WORLD Cup winner Cesc Fabregas knocked the Portman Road pitch and compared Ipswich Town to a rugby team after Arsenal’s 1-0 Carling Cup semi-final defeat on Wednesday.

Town will take Tamas Priskin’s goal advantage into the second leg at the Emirates on January 25 when away goals will count double at the end of extra time.

“Playing in front of their own fans, Ipswich are more motivated,” said Fabregas.

“Their pitch is not as good as Stamford Bridge where they lost 7-0 on Sunday, so they played their game.

“They know how to do it and did it very well, so credit to them.

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

“Now we’ll see how they cope at the Emirates against us.”

Fabregas added that his team were victims of an Ipswich side ‘not prepared to play football.’

“In England, a lot of teams play like that and it works for them,” added Fabregas.

“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.

“Ipswich played well but we played the football, the other team refused to play football, they were lucky to score with a long ball.

“Still, we played well. We were good enough, but just did not put the ball in the back of the net.

“I can remember only two opportunities for them but it was from a long, long ball because when they were playing football they could not really get in behind us.

“It is a disappointing because we were the much better team but it was one of those nights.”

Looking to end their trophy drought Fabregas promised Ipswich that they will be up against it in the second leg.

“Once you are in the semi-final, you have to go for it with your best players,” he went on. “We played with our best players. We did not win, but it is only half-time.

“We still have to go to the Emirates and we are confident that we can do it there.”