Date: Monday 30th
December 2024
Venue: Portman Road
Kick-off: 19:45 GMT
After a tough draw against
Everton, we followed that up with defeat at home to Fulham on Boxing Day, the
same club we hadn’t lost at home to for 45 years. Still, it seems our manager’s
repeated mantra about us absolutely, definitely, 100% NOT being in a title race
finally sank in, because we played like a side who truly believed they weren’t
good enough. So, will they bounce back or is this where we freefall?
Well, we will see our response to
our first defeat in the Premier League since 20th October, when we face Ipswich
at Portman Road tonight. We slipped to 3rd in the table after our loss and the
weekend’s games have seen us drop into 4th, now 10 points behind the league
leaders.
Ipswich meanwhile, come into
tonights game in the bottom three, with 12 points from 18 games and having lost
five of their last six games.
Whilst Ipswich are yet to win at home this season, Chelsea have played more Premier League away games at Portman Road without winning than they have against any other opponent, although four of our five games there have been drawn. So that may be the sort of stat we would rather not know about going into this one.
.
MANAGER’S VIEWS
Going into tonight’s game, Ipswich
manager Kieran McKenna, says “Enzo’s done a really good job coaching
[Chelsea] and getting them into the structure that he likes and turning them
into a good team. I have to say, to be fair, the second half of
last season, Mauricio had really
good results there as well and you could see the talent that was there, you
could see the talent was coming through, and they had really good results in
the second half of last season. But I think Enzo’s taken that on to another
level this year and he seems to have settled in very well.
We know they’re a top side having
a very good season but it’s the challenges that we want. The last home game of
2024, let’s go and give it everything we’ve got.”
Enzo Maresca, meanwhile, says “We
never thought we would win every game. We lost on 18 August, and then after two
months, and then after two months. But we know the reality is not just to
lose one game every two months. It’s a matter of how we react and try to go
again.
We will see if we make one change
or two changes or three changes, but for sure we are going to change something.
After a game you need to go again, no matter the result. Especially this
month.”
SQUAD NEWS
For Ipswich, George Hirst, Chiedozie Ogbene and Axel
Tuanzebe are injured, Massimo Luongo
(illness) is also expected to miss out but Captain Sam Morsy is available again
after suspension.
For Chelsea, Reece James, Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile are expected to remain out. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is a doubt with a knock, whilst Romeo Lavia is 50/50 and Mykhaylo Mudryk is unavailable. It remains to be seen whether Noni Madueke and Renato Veiga are selected or whether the manager extends his “technical decision” to leave us without options on the bench again this week.
TEAMS
IPSWICH (Possible line-up): Muric;
O’Shea, Greaves, Burgess, Davis; Morsy, Cajuste; Chaplin, Hutchinson, Szmodics;
Delap
CHELSEA (Possible line-up):
Sanchez; Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella; Enzo, Caicedo; Madueke, Palmer, Joao
Felix; Nkunku
LAST SEASON
N/A
CURRENT FORM (PL)
Ipswich: LLLWLL
Chelsea: WWWWDL
OTHER STUFF
- Ipswich’s only win in their last 19 games against Chelsea
in all competitions was at home in the Premier League in August 1993.
- The most recent meeting was an FA Cup third-round tie at
Stamford Bridge in January 2011.
- There has not been an away win in any of the 10 Premier
League meetings, with five home victories and five draws.
- Chelsea’s last league away win against the Ipswich was in
the second tier in March 1989.
- Ipswich could become only the fifth side to fail to win
any of their first 10 Premier League home games in a season.
- The Tractor Boy’s most recent home win in the Premier
League was in April 2002.
- Ipswich have not lost their final league fixture of a
calendar year since 2019.
- Chelsea are unbeaten in their final league game in each of
the past 12 years.
- Chelsea’s 20 away points this season is a joint
league-high with Liverpool.
- Chelsea’s only defeats in their last 18 league away games
came at Anfield (twice) and the Emirates.
PREDICTION
Sportsmole: Ipswich 0-3 Chelsea
