Sports
Ipswich electrocute Chelsea in back to back defeats
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Chelsea’s bid to climb back into the Premier League title race suffered a major blow as lowly Ipswich beat the Blues 2-0 at Portman Road on Monday.
Enzo Maresca’s side were rocked by Liam Delap’s early penalty and a second half goal from former Chelsea winger Omari Hutchinson.
Chelsea’s second successive defeat after their Boxing Day loss against Fulham left them without a win in their last three matches.
The west Londoners had emerged as surprise title contenders after an eight-match winning run in all competitions.
But Maresca had insisted throughout that spell that Chelsea’s inexperienced squad do not have what it takes to win the title in his first season after arriving from Leicester.
And the Italian’s prediction looks spot on after a shock result in Suffolk that leaves Chelsea in fourth place, 10 points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
Third-bottom Ipswich climb within one point of safety after winning for the second time in their last four matches.
Kieran McKenna’s side have renewed belief they can avoid relegation back to the Championship thanks to their first top-flight home win in 22 years.
Ipswich took the fight to Chelsea right from the start as Delap bullied the visitors’ defence in pugnacious fashion.
Delap raced onto Leif Davis’ inch-perfect pass in the 12th minute and went to ground after the faintest of kicks by Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.
Referee John Brooks awarded the spot-kick and Delap drilled into the bottom corner for his seventh goal of the season.
Cole Palmer almost levelled immediately when his free-kick from 22 yards smacked against the post.
Palmer’s superb left-footed cross was converted by Joao Felix midway through the first half but the Portugal striker’s powerful finish was disallowed for offside after a lengthy VAR check.
Just before half-time, Palmer’s superb 20-yard curler looked destined for the top corner after Felix’s lay-off, only for Christian Walton to brilliantly parry onto the crossbar
Felix’s header was cleared off the line by Wes Burns early in the second half before Walton thwarted Noni Madueke’s low effort.
Chelsea’s profligacy came back to haunt them as Ipswich doubled their lead in the 53rd minute.
Axel Disasi carelessly passed straight to Delap on the halfway line and he ran at Levi Colwill before passing back to Hutchinson.
Intelligently working a yard of space, Hutchinson drilled into the bottom corner.
It was a special goal for Hutchinson against a club that released him twice from their youth team.
Chelsea were unable to muster a response as Ipswich inflicted a painful defeat with repercussions at both ends of the table.
France secured their place in the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay in their Round of 16 encounter in Philadelphia on Saturday.
The tightly contested match remained goalless until the 70th minute when France were awarded a penalty after a VAR review confirmed a foul on Désiré Doué inside the area. Captain Kylian Mbappé stepped up and calmly converted the spot-kick, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to hand Les Bleus the decisive breakthrough.
Paraguay defended resolutely for much of the contest and frustrated the French attack with disciplined organisation, but they struggled to create clear-cut chances at the other end. France controlled possession and continued to press for a second goal, only to be denied on several occasions by Paraguay’s resilient defence and goalkeeper.
Mbappé’s 70th-minute penalty proved enough to separate the sides, extending France’s impressive run in the tournament and keeping alive their bid for a second World Cup title in eight years. The goal also moved the French forward level with the tournament’s leading scorers.
The victory sends France into the quarter-finals, where Didier Deschamps’ side will face Morocco national football team for a place in the last four, while Paraguay bow out after an admirable campaign that included a memorable knockout victory over Germany.
Sports
World Cup 2026: Your larger than life ego is weighing Portugal down- Zlatan Ibrahimovic tells CR7
Former Sweden striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has hit out at Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo amid the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
The former Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain star claimed that Ronaldo’s ego is holding Roberto Martinez’s side hostage.
According to Ibrahimovic, Ronaldo’s role in Portugal’s starting lineup isn’t legendary leadership, adding that the 41-year-old has lost his touch and mobility.
He also reckons Goncalo Ramos should lead Portugal’s attack after he came off the bench to score the winner during their 2-1 win over Croatia in the Round of 32.
“Portugal fans could have expected what’s happening. You can’t expect to win anything in 2026 with a 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo leading the attack,” Ibrahimovic told Fox Sports.
“Especially since Ramos is on the bench, having come on and scored. This isn’t ‘legendary leadership.’ It’s the ego that’s holding the team hostage.
“Ronaldo has lost his touch and mobility. Continuing to start him is pure nostalgia-driven madness.”
Ronaldo has scored three goals so far for Portugal at the World Cup and he will hope to lead his nation to victory when they face Spain be back in action in the Round of 16 on Monday.
Atlas Lions rule in Houston as second-half blitz ends co-hosts’ dream as
Morocco delivered a commanding second-half performance to hammer co-hosts Canada 3-0 on Saturday night, securing a place in the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Atlas Lions remained patient throughout the opening 45 minutes as Canada stood firm, with the home crowd creating an electric atmosphere and believing their dream run could continue.
However, Morocco returned from the break with renewed purpose and completely took control of the contest.
The breakthrough goal opened the floodgates before a second strike put the result beyond doubt. A third goal sealed an emphatic victory, leaving Canada with no way back.
By the final whistle, Morocco had dominated possession, controlled the tempo, and capitalised on every mistake made by the Canadians. What started as a competitive encounter ended as a convincing statement of intent from the African side.
The victory sends Morocco into the last eight of the tournament, keeping Africa’s hopes alive on North American soil, while Canada’s World Cup campaign comes to an end on home ground.
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