Chelsea’s festive season woes have only deepened, with the team enduring another disappointing defeat during the Boxing Day fixture against Fulham.
A stoppage-time winner from Harry Wilson left Enzo Maresca’s side reeling, extending their winless streak.
The gloom continued into Monday evening when Chelsea succumbed to a 2-0 loss to Ipswich Town.
The defeat not only handed Ipswich their first home win of the season but also highlighted Chelsea’s ongoing struggles.
A particularly bitter twist was the performance of Omari Hutchinson, a former Chelsea academy player who played a starring role for Ipswich.
Hutchinson, who had been pivotal in Ipswich’s promotion last season during his loan spell with 11 goals and six assists in 50 games, rejoined the club permanently in a record £20m transfer.
While his Premier League adaptation has been challenging, his display against Chelsea was nothing short of exceptional.
Hutchinson capped his impressive performance by scoring Ipswich’s second goal.
The moment came when Liam Delap delivered a clever assist, allowing Hutchinson to evade three Chelsea defenders and calmly find the bottom corner of the net.
His stats from the game were equally impressive: he played 89 minutes, registered 35 touches, completed 78% of his passes, created one big chance, and converted his sole shot into a goal.
In stark contrast, Axel Disasi had a night to forget.
Maresca’s decision to deploy him as a makeshift right-back—despite having natural options like Reece James, Malo Gusto, and Josh Acheampong available—proved disastrous.
Disasi’s misplaced pass on the halfway line allowed Ipswich to launch a counterattack, leading directly to Hutchinson’s goal.
He also failed to effectively close Hutchinson down in the penalty area, compounding Chelsea’s defensive frailties.
The Evening Standard awarded him a dismal 2/10 rating, reflecting his struggles.
Despite a high pass accuracy of 94% (66 out of 70 passes completed), Disasi’s seven possession losses, failure to win key duels (3/7), and minimal defensive contributions further emphasized his poor outing.
Fans have since questioned Maresca’s tactics, particularly the decision to field Disasi at right-back instead of more natural players in the position.
This decision, coupled with Chelsea’s lackluster form, has drawn widespread criticism and calls for change.
Chelsea now faces mounting pressure as they prepare for crucial matches against Crystal Palace in the Premier League and Morecambe in the FA Cup.
Without immediate improvements in performances and tactical decisions, Chelsea risks falling further down the table and missing their season’s objectives.
Fans and analysts are demanding drastic changes to halt the club’s downward spiral.
