Jadon Sancho scored a sublime equaliser as Chelsea fought back to draw 2-2 with Ipswich Town in a thriller at Stamford Bridge.
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Substitute Sancho, who has been unable to cement a regular starting spot in Enzo Maresca’s side this season, showed what he can do with a sensational effort in the 79th minute on Sunday.
But in a potential blow to their hopes of securing UEFA Champions League qualification, Chelsea – who went 2-0 down in the first half – could not find a way past an inspired Alex Palmer late on.
Goals from Julio Enciso and Ben Johnson left the Blues stunned before the break, but Axel Tuanzebe’s own goal saw Chelsea pull one back just after the restart.
Sancho’s curler restored parity, with Trevoh Chalobah, Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez all going agonisingly close late on as Chelsea moved into fifth, but missed the chance to ensure they finished the weekend in the UEFA Champions League places. Ipswich stay 18th, 14 points from safety.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
32 | +43 | 76 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
32 | +30 | 63 |
| 3 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
32 | +13 | 57 |
| 4 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
31 | +16 | 56 |
| 5 |
Man City
MCI
|
32 | +20 | 55 |
| 6 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
32 | +17 | 54 |
How the match unfolded
Nicolas Jackson squandered a great early chance for Chelsea when he clattered the woodwork from close range, and Ipswich made the Blues pay when Johnson squared for Enciso in the 19th minute.
Jens Cajuste bent a 20-yard effort narrowly past Robert Sanchez’s post as boos began to ring around Stamford Bridge, and they grew louder when Enciso returned the favour to Johnson with a fine cross, and the defender headed home.
The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but was awarded after a VAR review.
But within seconds of the restart, Chelsea pulled one back – Noni Madueke surged down the right and supplied teasing ball towards Marc Cucurella, which the stretching Tuanzebe could only divert in.
Sancho’s quality then shone through, as he collected the ball on the left corner of the box and bent a brilliant finish into the top right corner.
Goalkeeper Palmer was Ipswich’s hero as Chelsea pushed hard in the final stages, making a string of super stops to keep the hosts at bay.
Chelsea’s bump in the road
A home match against one of the Premier League’s bottom three provided, on paper at least, an ideal opportunity for Chelsea to get firmly back on track in their push for Champions League qualification, following last week’s draw with Brentford.
Yet Ipswich – who beat the Blues in the reverse fixture at Portman Road – ripped up the script and forced Chelsea to do it the hard way to salvage a point.
With Manchester City and Aston Villa picking up big wins on Saturday, and Newcastle United still to play this weekend, this is a stumble Chelsea may not have been able to afford.
Scrutiny over the suitability of Jackson, who is without a Premier League goal in 2025, as the man to lead Chelsea’s line forward is likely to continue after his early miss.
Then there has been the dip in form of key man Palmer. He has not scored in the league since the middle of January.
Maresca’s substitutions paid dividends however, as Sancho came up with the goods.
With Everton, Liverpool and Manchester United the next three teams to visit Stamford Bridge in the league, the pressure is certainly on the race for the Champions League places.
It is now a case of getting the job done in Europe on Thursday as they look to reach the UEFA Conference League semi-finals, taking a 3-0 advantage into the second leg against Legia Warsaw before a trip to Fulham next weekend.
Tractor Boys show plenty of fight
Now 14 points adrift of safety with six matches to go, it might be too little, too late for Ipswich, but Kieran McKenna’s team are certainly not going down without putting up a fight.
They have taken four points from their two matches from Chelsea this season and were well worthy of their first-half lead this time around.
However, their defensive frailties came to the fore and ultimately cost them. They have the third-worst defence in terms of goals conceded in the top flight in 2024/25, better than only Leicester City and Southampton.
Their performances this season suggest a squad that are well equipped to return to the Premier League in the coming campaigns, but they could have to do so without players such as Liam Delap and scorer of the opener, Enciso.
Delap is reportedly a target for other Premier League sides, while Enciso is on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion.
The performance of Palmer was also something Ipswich can look at fondly – his reactive saves at the end were exceptional.
Concerns will be focused on January signing Jaden Philogene, who was carried off the pitch just five minutes after being substituted on, ahead of a trip to Arsenal next time out.
Match reports
Chelsea report | Ipswich report
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Key facts
Sunday was the first time ever that Chelsea trailed by two goals at half-time of a Premier League home match against a team starting the day in the relegation zone.
Sancho scored his first Premier League goal since December against Tottenham Hotspur, ending a run of 16 matches without a goal in the competition. Three of his last four league goals in England have come against newly promoted opposition.
Ipswich have lost more points from winning positions than any other team in the Premier League this season (27), winning just one of the six league matches they’ve led in in 2025 (W1 D3 L2).
