Fabregas: Ipswich ´refused to play football´

Cesc Fabregas has accused Ipswich of playing ‘rugby’ in the Championship club’s 1-0 Carling Cup win over Arsenal on Wednesday.

A 78th minute-goal from Tamas Priskin handed Championship Ipswich a hard-fought win in the first-leg of their semi-final with the English Premier League outfit.

After the surprise result, Arsenal captain Fabregas dismissed Ipswich as a long-ball team who relied on luck to secure the victory.

“I don’t know if it is long ball or it is a rugby kick, but it worked for them,” Fabregas said.

“In England, a lot of teams play like that and it works for them, they create chances like that and it is their football.”

“We just have to put the ball on the floor and try to play football, that is what we do. I can only remember two opportunities for them, but it was from a long, long ball because playing football they could not really get behind us or attack us. It is a bit disappointing because I think we were the much better team.”

“Credit to them because they played well, but Arsenal made the football, the other team refused to play football, they were lucky to score with a long ball. But it was one of those nights and now we have to make it at the Emirates in two weeks.”

“It is a 1-0, and of course we did not want to lose, but it is not a 3-0 or 4-0 so we are confident at home we can make it back.”

What made Ipswich’s win all the more impressive was the fact that it followed immediately after a 7-0 demolition away to Premier League champions Chelsea in the FA Cup.

But Fabregas believes the surface at Portman Road gave the hosts an advantage, despite its award-winning history.

“It is not the same to play at Stamford Bridge as it is to come here,” he said.

“Here they play in front of their fans; they are more motivated, the pitch is not as good as Stamford Bridge, so they play their game. They know how to do it and did it very well, so credit to them. Now we will see how they cope at the Emirates against us. We are confident we can do it there.”