the plan.
‘Also because we are a team that most of the time, our goal kick will start from playing short.
‘The second goal, we decide to play long, because the environment is there, and we concede the second one. You have to be strong, you have to continue with the things that you are doing.
‘But I can understand, because probably we conceded the goal, and they decided to play a long ball. But sometimes, I said many times, sometimes you go long, it doesn’t mean that you are going to control something. The second goal we conceded is for that.’
Amid a tough run of form, Chelsea fans have upped their scrutiny of Maresca and his players, especially Sanchez who has struggled since joining from Brighton in 2023.
‘In terms of fans, I said many times, we are stronger with our fans, we are a better team,’ when asked about the jeers.
‘It’s up to them to decide the way. For sure today, probably, with the 0-1, 0-2, it’s normal to be the way they were.
‘I didn’t say that the environment is an issue for us, because I always said that with our fans, with us, we are a better team. They have been there all season, all the way.
‘For sure today, in the moment that we are in a difficult moment, you can expect them that they are not happy, but in the same moment, probably it’s the moment that we need the players, especially the players that are inside the pitch, it’s the moment that they probably need more support.’
