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)
Chelsea 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-toﷺ-back Premier League games for the first time since February, losing fuܫrther ground on runaway leaders Liverpool.
A 10-point gap now separates Arne Slot's side, who have a game in hand, and fourth-placedꦗ𒅌 Chelsea – but Maresca insists his team are taking things one game at a time.
"We focus game by game. We are not focused on title raꦜce or those things," the Chelsea boss told BBC Sport.
"We made four changes from the last game because they all deserve to ꦇplay. Now we've finished the first part of the season, no one expected us to be wher💯e we are.
"We are in a good position 🔯but we can do many things better. It's a long race."
Joao Felix saw what would have been a first-half equaliser ruled out for offside by the VAR, while Cole Palmer twice struck the woodwork in the o🤪pening half.
Chelsea amassed 20 shots on Christian Walton's goa🙈l in total, their most attempts without scoring in a Premier League away game since December 2017 (25 against Everton).
Maresca refused to blame his a💞ttacking plꦦayers for their slip-up, however.
"We had chances with Joao and Noni [Madeuek] so it's not about the striker," the Italian added. "Som🌟etimes you create chances and it doesn't go for you.
"It was a strange game in terms of cr🔯eating many chances and we could've scored many but they🐟 saved goals on the line or had great saves from the goalkeeper.
&🔯quot;ꦓWe could 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 t🃏he 21-year-old.
Delap both scored and assisted in a Premier League for the second time this term, becoming the second Ipswich pl⛦ayer 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 fullꦬ of praise for his team-mate after a driving run created the space for Ipswich's second goal.
"He's a unit," Hutchinson꧋ said. "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-fliꩵght 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 as he asked for mo🌌re of the same from his fellow Ipswich charges.
"We need t🔜o 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 well but not got the results so we𓂃 just have to st💙art racking up some wins."
