AFTER months brimming with persistent hope, Chelsea find themselves back in the territory of ‘billionaire bottle jobs’.

This sharp remark was aimed at Mauricio Pochettino’s underperforming squad by Gary Neville during the previous season.

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Enzo Maresca appears to have dismissed all past criticisms, despite the garbage collectors potentially arriving this week.

Nonetheless, Chelsea’s lavish team was outclassed by an Ipswich side that had not savored a victory at home all season.

Maresca was spot on about one point—Chelsea was never a title contender.

With only one point gained from nine during the festive period, they now find themselves ten points behind Liverpool, having played an extra match.

If this trajectory continues, the Scousers will be celebrating come Easter.

However, Maresca has been wrong about several other elements recently, including his team selections for this match—dropping Nicolas Jackson and Jadon Sancho among five alterations, resulting in a second consecutive loss.

From his prior Championship title-winning campaign with Ipswich as manager of Leicester, he should have realized that lightweight players like Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku may struggle against a physical opponent. Indeed, they were exposed.

Chelsea’s owners also appeared foolish, particularly when faced with the identity of Ipswich’s second goalscorer, Omari Hutchinson, a promising local player they offloaded for what they dubbed ‘pure profit’ under the Profit and Sustainability regulations.

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The £20m transfer fee Chelsea received from Ipswich for the winger last summer may not appear so ‘pure’ following this match.

Aside from the exceptional Cole Palmer—who hit the post twice and provided a brilliant assist for a disallowed goal by Felix—Chelsea’s performance was quite ordinary.

Enzo Maresca gives a short reply when asked about Noni Madueke’s absence

Ipswich, who took the lead through an early penalty by Liam Delap, are now just a point away from safety after finally winning at Portman Road.

In their last encounter on Boxing Day, the Blues appeared to be outmatched even in their own territory, as Fulham triumphed at Stamford Bridge.

This unexpected defeat led to widespread changes, including the substitution of Robert Sanchez with Filip Jorgensen as goalkeeper.

This marked Chelsea’s first visit to Portman Road in 25 years, predating Roman Abramovich’s ownership.

While the excitement of hosting elite Premier League teams had started to fade for Ipswich fans, McKenna’s squad sensed early on that Chelsea was vulnerable.

Hutchinson posed the initial threat, speeding down the right and crossing for Nathan Broadhead, whose shot was blocked near the goal line by Tosin Adarabioyo.

Then came the turning point, catching Jorgensen off guard.

Leif Davis delivered a through-ball that puzzled Moises Caicedo, resulting in the Chelsea keeper rushing off his line and clipping Delap’s trailing leg.

Referee John Brooks pointed to the spot, with no clear evidence to overturn the decision. Delap coolly converted the penalty.

Delap nearly scored again shortly after, with Jorgensen parrying a powerful shot after Marc Cucurella’s clearance was intercepted by Hutchinson.

Chelsea ratings vs Ipswich as Blues defenders falter and only ONE star shines

CHELSEA faced back-to-back defeats, succumbing to a miserable 2-0 loss against Ipswich.

Enzo Maresca’s team entered the match hoping to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat to Fulham on Boxing Day.

However, their title aspirations took a significant blow after goals from Liam Delap and former player Omari Hutchinson.

On a forgettable night for the Blues, SunSport’s Jordan Davies rates and analyzes each player’s performance.

FILIP JORGENSEN – 6

His first action was a careless trailing leg that fouled Delap, conceding a needless penalty.

He later made a few solid stops to avert further damage, but that initial mistake proved costly.

AXEL DISASI – 4

Did little until a quality pass early in the second half found Madueke.

However, that was quickly overshadowed by poor defending that led to the second goal, first by a misplaced pass to Delap and then allowing Hutchinson a straightforward shot.

TOSIN ADARABIOYO – 5

Had trouble managing Delap physically and in terms of pace. Seemed hesitant to engage him and looked sluggish for 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 permitted Delap a second goal with a shaky clearance off Hutchinson and was frequently caught off guard during Ipswich’s counter-attacks.

Struggled in offensive phases.

ENZO FERNANDEZ – 6

Displayed a mixed performance, finding good spaces at times but was outmuscled on several occasions.

MOISES CAICEDO – 6

Missed a golden opportunity by shooting wide from the edge of the box.

At times, he managed to control the game effectively from a deeper role.

NONI MADUEKE – 7

Had a crucial role in Chelsea’s better moments, aggressively going at defenders and was unfortunate not to score in the first half.

Showed excellent chemistry with Palmer and Enzo.

COLE PALMER – 8

A joy to watch. His expertly disguised free-kick hit the post, and his cross for Joao Felix was sublime, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.

Later, a curling shot was superbly saved; he was the standout performer on the pitch.

JOAO FELIX – 6

Perhaps rated harshly; he should have remained onside before tapping in Palmer’s brilliant cross.

Had a header cleared off the line early in the second half.

CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU – 5

Had an inconspicuous first half followed by similar performances in the second, leading to his substitution not long after the hour mark.

He seems to have wasted a significant opportunity given to him by Maresca.

SUBSTITUTES

NICOLAS JACKSON (for Felix, 55) – 6

Missed a glaring one-on-one chance but was saved by a delayed offside call.

JADON SANCHO – (for Nkunku, 65) – 6

Contributed little, as the game was largely settled by the time he entered.

MALO GUSTO (for Disasi, 77) – 6

Came on simply to replace Disasi—made a late impression with a physical confrontation with Davis.

PEDRO NETO (for Madueke, 77) – 5

Added some urgency but let himself down by exaggerating a challenge from Kalvin Phillips.

The self-assurance that once flowed through Maresca’s squad a mere two weeks ago seems to have evaporated.

Yet, Chelsea had Cole Palmer, who is never short of confidence and is on a path that could lead to him claiming the Ballon d’Or one day.

When Nkunku earned a free-kick outside the box, Chelsea’s star player curled a shot that struck the post—Nkunku’s follow-up went straight at Walton.

Then Palmer, armed with an unmatched sense of creativity, delivered a jaw-dropping cross with the outside of his boot, setting up Felix, who found the net but was deemed offside after a lengthy VAR check.

Chelsea resorted to playing the ball around incessantly yet found themselves panicking in the final third.

Cucurella shot wide and Caicedo blasted a chance over—they needed a composed finish from their best player.

On an Ipswich counter, Delap connected with a shot that Jorgensen was forced to tip wide.

However, Palmer was back in action again. Seizing upon a misplaced pass from Enzo Fernandez, Palmer took on his defender, Jens Cajuste, and curled a beautifully executed shot that Walton deflected onto the crossbar.

After the break, Felix had a header cleared off the line by Wes Burns, and Madueke was stopped by Walton.

But, akin to the first half, Ipswich startled Chelsea with another early goal.

A wayward pass from Axel Disasi handed possession to Delap, who then set up Hutchinson, and he skillfully weaved through two defenders to drill a shot past Jorgensen.

Only then did Maresca opt to substitute Jackson, but Ipswich was now riding a wave of enthusiasm, with Delap threatening a third goal.

In the game’s closing minutes, Davis sparked a physical altercation with substitute Malo Gusto.

Chelsea’s affluent players had clearly been outmatched.