Chelsea’s 2-2 draw against Ipswich Town may have been dramatic, but former Premier League defender Curtis Davies believes the Blues only have themselves to blame after being forced to claw their way back into the game.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, Davies gave a balanced take on Chelsea’s performance, highlighting the team’s failure to impose their quality early on and control the game. “I think for both it’s a really interesting way to look at it, you can say Chelsea showed character to come back but should they have ever been 2-0 down? No,” Davies said.

That quote perfectly sums up the disappointment felt by Chelsea fans. Against a newly-promoted Ipswich side who are doomed for relegation, the expectation was clear: control the match, get the job done early, and build confidence. Instead, Enzo Maresca’s side found themselves two goals down, punished for their sluggish start and missed chances.

Davies did credit Ipswich for their resilience and organisation. “Ipswich defended valiantly, tried to hold onto the game, couldn’t quite do it and allowed Chelsea to have the momentum but that’s understandable when you’re playing against a side as good as Chelsea.”

Indeed, Ipswich were no pushovers. They defended in numbers, battled for every ball, and relied heavily on the heroics of goalkeeper Alex Palmer, who put in a man-of-the-match performance. “I think Ipswich deserved the point in the end, Alex Palmer’s performance was brilliant,” Davies added.

While Chelsea managed to avoid total embarrassment with a spirited second-half fightback – thanks to an own goal and a brilliant Jadon Sancho strike that ended his four-month goal drought – Davies insisted the Blues only have themselves to blame. “Chelsea have to look at themselves. The dominance they had, they should’ve made it count but ended up forcing things.”

That statement is a brutal but fair assessment. Chelsea had the lion’s share of possession, more shots, and more territory, yet once again struggled to convert dominance into goals. It’s a recurring issue under Maresca that fans are growing increasingly frustrated with.

Until Chelsea learn to make their dominance count from the first whistle, nights like this will continue to haunt them.