Chelsea
March 2026
Chelsea progressed 4-2 after extra time in a major scare, with Wrexham twice leading. Wrexham scored through Smith, then an Arthur Okonkwo own goal levelled it. Callum Doyle put Wrexham back ahead before George Dobson’s red card changed the tie. Chelsea forced extra time via Josh Acheampong, then Joao Pedro and Garnacho decided it. A late Wrexham equaliser attempt was ruled offside.
Joao Pedro
March 2026
Chelsea won 4-1 at Villa Park to move within three points of the Champions League places, overturning an early deficit with Joao Pedro scoring three. Villa led through Douglas Luiz, Pedro levelled on the half-hour and struck again in first-half stoppage time, then Chelsea controlled the second half as Cole Palmer scored and helped exploit Villa’s high line for a late fourth.
Cole Palmer
January 2026
Cole Palmer dismissed speculation that he wants a move back to Manchester after scoring a first-half hat-trick in a 3-1 win at Wolves, insisting he is happy in west London and not paying attention to the noise around his future. Palmer scored twice from the spot after fouls on João Pedro, then finished a close-range cutback for his third. He celebrated with hands to his ears to signal he is blocking out talk. The performance reset the narrative after a quieter, disrupted season.
Jean-Clair Todibo
January 2026
A mass brawl erupted late after Chelsea’s comeback winner, ending with Todibo shown a straight red card for violent conduct. The flashpoint began when Traore shoved Cucurella near the touchline. In the melee, Todibo grabbed Pedro by the throat; VAR reviewed and dismissed him. Players including Palmer and Mavropanos were involved as tempers flared.
Liam Rosenior
January 2026
Chelsea came from 2-0 down to beat West Ham 3-2, with Rosenior saying he would have booed the first-half performance. West Ham led via Bowen and Summerville. Chelsea levelled through a Pedro header and Cucurella from close range, then Fernandez scored the winner. Rosenior credited the fans for the second half and said results (six wins from seven) are the only way to win them over.
Enzo Maresca
December 2025
Chelsea again dropped points after leading Aston Villa, and Enzo Maresca admitted he cannot fully explain why his side keeps losing control of games. Joao Pedro’s first-half opener was not enough, as Villa turned it around with a decisive second-half response. Chelsea missed chances to extend the lead through Cole Palmer and Reece James, keeping Villa alive. Unai Emery’s triple change on the hour shifted momentum, and substitute Ollie Watkins scored twice. Maresca said the pattern is recurring and not random.
Cole Palmer
December 2025
Palmer started and helped Chelsea into a first-half lead through Joao Pedro, but was substituted on 72 minutes for Estevao Willian at 1-1, reacting angrily as Villa completed a 2-1 comeback win via an Ollie Watkins brace. Maresca played down Palmer’s visible frustration, praising his work on and off the ball and stressing rotation ahead of another game in 48 hours. Chelsea’s failure to protect their advantage allowed Villa to claim an 11th straight win, deepening scrutiny on the Blues’ late-game management.
Chelsea
December 2025
Chelsea receive a major lift as Estevao and Liam Delap are passed fit to face in-form Aston Villa, with Maresca’s side aiming to extend a three-game unbeaten run after wins over Everton and Cardiff and a comeback draw away to Newcastle. With Villa arriving on a ten-game winning streak and sitting third in the table, Maresca can now call on two extra attacking options, increasing flexibility in wide and central roles as Chelsea try to match Villa’s intensity and protect their top four push.
Charles De Ketelaere
December 2025
Chelsea let a 1-0 lead slip in Bergamo as Atalanta struck twice after half-time, with Gianluca Scamacca and Charles De Ketelaere overturning Joao Pedro’s opener and handing Enzo Maresca a damaging Champions League defeat on his return to Italy. De Ketelaere answered Alejandro Garnacho’s pre-match comments in ruthless fashion, heading in the winner after Scamacca’s leveller as Atalanta exploited Chelsea’s lethargic second-half press, grew into the spaces out wide and turned a hostile Bergamo crowd into a decisive advantage.
Liam Delap
November 2025
Liam Delap is set for direct talks with England boss Thomas Tuchel, who wants to spell out the benchmarks the Chelsea striker must hit to earn a first senior call-up before the World Cup, with only Harry Kane guaranteed a striking spot. Delap impressed for Ipswich before a £30m move to Chelsea but injuries, a red card and limited end product have stalled his progress while Joao Pedro has flourished, leaving Tuchel ready to challenge him to deliver a strong second half of the season to enter contention.
