Maresca calls for Chelsea reaction at Ipswich after recent blip

Enzo Maresca admits it is important his Chelsea players show a response against Ipswich Town after their recent blip.

The Blues followed up a frustrating goalless draw at lowly Everton with a late 2-1 home loss to west London rivals Fulham last time out.

Chelsea do not have to wait long to get that defeat out of their system as they travel to relegation battlers Ipswich Town on Monday.

Speaking ahead of the Premier League trip to Portman Road, Maresca said: "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."

Maresca has not been afraid to chop and change his team this season and intends to do so again against Ipswich.

"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."

Chelsea have slipped one place to Arsenal in third, now seven points behind leaders Liverpool having played a game more.

Opponents Ipswich have lost five of their past six league matches, meanwhile, most recently going down 1-0 away to Arsenal.

Town proved stubborn opponents against Arsenal and head coach Kieran McKenna is hoping to take some positives into the Chelsea game.

"It was a good step back in the right direction for us," he told Amazon Prime after the Arsenal game.

"It was important that we ended the game solidly and we feel we can be compact. We'll take confidence from that. 

"I think this is something to take confidence from. Some of our defending was good and we'll need that on Monday against Chelsea."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Ipswich - Liam Delap

McKenna's side have gone back-to-back games without scoring, with Delap registering just one shot in total across his 164 minutes on the field in those two games combined.

Delap has double the number of goals (six) than any other Ipswich player since returning to the Premier League, but his six-game wait to find the back of the net will be a concern for McKenna.

Chelsea - Cole Palmer

Palmer put Chelsea ahead in their loss to Fulham to make it 26 Premier League goals for 2024 – the most of any Chelsea player in a single calendar year in the competition's history.

If that was not daunting enough for Ipswich, Palmer has 11 goal involvements in his past seven league games against promoted sides, averaging a goal or assist every 54 minutes.

MATCH PREDICTION: CHELSEA WIN

Ipswich have won just one of their past 14 league games against Chelsea and are winless in seven in this fixture in a run stretching back to August 1993.

However, given the large number of draws at Portman Road down the years, Chelsea have played more Premier League away games at this venue without ever winning (five) than they have at any other.

Chelsea have lost just one of their past 12 Premier League away games, though, and have scored in all but one of those matches, the exception being against Everton last time out on their travels.

Ipswich, meanwhile, are winless in all nine top-flight games at home this season, losing five of those and drawing the other four. Only four teams have failed to win any of their first 10 home matches in a Premier League campaign.

Chelsea are also unbeaten on all five occasions when they have faced a promoted side in their final Premier League game of a calendar year (W4 D1), though the only time they failed to win was a 2-2 draw at Ipswich in 2000.