Chelsea fans furious over penalty decision in Ipswich defeat

Chelsea fans were left outraged after Ipswich Town were awarded a controversial penalty in their Premier League match on Monday, December 30, 2024.

Blues goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen was judged to have fouled Ipswich forward Liam Delap in the penalty area early in the game. Referee John Brooks pointed to the spot, and despite minimal contact being shown on replays, the VAR review upheld the decision.

Liam Delap converted the penalty, putting Ipswich 1-0 up at Portman Road. Chelsea supporters expressed their frustration on social media, with one writing, “How on earth is that a penalty? That is a huge dive from Delap.”

Another fan said, “There’s actually zero contact. I don’t get it.” A third added, “That’s never ever a penalty,” while a fourth commented, “How did VAR confirm that as a penalty when there is no contact at all? Laughable.”

Following the uproar, the Premier League’s Match Centre released a statement explaining why the penalty was upheld.

“The referee’s call of penalty for a foul by Jorgensen on Delap was checked and confirmed by VAR, who deemed there was sufficient contact for a penalty,” the statement read.

Chelsea thought they had equalised midway through the first half when Joao Felix found the net, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR review.

Ipswich doubled their lead shortly after the break through Omari Hutchinson, who joined the club from Chelsea in the summer.

The match ended in disappointment for the Blues, who struggled to find their rhythm and left fans questioning the decisions that went against them.