Chelsea 2-2 Ipswich: Blues frustrated again despite brilliant Jadon Sancho strike | OneFootball

Ipswich have taken four points off Chelsea this season

Chelsea, who were beaten by Ipswich at Portman Road earlier in the Premier League season, were booed off at half-time, but made a perfect start to the second period.

Jadon Sancho got Chelsea level with a superb curling finish heading into the final ten minutes, but the hosts could not find another one to complete the comeback.

It means Enzo Maresca’s side are no longer in control of the battle to finish in the top five. They trail Manchester City by a point, while Newcastle have games in hand and the chance to go above the Blues.

Nicolas Jackson struck a post in the eighth minute after being set up by Enzo Fernandez's cut-back, then Madueke brought a near-post save from Alex Palmer following Pedro Neto's neat, deep cross.

Ipswich's goalkeeper was alert to fling himself and get two hands on Levi Colwill's close-range header as Chelsea piled on huge early pressure and the visitors struggled to draw breath.

And so it was from nowhere that Ipswich went in front. Enciso had scored a stunning 30-yard effort on this ground for Brighton in April 2023 and, though this was a less spectacular finish, it lacked none of the impact.

George Hirst carried the ball forward and moved it wide for Johnson, whose low cross from the right was highly inviting, leaving Enciso simply to put out a foot and guide it past Robert Sanchez.

There was then the highly unusual sight of Sanchez shooing his defenders upfield at a goal-kick, bypassing Maresca's preferred build-up play.

Sanchez hoofed it long and the ball came straight back at Chelsea, Jack Clarke driving on and finding Enciso, who crossed to the far post where Johnson was waiting to nod home.

The flag immediately went up against Enciso, but the new semi-automated offside system intervened and Ipswich were two up.

The boos that greeted Chelsea as they left the pitch at half-time were the biggest noise the home fans had mustered to that point, yet it was eclipsed 18 seconds into the second half when their team began their fightback.

Straight from kick-off Fernandez moved the ball wide on the right to Madueke, who ran it to the byline and pulled back for Cucurella arriving at the near post to shovel it against Tuanzebe and in.

Hirst then came within whisker of restoring the two-goal lead with a brilliant, swinging drive that flashed inches wide before moments later failing to make proper contact with a header when unmarked six yards out.

Sancho levelled 12 minutes from time to rescue Chelsea and his effort could not have landed much more perfectly in the top corner.

Trevoh Chalobah ought to have won it with a late header that he powered down into the ground and over the bar.

Cole Palmer was then denied by a full-stretch save from his namesake in the Ipswich goal in stoppage time.