Maresca Acknowledges Ipswich Will Provide a Challenging Test for Chelsea

Chelsea have secured victories in their last five Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge, yet manager Enzo Maresca has called for caution ahead of Sunday’s encounter with a struggling Ipswich Town side.

One of the four league triumphs for the promoted Ipswich this season came against Chelsea back in December, with the West London club suffering a surprising 2-0 defeat at Portman Road.

As Chelsea chase Champions League qualification for the upcoming season, Ipswich find themselves battling for survival in the Premier League. Chelsea currently sit fourth with 53 points, while Ipswich languish in 18th place, a daunting 12 points away from safety with just seven matches left to play.

“It will certainly be a challenging match,” Maresca told the media.

“At this juncture, every team we face presents a tough contest. Whether it’s Southampton, Ipswich, or Leicester City, they’re all eager to prove themselves and finish the season on a high note. They despise losing, so it will definitely be difficult.”

“We have seven matches ahead, all highly challenging. The first of these is against Ipswich, and we aim to secure the three points.”

Ipswich forward Liam Delap has been touted for a potential move to Chelsea, as the 22-year-old Englishman has netted 12 goals in the league this season.

While Maresca commended Delap, with whom he previously worked at Manchester City, he expressed satisfaction with Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, who has scored nine goals across 26 appearances for the club.

“It’s not only about his (Delap’s) statistics. His style of play, work ethic, and consistent presence are impressive. However, he’s currently an Ipswich player and an opponent on Sunday because we need to defeat them, though I’ll wish him all the best post-match,” Maresca remarked.

Delap was the one to put Ipswich ahead the last time they faced Chelsea.

“If you observe Ipswich, he performs admirably against all teams, not just us,” Maresca stated. “In our previous encounter, he was particularly effective. We need to handle that better and improve significantly compared to our last game against Ipswich.”

“Comparing Liam to Harry Kane and Erling Haaland might be somewhat premature. However, in terms of style, he fits that mould. He plays the classic number nine role in the box. But we also have a strong nine in Jackson.”