Follow live coverage as Ipswich Town face Chelsea today in the Premier League. Another top-flight season will be covered in full right here with The Independent, as reigning champions Manchester City look to make it an unprecedented five titles in a row come the end of 2024/25.
The likes of Arsenal and Liverpool will be chasing Pep Guardiola's side, but just as fascinating will be the race for Champions League places, with more teams than ever before having designs on top-four finishes. Chelsea remain big-spending, Manchester United's latest rebuild continues and both Tottenham and Newcastle will expect improvements this year - yet it was Aston Villa who snared fourth last term.
Meanwhile, it's Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town who made it back to the elite after promotion last year and each will have hope they can make it more than a one-year stay. Follow the latest live action from the Premier League below:
Ipswich Town FC 2 - 0 Chelsea FC
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
22:05You would have to concede that pre-match, that a 2-0 home victory was about as unlikely as predictions come, but Kieran McKenna has finally got that home win he and his side have so craved until this point. The Tractor Boys have been unsuccessful in their first nine attempts to win a match at home, but when Liam Delap fired in an early penalty on 12 minutes after earning it himself, they grew in confidence. Chelsea came back with a barrage of chances straight after, but Ipswich stuck to their task and with the power and persistence of Delap, and the lively energy of former Blue Hutchinson, they posed enough of a counter threat to keep Chelsea on their toes. Chelsea - who surprisingly made five changes including topscorer Jackson - could not make their dominance tell, and looked unbalanced witha host of players occupying the ten role desperate to get them back in the game. It wasn't to be as Hutchinson benefitted from some tenacious work again by Delap who robbed Chelsea full-back Disasi on halfway. Disasi had a disaster as he raced back to atone for his error, only to allow Hutchinson just enough room inside the box to hammer in his shot and double the host's lead. The game got very jagged and disjointed in the late stages and Maresca's chrges lost an element of discipline and some ugly scenes were witnessed as the full-time whistle was blown. This was an opportunity lost by Chelsea, they could have gone second in the table, but instead stay fourth. Ipswich, now on 15 points, move ahead of Leicester and within a point of Wolves.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
22:04Yellow Card Samy Sayed Mekway Said Morsy
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:47FULL-TIME: IPSWICH 2 - 0 CHELSEA
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:42That sums up Chelsea this evening. Sancho went on a mazy, 20-yard run down the left wing, he picked out Fernadez who had taken up residence on the edge of the box, but the Argentina international could only balloon his shot well over from 18 yards.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:42Yellow Card Enzo Jeremías Fernández
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:42Substitution Omari Elijah Giraud-Hutchinson Jack Henry Philip Taylor
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:41Substitution Liam Rory Delap Ali Ibrahim Karim Al Hamadi
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:40Five minutes to be added on here at Portman Road.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:36Yellow Card Levi Lemar Samuels Colwill
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:35Yellow Card Malo Arthur Gusto
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:35It has all been very uncoordinated from Chelsea tonight. The team selection was risky, but there is more than enough talent in the squad to have expected a better showing from them. But credit to Ipswich, they have been switched on from the start.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:34Substitution Wesley James Burns Benjamin Anthony Johnson
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:30Yellow Card Liam Rory Delap
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:30Time is running out here for Chelsea who are throwing everything at Ipswich with very little reward.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:27JACKSON WIDE!! A spurned chance there from the substitute who was sent one-on one by Fernandez's excellent threaded pass through the middle. He took the shot quickly with his right foot but it whistled low past the right post.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:25The corner from the Ipswich left is swung in, Colwill half ducks whilst attempting to head away. It bounces wide but he did not seem to know much about the flight of the ball. Maybe he got a shout from his goalkeeper.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:25Substitution Jens-Lys Michel Cajuste Kalvin Mark Phillips
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:24Substitution Chukwunonso Tristan Madueke Pedro Lomba Neto
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:24Substitution Nathan Paul Broadhead Samuel Joseph Szmodics
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:24Substitution Axel Wilson Arthur Disasi Mhakinis Belho Malo Arthur Gusto
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:23SHOT SAVED FROM DELAP!! Delap again showed Caicedo a clean pair of heels down the right as he stopstarted his run and left the midfielder blowing hard as he pursued the former City man. Delap rasped in a long drive from the right side that Jorgensen could only parry away for a corner owing to the pace on the shot.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:21Cajuste looked tired there as he cleared wearily from a Palmer cross from the left. It did not look too threatening but he booted away for a corner. Woolfenden cleared at the near post for another corner.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:19It is almost a year since Chelsea last suffered back-to-back defeats in the Premier League. The last time it happened was January/February of last season, losing to Liverpool and Wolves. Something needs to change quickly if that is to be avoided again.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:18Delap again gives his team respite with a lung-busting, driving run out of his own half, he looks up and looks to pick out Hutchinson, but the tired chipped pass can only find the head of Colwill, who heads back to his keeper, Jorgensen.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:14Yellow Card Moisés Isaac Caicedo Corozo
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:14Frustration for Chelsea as Madueke rolss his foot over the ball a number of times but is easily dispossessed by Davis. From the same passage of play Morsy unnneccessarily commits a foul but the resulting free-kick is too central to create any kind of angle and Walton comes to claim the high, hanging ball with a commanding leap.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:13Substitution Christopher Alan Nkunku Jadon Malik Sancho
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:10Walton had to be alert there as a curling ball from Palmer nearly catches the stopper off his line, he grabs it somewhat hurriedly, and he is in absolutely no hurry to let go of it.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:10It's all a bit congested in the middle at the moment, and that suits Ipswich who are extremely compact and winning all of the balls that come into the area.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:09Ipswich are yet to register a home win in the league this season, drawing four and losing five. Only four teams have failed to win in their opening 10 home games in a Premier league campaign. Ipswich could be heading for their first home win of the campaign at the 10th time of asking.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:03Substitution João Félix Sequeira Nicolas Jackson
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:01Goal Omari Elijah Giraud-Hutchinson
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
21:01Palmer is drifting across the midfield area attempting to get something going. Pressure is mounting and Morsy can only clear to a Chelsea player and the attack starts again. Palmer, Joao Felix and Cucurella link up well, but the ball in by the latter is met heartily by Woolfenden who clears.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:59WALTON SAVES!! Disasi sets Madueke free down the right, he gets away from his man and races into the area, he fires his shot across the keeper but he keeps it out with his legs at his near post.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:57JOAO FELIX HEADER OFF THE LINE!! Fernandez dug out a cross from the byline on the right, Joao Felix managed to hang in the air around eight yards from goal and strained his neck to get as much power as he could, but the goalbound effort is cleared off the line by the head of Burns.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:54An early head injury here as Greaves catches Nkunku on the back of the head challenging for a header.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:54Chelsea get this encounter back underway with Palmer.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:50Chelsea have carried plenty of threat but are yet to make the breakthrough. They have mustered an xG of 1.33 so far through that first period, with Palmer in particular coming close to opening the deadlock. Their live win probability has dropped to 32.3% but with the attacking prowess they possess, you can not rule out a comeback in the second half. For the home side, they will be delighted to get in 1-0 up, and even though they have been under the cosh as the first half wore on, they have managed an xG of 0.54 with Delap and Hutchinson looking dangerous on the counter. Ipswich's current live win probability is a healthy looking 38%.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:44What an absorbing half of football that was. Ipswich have played at a furious pace, they got their early goal courtesy of a penalty that was awarded for the slightest of touches on Delap by the on-rushing Jorgensen. Having got the advantage, the home side have not given Chelsea time to breathe in possession and they are keeping a strong shape without the ball. That does not tell the whole story though, as Chelsea nearly responded on 24 minutes through Joao Felix effort. A lengthy review via VAR showed that the 25-year-old had just strayed offside.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:39HALF-TIME: IPSWICH 1 - 0 CHELSEA
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:37We are into the fourth of five minutes added on at the end of the half. The majority of the added time will be for the long VAR check for Chelsea's disallowed goal.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:35SO NEARLY A REPLY FROM PALMER!! Joao Felix accepted the ball on the left with plenty of Ipswich defenders around him, he gave the ball to Palmer who struck it with his left foot from the centre of the goal with lots of whip on the shot, it flicked the acrobatic left glove of Walton who tipped it agonisingly onto the bar and over.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:34Delap goes down in the Chelsea box again, but nothing doing this time as he gievs off a little wry smile.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:33Ipswich survive another wave as Chelsea pour forward. The ball searching for Madueke - who has raced into space down the right flank - is overhit.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:30A side footed shot from Fernandez on the edge of the box is blocked by this stoic Ipswich defence, the ball ricochets up in the air but Greaves is first to meet it in under duress from Fernandez. Free kick Ipswich.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:29Joao Felix has moved into a centre-forward position, with Nkunku moving deeper in a bid to unsettle this rigid Ipswich backline.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:27JORGENSEN SAVES FROM DELAP!! Delap is causing Chelsea all sorts of problems. Hutchinson skipped past a couple of tackles beautifully in the midfield area, he knocks a looping ball over the top for Delap to chase, with nothing seemingly on, he spanks a right foot thunderbolt that nearly catches Jorgensen out at the near post. It is palmed behind.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:25JOAO FELIX CHANCE!! A rather uncommon route one approach from the visitors nearly reaps the rewards. Colwill launches a long straight ball from the back, Palmer gets hold of it and plays Joao Felix in, but his shot is timid and rolls gently towards Walton, who gratefully picks it up with a modest dive to his left.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:24SHOT OVER!! Colwill chips in a tempting ball to the far post, Madueke fluffs his connection, the ball evntually finds its way to the edge of the box where Caicedo lashes at it and it goes wildly over. He should have tested the keeper.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:21From the resulting free-kick, around 30 yards out and in the centre of the goal, It is driven right at the wall and is cleared easily by the Ipswich defence..
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:19Yellow Card Dara Joseph O'Shea
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:18CHANCE FIRED WIDE!! Another chance falls to Chelsea after good work from Madueke who came inside and - surrounded by bodies in the box - laid the ball off for Felix, his shot was blocked and Cucurella fired a half-volley from the left edge of the penalty area wide of the far right post.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:16NO GOAL!! After a lengthy check, the goal is ruled out for offside. Palmer had pulled onto the right wing, floating a wonderfully weighted cross for Joao Felix at the far post, but the Portugal international had strayed slightly offside before dispatching impressively into the roof of the net. We remain at 1-0.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:12Assist Cole Jermaine Palmer
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:11Goal João Félix Sequeira
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:10CHANCE PALMER!! The free-kick is touched to Palmer who wraps his foot around the ball clearing the wall down the left side, it clips the post and comes back out into play. Nkunku can only divert the rebound into Walton's arms.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:08Free-kick in a very dangerous position for Chelsea. Joao Felix deftly touches the ball on for Nkunku in a central spot, he shifts it out of his feet but is felled just outside the box. Palmer, Joao Felix and Fernadez are over it.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:07Madueke carries the ball down the right, he has two Ipswich players for company, as he continues to drag it past them, he runs out of room and it goes out harmlessly for a goal kick.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:07Fernandez and Caicedo are trying to dictate the pace a bit more in the middle of the park, looking after the ball a bit more in possession.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:04Chelsea look a bit shellshocked here! Broadhead got on the ball and looked to instigate another potent attack, but it breaks down on the Ipswich left as Disasi intervenes.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
20:02DELAP AGAIN SO CLOSE!! Hutchinson blocked Cucurella's clearance, it fell invitingly to Delap on the right side of the area, he swung his right boot on the half volley and it stung the palms of Chelsea keeper Jorgensen.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:59Penalty Goal Liam Rory Delap
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:59PENALTY APPEAL!! A big moment in the game as VAR checks for a penalty after Delap raced onto a through ball and poked past Jorgensen. He went down but there seemed minimal contact. We await the decision.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:56Fernandez sprays a ball out wide to the right, but Madueke miscontrols with the instep and it trickles out for a throw to the home side.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:55The ball is rolled into Nkunku who holds off his man well and spins it out to Madueke. The winger checks onto his left foot and swings a cross in to the far post for Joao Felix who leaps high and hangs but can't get enough purchse on the contact. He wanted a corner but the referee signals goal-kick.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:53Burns raids down the right for Ipswich and tests the heels of Cucurella who stands him up and forces the cross which is fired way over the crossbar.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:51An early cross from the right hand side tests the Chelsea concentration but it is hacked away from the near post.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:50Delap and Hutchinson get to work pressing the Chelsea defence hard, but Colwill breaks that press with a slick ball into Fernandez, who in turn finds Madueke on the right and that is what the home side are up against tonight, the incisive passing of the Blues.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:49We are underway. A long raking Ipswich ball from the kick-off finds Broadhead on the left wing but the ball into the middle is inaccurate and cleared.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:47The teams are out at Portman Road. We are close to kick-off. An impresisve pyrotechnic display greets the players, can they match the fireworks this evening?
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:17Enzo Maresca makes a raft of changes to his Chelsea side, with no fewer than five changes to the line-up that lost to Fulham. Sanchez, Gusto, Neto, Sancho and Jackson make way for Jorgensen, Disasi, Madueke, Joao Felix and Nkunku. The big news is that Chelsea also swap out their goalkeeper, whilst Madueke returns after a 'technical decision' prevented him from being in the matchday squad against Fulham. Elsewehere - in a line-up that can't really be described as weakened, more changed - Nkunku comes in at centre-forward to replace nine-goal Jackson. Joao Felix also gets a rare league start.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:15Having changed formation to five at the back for the loss against Arsenal, Kieran Mckenna reverts back to the regular 4-2-3-1 set-up, making four changes in the process. Out go Muric, Johnson, Phillips and Szmodics and in come Walton, Morsy, Burns, and Broadhead. McKenna has decided to mix it up in attack with Broadhead and Burns preferred to the trickery of Szmodics and Chaplin. Captain Morsy replaces Phillips, and Hutchinson is given the opportunity to impress against his old club. Delap once again carries the goal threat as the main man up front.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:15SUBS: Robert Sanchez, Josh Acheampong, Malo Gusto, Reece James, Renato Veiga, Jadon Sancho, Marc Guiu, Nicolas Jackson, Pedro Neto.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:15CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Filip Jorgensen; Axel Disasi, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer, Joao Felix, Christopher Nkunku.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:15SUBS: Arijanet Muric, Ben Johnson, Conor Townsend, Conor Chaplin, Jack Taylor, Kalvin Phillips, Ali Al Hamadi, Jack Clarke, Sammie Szmodics.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:15IPSWICH (4-2-3-1): Christian Walton; Dara O’Shea, Luke Woolfenden, Jacob Greaves, Leif Davis, Sam Morsy, Jens-Lys Cajuste, Wes Burns, Omari Hutchinson, Nathan Broadhead, Liam Delap.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:15For Chelsea, they are looking to get back on track after they were humbled at home last time out, losing 2-1 in their West London derby clash against neighbours Fulham. Rodrigo Muniz landed the knockout blow deep into stoppage time in the boxing day clash, denting Enzo Maresca’s side’s early season surge towards the summit. The defeat broke a nine-match unbeaten streak, and following the recent round of games, leaves them in fourth place on 35 points, behind Liverpool, Nottingham Forest (who have played a game more) and Arsenal. It goes without saying, Cole Palmer is one of the standout key players in this fixture. The England international has a fantastic record against promoted clubs, with 11 goal involvements in his last seven games versus promoted sides. That works out at a goal or assist every 54 minutes on average.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:15A solitary 2-1 win away at Wolves has been the only bright spot in an otherwise dour December so far for Ipswich. Four defeats out of five have left the Tractor Boys languishing in the relegation zone in 19th place on 12 points. In fairness to Kieran McKenna’s charges, aside from the 4-0 mauling at the hands of Newcastle, they have been competitive throughout those games, losing by a solitary goal in each of the other defeats. But they must look to convert that tenacity into points as they seek their first home league win of the season after nine unsuccessful attempts so far. Losing to Chelsea would punctuate a poor monthly return of just three points out of an available 18.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
19:15Good evening and welcome to our live text coverage of the Premier League clash between Ipswich and Chelsea.
Ipswich Town vs Chelsea
17:45Follow all the goals and latest action from the Premier League here with The Independent. Team news and line-ups coming up shortly…
