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Theirs was a victory more than 20 years in the making. Ipswich rounded off 2024 on a high as they eat Chelsea 2-0 to claim their first Premier League win at Portman Road since 2002. The victory on Monday night was also their first against the Blues since August 1993 as Ipswich closed the gap to a safe position to just one point before Sunday’s trip to Fulham.
Many expected Ipswich to make a good stab of beating the drop under Kieran McKenna but to ultimately succumb to relegation, such is the gulf between the Championship and the Premier League. However, Ipswich head into 2025 with renewed optimism.
Omari Hutchinson scored the second against his former club, firing past Filip Jørgensen shortly after the restart, but the performance against Enzo Maresca’s side was another impressive one from Liam Delap. When Ipswich confirmed the striker’s signing for around £15m in the summer, many scoffed at the decision to spend big on a player with limited top-flight experience.
The 21-year-old hardly set the Championship alight during spells with Stoke, Preston and Hull, and few expected Delap to adjust to the rigours of the Premier League quite so easily. And yet Delap has proven Ipswich’s leading light so far this season. The youngster has been directly involved in half of their 18 league goals, scoring seven times and providing two assists.
The assist for Hutchinson’s second-half strike came through anticipation, strength and composure to capitalise on Axel Disasi’s misplaced pass, hold off pressure from Tosin Adarabioyo and pick out his teammate rather than rush a shot, to confirm the three points for McKenna’s team. For an Ipswich side that has the third-lowest possession average (40.9%) in the Premier League, Delap is proving the perfect front man to lead the charge.
Not only is he proving an effective goal threat, evidenced in that he has scored three goals following a counterattack – only Mohamed Salah with six has scored more in the Premier League this season – he has also shown the relevant desire to disrupt opponents from playing out from the back and ease pressure on the Ipswich goal. Only the Wolves midfielder João Gomes (44) has committed more fouls than Delap (38) in England’s top tier this term, and while this does land the young striker in hot water with officials, his willingness to get stuck in has quickly established him as a fan favourite.
There are rough edges to his game, though that is to be expected for a striker his age playing for an Ipswich side that does not see much of the ball, yet the pros evidently outweigh the cons. Keeping Delap fit and firing is of paramount importance for Ipswich if they are to keep their heads above water, particularly as attacking options that will carry out the same duties as their summer arrival are thin on the ground.
What’s more, Delap is proving the latest in a ever growing line of young English players Manchester City have cashed in on in recent years, only to go on and succeed elsewhere, with Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer making names for themselves at Aston Villa and Chelsea, respectively. Ipswich welcome City to Portman Road later this month and Delap will have another chance to prove his former employers were wrong to move on the improving forward.
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With his stock really starting to soar, links with a move away from Ipswich this month should not come as a surprise. Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle have all previously been credited with showing an interest in Delap. The striker’s fine form is a key reason Ipswich are now close to moving out of the relegation zone, and any fee the club could receive this month for him would have to be weighed against the likelihood that he could prove crucial.
Delap is proving a one-man battering ram for McKenna’s side who have routinely needed to dig deep to remain competitive, with the former City player proving the ideal battler in the final third. All three promoted teams dropped straight back into the Championship last season and many expected a repeat this time, but with Delap’s goalscoring exploits combined with a willingness to partake in a physical battle, Ipswich have a fighting chance of staving off relegation.
