December 31st 2024.
Enzo Maresca's Chelsea team faced a tough defeat against Ipswich Town on Monday night at Portman Road. As the manager, Maresca was not surprised to see his former player, Liam Delap, shine on the field and score a goal for Ipswich. Delap, who Maresca previously coached at Manchester City, opened the scoring for the Tractor Boys with a penalty before Omari Hutchinson sealed the win with a goal in the 53rd minute.
Maresca was asked about Delap's performance against his team and he praised the young striker, saying, "This is Liam. I know Liam from some time ago. Probably in some moments we can defend a bit better. But congratulations to him and to them." Delap's impressive performance has caught the attention of Chelsea, with rumors of a potential transfer and discussions of his potential to become a regular for the English national team.
Maresca had nothing but praise for Delap before the game, highlighting his talent and predicting a bright future for him. "Liam is a fantastic player, especially considering his age. I spent one year with him and he scored 22, 24 goals. He is a very good striker and in England, there are many players like him. He works hard on and off the ball and has a good understanding of the game, which allows him to score goals. And at his young age, I believe he can become an important player for England."
The game itself was a heated one, with Chelsea missing out on the opportunity to climb to second place in the standings. Ipswich's manager Kieran McKenna was full of praise for Delap's performance, acknowledging his constant improvement as a young player and his unique style of play. "His style is enjoyable to watch for anyone. There's not many like him out there and he's playing against incredible Premier League defenders every week. I thought Liam was incredible tonight, along with many other players on our team."
Maresca also reflected on the game, acknowledging the strange nature of it. Despite creating numerous chances and dominating the first half, Chelsea failed to convert them into goals, with the post, VAR, and Ipswich's goalkeeper and defenders standing in their way. "It was a bit of a strange game. We created so many chances, but couldn't seem to find the back of the net. It's a shame because it was another chance for us, but congratulations to them for their high level of determination and blocking our shots." Overall, it was a disappointing result for Chelsea, but a well-deserved victory for Ipswich who hadn't beaten them since 1993.
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