Enzo Maresca Not Thinking About Title Race As Chelsea Slump To Ipswich Loss

Enzo Maresca reiterated his view that Chelsea are not involved in the title race, as those hopes took a massive blow with Monday's loss to struggling Ipswich Town.  (Schedule & Results | Points Table)

Chelseaꦗ were punished for a profligate showing as Kieran McKenna's side scored in either half through Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson to secure a 2-0 win at Portman Road.

The defeat saw Chelsea lose back-to-back Premier League games for the first tim🦩e since February, losing further ground on runaway leaders Liverpool.

A 10-point gap now separates Arne Slot's side, who have a game in hand, and fourth-placed Chelsea&n🐠bsp;– but Maresca insists his team are taking things one game at a time.

"We focus game by 𝔍game. We are not focused on title race or those things," the Chelsea boss told BBC Spor😼t.

"We made four changes from the last game because they all deserve to play. Now we've finꦬished the first part of the season, no one expected us to be whe🐭re we are.

"We are in a good position but we can do many things better. It's a long rac൲e."

Joao Felix saw what would have been a first-half equaliser ruled out for offside by the VAR, while Cole Palmer twic꧅e struck the woodwork in the opening half.

Chelsea amassed 20 shots on Christian Walton's goal in total, their most attempts without scoring in a Premier League aw﷽ay game since D⛄ecember 2017 (25 against Everton).

Maresca refused to blame his attacking players for t🎐heir sli🔯p-up, however.

"We had chances with Joao💎 and Noni [Madeuek] so it's not about the striker," the Italian added. "Sometimes you create chances and it doesn't go for you.

"It was a strange game in terms of creating many chances and we could've scored man▨y but thꦑey saved goals on the line or had great saves from the goalkeeper.

"We co⛦uld do many things better, defend better in some moments."

Chelsea were unable to deal with Delap, whose four shots on target, five ♔attempts on goal and three fouls won were all game-leading figures in an imperious showing by the 21-year-old.

Delap both scored and assisted in a Premier League for the second ti⛄me this term, becoming the second Ipswic♏h player to do so more than once in a single season after Finidi George in 2001-02 (also twice).

Hutchinson, who came back to haunt his former employers with a well-taken finish, was full of praise for his team-mate after a driving r⛦un created the space for Ipswich's second goal.

"He's a unit," Hutchinson said. &qu൲ot;Complete package but he's still finding himself and still learning and trying to become a top player so he's a good striker to play with."

As for a first top-flight win over Chelsea 🃏since 1993, the Ipswich winger added💯: "It's good to write history and finally get the first win at home.

"I'm grateful for what Chelsea did in my career, gave me my debut, but I'm playing for Ipswich now and I want to score and help🍃 my team get three points and help us stay up."

The message from star man Delap was simple a💎s he asked for more of the same from his꧙ fellow Ipswich charges.

"We need to show the grit and determination to win 🌟three points and everyone💃 did that," he said on Sky Sports.

"🎀It doesn't change much. We've performed wel🌃l but not got the results so we just have to start racking up some wins."