After the defeat at Craven Cottage, most fans remained optimistic due to Maresca's impressive winning streak. However, it all began to fade when Ipswich Town was awarded a penalty in the 12th minute, followed by a second-half goal from Hutchinson who is no stranger to the Blues, which effectively sealed the game. Chelsea's missed chances made a comeback impossible.
Chelsea's title hopes
Chelsea, right from the squad to the fans had paraded solely for weeks to dismiss any possibility of being part of the title race. Maresca had also taken it further by confirming his stance after CFC’s Boxing Day loss to Fulham. Although a consecutive loss wasn't expected as it is the first under Maresca, the team is now solidly in the top four, with Arsenal potentially expanding the gap if they win their game against Brentford.
"It was a bit of a strange game. We created so many chances in the first half and in the first five or 10 minutes of the second half, we had two clear chances; the header from Joao [Felix] and another shot."Maresca
The gaffer also made it clear that the loss wasn’t to be blamed on the team’s form or any external conditions. Rather it was more on the missed chances as there were enough goals that were slipped away as it kept hitting the post:
"...when you create so many chances, the post, the amount of chances, the VAR; I think we have so many chances in the first half. In the second half, we started in the same way. We have two clear chances and then the second goal kills the game. It is just a matter that sometimes it is not the right day for us."Maresca
Unfortunately for Chelsea, despite many teams including Manchester City slipping up, they have not managed to widen the gap between themselves and the rest of the top four like Liverpool. If the Stamford Bridge side don’t turn things around in the upcoming game against Crystal Palace, it won’t be long before they risk falling back to square one. That'd be Newcastle United overtaking them and renewed struggles to keep pace.
Ipswich Town breaking 'records'
With this win, Ipswich also secured their first home Premier League victory in over two decades. It was also the Tractor Boys' first win against the Blues since 1993. While it hasn't yet lifted the promoted team out of the relegation zone, it certainly brought them closer to the edge. They now trail Wolverhampton Wanderers by only a single point.
"A special night for the club, for the players and fans. Our first home win in the Premier League at Portman Road for 22 years, and to do it against Chelsea was fantastic."Kieran McKenna