Chelsea have been charged by the FA for surrounding match official John Brooks during their 2-0 Premier League loss to Ipswich Town on December 30.
This marked their second consecutive league defeat under Enzo Maresca, following goals from Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson that secured all three points for Ipswich.
The charge stems from an incident in the 10th minute, when Brooks awarded Ipswich a penalty after Chelsea goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen was judged to have fouled Delap.
Frustrated by the decision, several Chelsea players surrounded the referee, with Levi Colwill and Enzo Fernandez both receiving yellow cards for dissent. Fernandez had to be restrained from arguing further with Ipswich players. Delap successfully converted the penalty, and Hutchinson extended Ipswich’s lead in the second half.
The FA later confirmed that Chelsea’s players’ reaction to the penalty violated football regulations. A statement from the FA read: “Chelsea have been charged for surrounding a match official during the Premier League fixture against Ipswich Town on Monday, December 30, 2024.
It is alleged that during the 10th minute, Chelsea failed to ensure that its players behaved properly. The club has until January 7, 2025, to respond.”
Following the defeat, many Chelsea supporters expressed outrage over the penalty, believing it was an incorrect decision. Delap was awarded the spot-kick after being brought down in the box by Jorgensen.
However, the Premier League Match Centre later confirmed that the referee’s penalty decision was reviewed by VAR, which determined there was sufficient contact to justify the call.
The loss kept Chelsea in fourth place in the Premier League with 35 points from 19 matches, while Ipswich, who secured their first home win in the Premier League since 2002, moved out of the relegation zone into 18th place with 15 points.
