Chelsea charged by FA for 'surrounding the official' in their 2-0 loss to Ipswich Town

Chelsea have been charged by the FA for surrounding match official John Brooks during their 2-0 Premier League defeat to Ipswich Town on December 30. The Blues fell to a consecutive league defeat for the first time under Enzo Maresca at Portman Road. Goals from Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson secured all three points for the Tractor Boys.

The incident that led to Chelsea being charged happened in the 10th minute of the game. Referee John Brooks awarded Ipswich Town a penalty after Blues goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen was adjudged to have fouled Liam Delap.

Infuriated with the on-field decision, a number of the Blues players surrounded Brooks, and Levi Colwill and Enzo Fernandez were both booked for dissent. The latter had to be held back from arguing with Ipswich players. Delap converted the resulting spot kick, and former Blues player Hutchinson doubled the lead in the second half.

The reaction of some of Enzo Maresca’s men to Brooks's penalty call violated the laws of FA. The country's football governing body have now released a statement regarding the issue, stating that Chelsea have been charged for the actions of their players. FA's statement read:

"Chelsea have been charged for surrounding a match official during the Premier League fixture against Ipswich Town on Monday 30 December 2024. It is alleged that during the 10th minute of the fixture, Chelsea failed to ensure that its players did not behave in an improper manner. The club has until January 7 2025 to provide a response."

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What the Premier League said regarding John Brooks' controversial penalty call against Chelsea

In the aftermath of the Blues' 2-0 defeat against Ipswich Town, many Blues fans were enraged about the penalty call and opined that it wasn’t the right call. Liam Delap received a pass into the 18-yard box but was deemed to have been brought down by Filip Jorgensen.

After the match, the Premier League Match Centre released a statement that read:

''The referee’s call of penalty for a foul by Jörgensen on Delap was checked and confirmed by VAR, who deemed there was sufficient contact for a penalty.’’

The result of the match saw the Blues remain in the fourth position on the Premier League table with 35 points after 19 games. On the other hand, Ipswich Town, who got their first home win in the Premier League since 2002, moved a step higher in the relegation zone. They are in the 18th position with 15 points after 19 games.