It will help if I can rest in international weeks.”Adams, an inspirational figure at Highbury, agreed a new contract with Arsenal last week even though his appearances for both club and country have been restricted over the last few years by injury.His England debut came aged 20 in a 4-2 win against the Spaniards in Madrid in 1987 and he won 66 caps, 13 of them as captain, scoring five goals.. Ipswich Town’s tractor boys were run off the road for the second successive occasion on their Premiership travels, following a 4-1 defeat at Sunderland on New Year’s Day with a similar crash yesterday. They chugged along comfortably early on, nosing ahead with Marcus Stewart’s seventh goal in as many games and hogging the middle of the road in determined fashion, before the west London hipsters revved up and left them standing. Ipswich Town’s tractor boys were run off the road for the second successive occasion on their Premiership travels, following a 4-1 defeat at Sunderland on New Year’s Day with a similar crash yesterday.

They chugged along comfortably early on, nosing ahead with Marcus Stewart’s seventh goal in as many games and hogging the middle of the road in determined fashion, before the west London hipsters revved up and left them standing.
The margin at the finish was distorted by a shocking decision by the referee, Andy D’Urso, who awarded a penalty for Fabian Wilnis’ perfect tackle on Sam Dalla Bona and added injury to it by sending off John McGreal for protesting. By that time, however, Chelsea were running the game and looking good value for a sixth successive home victory. With only one defeat in nine games, they are on the up, eighth place representing their highest position of the season.Some day soon, Claudio Ranieri may find his best team and formation. As at Arsenal last week, he made a successful change at the interval, this time taking off Eidur Gudjohnsen and pushing Albert Ferrer forward, as well as giving Gustavo Poyet more freedom, all to good effect. From then on, Ipswich, forced to do without their central defender Titus Bramble and bring in Gary Croft at left-back, were overrun.Any supporter returning after six months in the Amazon jungle would doubtless be equally surprised to find Ipswich challenging for a European place on three fronts (four including the Fair-Play League) and Chelsea having only just reached the top half of the Premiership for the first time this season.

Strange days indeed, though more interesting ones than a year ago, when everything was far more predictable.Who would have bet either on Stewart finishing as the Premiership’s leading scorer? Whether he achieves that the Bristolian was at his sharpest in putting his side ahead midway through the first half. The Chelsea centre-half John Terry, much praised of late, and keeping again Frank Leboeuf out of the side, directed a wayward header towards his own goal. James Scowcroft toed the ball forward for Stewart, reacting faster than anyone, to jab the ball past the onrushing Carlo Cudicini. It was his 17th goal of the season, and seventh in successive matches, equalling the club record at this level of Ray Crawford.Although Ipswich were as neat and composed as ever, they struggled to subdue Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Three times before the interval he went clear on his left foot – once after a blatant handball by Gianfranco Zola – first hitting the side-netting and twice finding the angle too tight to defeat Richard Wright. Dennis Wise produced the best effort, a glancing header from Zola’s cross, until, in stoppage time, Chelsea’s steadily increasing pressure brought an equaliser.

Wright, hemmed in, was unable to clear a corner, Croft scrambled Terry’s header off the line, but Poyet was quickly in to head the rebound home.Ipswich’s manager, George Burley, felt that was the turning-point “We were outstanding for 45 minutes,” he said. “The goal right on half-time lifted Chelsea and in the second half they were the better team.” There was no doubting that. Mario Melchiot was sent on at right-back, Gudjohnsen coming off and Ferrer moving into midfield. Although the Spaniard is less comfortable there, the effect was positive and Ipswich were pushed back before conceding again 12 minutes into the half. It came as Hasselbaink pulled out to the right wing, almost for the first time, crossing low for Wise to stoop and score with a header.The best move of the match, a flowing affair involving half-a-dozen home players, ended with Celestine Babayaro knocking back Ferrer’s cross for Poyet to drive against the bar.