Chelsea

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea go in search of just their second Premier League win at Gtech Community Stadium, taking on a Brentford side vying for back-to-back home victories under new boss Keith Andrews. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes before Saturday's match.

Many of Chelsea's players, particularly their South American contingent, spent the international break criss-crossing the globe - but little travel has been required so far in the Premier League, with this the Blues' fourth consecutive game against London opposition.

They are just the second side in the top four tiers of English football to begin a league season with four successive London derbies.

Enzo Maresca's side have taken seven points from their opening three fixtures, conceding just once - maintaining their strong defensive record from the final three months of last season. They have kept nine clean sheets in their past 15 top-flight matches, more than any other side since 25 February.

While they have benefited from contentious VAR interventions which led to disallowed goals for Fulham and Crystal Palace, Chelsea have coped well without key centre-back Levi Colwill, who will miss most of the season after injuring his knee in pre-season.

The Club World Cup winners suffered another injury blow when summer signing Liam Delap hurt his hamstring against Fulham, ruling the centre-forward out for up to eight weeks. The Blues briefly considered cancelling Nicolas Jackson's move to Bayern Munich but instead signed Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton and recalled Marc Guiu from his loan spell at Sunderland.

Striker Guiu, 19, played three times for the Black Cats, including a late cameo in their 2-1 win over Brentford last time out, so could make consecutive appearances against the Bees.

Brentford in profit but could it prove costly in long run?

This is the first of back-to-back London derbies for Brentford, who also visit Fulham next weekend.

They suffered a frustrating defeat at the Stadium of Light on 30 August, finishing empty handed despite taking the lead after 77 minutes, having earlier missed a penalty. Those dropped points could prove crucial at the end of the season if the two clubs up being direct rivals in the relegation battle.

Brentford can no longer call upon one of the Premier League's most reliable penalty-takers, having sold Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United in July. The club also finally allowed Yoane Wissa to join Newcastle on deadline day, meaning both of last season's joint-top scorers have departed.

The Bees have spent £84m on seven new signings but recouped £133m in sales, resulting in a net profit of approximately £49m this summer, second only to Bournemouth.

Overall, six clubs finished with a surplus but of those sides only Brentford have a new manager at the helm, underlining the difficult task facing rookie boss Andrews.

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Although the 74 FA charges imposed on Chelsea were on the minds of some, selection issues will trouble manager Enzo Maresca much more.

Star attacker Cole Palmer has only partially trained, while Maresca fears striker Delap is out for as long as "10 to 12 weeks".

The club estimate remains that Delap could be back in November, with a view to being ready for a busy festive fixture period in December.

Chelsea also lost midfielder Dario Essugo during the international break for up to four months, while Brazilians Joao Pedro, Andrey Santos and Estevao Willian are a doubt for Saturday's game against Brentford after a long trip back from a World Cup qualifier in Bolivia.

Similarly, midfielder Moises Caicedo returned from playing in Ecuador.

All those mentioned are either doubtful or ruled out. It remains unconfirmed how fit any of Romeo Lavia, Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana are to face the Bees.

Maresca's options are suddenly very limited, with further trips to Bayern Munich and Manchester United also needing to be kept in mind.

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game at Brentford (20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Maresca said Cole Palmer trained yesterday for the first time since picking up an injury in the warm-up before the win over West Ham. However, it was "not the entire session" and a decision will be taken on his involvement after he trains again later today.

• More on Palmer's fitness: "He is recovering from an injury. It's not managing him, it's recovering from an injury. When he is available, we need to manage him because of the amount of games."

• Maresca added that Liam Delap will be out for "around 10-12 weeks" so there is a "long way to go".

• Chelsea's three Brazilian internationals Joao Pedro, Estevao Willian and Andrey Santos arrived back yesterday and did "recovery work" but did not train while Ecuador's Moises Caicedo returned late last night. Maresca said the South American contingent are all "a question mark" for tomorrow's game.

• On captain Reece James starting twice for England in the international break: "In the minute that any player joins the international team he is free to play any minutes the manager wants him to play. It is out of my hands. When Reece is here we try to manage him as much as we can. Reece is showing he is quite fit to play two or three games in a week."

• When asked about the club being charged by the Football Association with 74 alleged rule breaches, Maresca said: "I know from the club that they are satisfied about the situation and the process. I have nothing to add because I have no idea to be honest. I just focus on the pitch-side and what I can control. I don't think the players are too worried."

• He commented on Levi Colwill being named in his Champions League squad despite his long-term knee injury: "Depends on where we arrive in the Champions League. Levi's injury is ACL which is six, seven, eight months but right now it is not something we are worried about."

• On Nicolas Jackson's exit: "Nico for me it is quite easy in terms of in this moment he is a Bayern Munich player. I sent him a message to wish him all the best. That is the only thing I can say."

• On new addition Alejandro Garnacho: "He's working well. For sure he needs to work because he arrived here probably not 100% fit. We see how soon we can give him minutes."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Set-piece guru Bernardo Cueva left Brentford to join then-new Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca's backroom staff in the summer of 2024 - but there were a few murmurs over his perceived lack of impact from within the Blues' fanbase last season.

The Bees scoring the most goals from set-pieces in the Premier League (25) across the 2022-23 season coupled with a £750,000 compensation fee gave the indication Cueva's move to Stamford Bridge could be a game-changer.

However, despite a solid and promising first campaign under Maresca, Chelsea only managed 16 goals from set-pieces - actually down from 23 the year before - and ranked them 11th in the division.

Such is the significance of the role in modern football, the man who replaced Cueva as 'tactical statistician' at Brentford, Keith Andrews, will manage the Bees at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday evening.

And he will be preparing his side to face a Chelsea who now seem to be reaping the benefits of Cueva's expertise.

Five of the seven goals scored by Maresca's side so far this season have come from set-pieces, including penalties - the highest in the division - and the inventive routines on show have caught the eye.

While last term only Manchester City played a larger proportion of their corners short - the Blues have favoured in-swinging deliveries aimed at the near post and centre of the six-yard box.

Marc Cucurella has often made a late run to the near post while Liam Delap - who's role will need to filled in the injured striker's absence - has been standing close to the goalkeeper to limit his movement.

The Spanish full-back flicked the ball on for Joao Pedro's equaliser against West Ham and drew players out of position for the same player's opener against Fulham.

As our fan writer Will Faulks states, dead-ball scenarios have turned "from a weakness to a strength" for Chelsea so far this season.

However, their opponents on Saturday only conceded four from set-pieces last year - by far the fewest in the division - and that shows Andrews' own astuteness in this area.

Keep an eye on the battle of the set-piece gurus at the Gtech.

*Stats provided by Opta

Chelsea's 20-year-old Portuguese midfielder Dario Essugo has had an operation on a thigh injury and could be out for a minimum of 12 weeks. (Athletic - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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The Football Association has charged Chelsea with 74 breaches of rules related to payments to agents, intermediaries and third-party investments in players.

The governing body says the offences took place between 2009 and 2022.

Chelsea reported themselves to the FA and "all relevant regulators" and have pointed out the club's transparency in a statement.

The club said: "During a thorough due diligence process prior to completion of the purchase, the ownership group became aware of potentially incomplete financial reporting concerning historical transactions and other potential breaches of FA rules.

"Immediately upon the completion of the purchase, the club self-reported these matters to all relevant regulators, including the FA.

"The club has demonstrated unprecedented transparency during this process, including by giving comprehensive access to the club's files and historical data."

Chelsea have until 19 September to respond to the FA.

Read more here

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea are set to seal the signing of winger Ryan Kavuma-McQueen on a long-term contract.

The 16-year-old is ready to commit to Chelsea on his 17th birthday and sign his first professional contract despite interest from other top clubs.

The Blues are expected to avoid a repeat of the situation that saw Rio Ngumoha join Liverpool from Chelsea in 2024.

Kavuma-McQueen is regarded as potentially the top attacking talent at Chelsea. He is currently playing against players many years his senior in the Under-21s league this season and has taken part in multiple first-team training sessions.

The youngster also made headlines by scoring four goals in England Under-17s 7-5 win over Germany during the international break.

He is part of an exciting generation of teenage footballers that Chelsea's academy technical director Glenn van der Kraan and head of academy recruitment Delroy Ebanks are looking to tie down to new contracts.

While they have been active in the transfer market, Chelsea believe that they have shown youngsters there is a pathway into the first team with flagship talents Reece James, Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah and now Josh Acheampong having substantial roles under manager Enzo Maresca.

Maresca gave a club-record eight debuts to academy players last season.

• Not a Chelsea fan? Find and follow your club here

Liverpool and Newcastle are the latest clubs to join the race to sign England and Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, 21, with Chelsea and Manchester United also among interested parties. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Chelsea midfielder Dario Essugo has undergone surgery on his thigh, the club have confirmed.

The 20-year-old picked up the injury while on international duty with Portugal's under-21s.

In a statement, Chelsea said the operation was "successful" and that Essugo will "now begin his recovery at Cobham, supported by the club's medical department".

Essugo officially joined the Blues for £18m from Sporting in June having agreed a deal in March.

He is yet to make an appearance in the Premier League but made his debut for Chelsea in the Club World Cup in June, featuring on three occasions.

Will Faulks
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea have two wins and a draw from their opening three games. It is a good start in terms of points, and there is plenty of justified optimism.

The defence has been extremely solid so far, and the physicality of the side has gone up a level with the additions made in the summer. Set-pieces have turned from a weakness to a strength, and there is more quality depth in the squad than a year ago.

However, there are asterisks besides all the results so far. Chelsea drew with a good team, beat a very bad team and then squeezed past a decent team in a game that hinged on a single VAR decision in their favour.

Being able to score from set-pieces is a strength - but it will only take you so far. More attacking fluency is needed to beat better teams.

Given the Club World Cup's disruption of pre-season, getting through these first few months of the season and just putting points on the board is what matters to the Blues.

On that front, it is so far so good. Things should now come together gradually in attack as the new players settle and the squad digests the latest influx of new faces.

But nobody should be getting ahead of themselves yet. There are bigger games to come, and when the Champions League gets rolling, we will see Chelsea's depth being tested.

Maresca has shown many strengths as a coach, but this is a new challenge for him.

It will be very interesting to see how quickly he can integrate the new players and get effective attacking patterns functioning against top-tier opposition.

Find more from Will Faulks at Chelsea News, external

Chelsea remain interested in 30-year-old AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, despite failing to agree a deal for the France international this summer, and are excited by the opportunity to land him on a free transfer in 2026. (TBR Football), external

Tottenham made a late move to sign Paris St-Germain's Senny Mayulu before the transfer window shut, with Chelsea and Manchester City also keen on the 19-year-old French midfielder. (Teamtalk), external

Lyon's 20-year-old Belgium winger Malick Fofana attracted interest from Chelsea and Liverpool during the summer transfer window. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Axel Disasi is expected to train separately from the core first-team group - at least initially - but is ready if called upon by Chelsea.

The 27-year-old joined in a £38.5m move from Monaco in 2023 but the Blues tried to sell him or send him out on loan this summer.

However, despite Premier League interest from the likes of Bournemouth and West Ham, the defender has ended up stranded in Chelsea's remaining so-called 'bomb squad'.

There are question marks over what happens next.

Disasi, a France international, plans to remain professional and committed, and is willing to play for the club again if asked.

He remains available and hopes to prove himself - albeit most likely from a separate building for now - but with a view to impress and get back into head coach Enzo Maresca's thinking.

Image source, Getty Images

The dust has just about settled on a busy transfer window for Chelsea.

In total, the Blues brought in 10 players for a total of about £278.8m based on reported initial fees.

Those incomings were:

• Joao Pedro - Brighton (permanent)

• Jamie Gittens - Borussia Dortmund (permanent)

• Alejandro Garnacho - Manchester United (permanent)

• Jorrel Hato - Ajax (permanent)

• Liam Delap - Ipswich Town (permanent)

• Estevao Willian - Palmeiras (permanent)

• Dario Essugo - Sporting (permanent)

• Mamadou Sarr - Strasbourg (permanent)

• Kendry Paez - Independiente del Valle (permanent)

• Facundo Buonanotte - Brighton (loan)

Heading the other way, Chelsea had 24 notable outgoings.

These included a loan with an obligation to buy for Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich, while there was also the permanent exits Noni Madueke to Arsenal, Christopher Nkunku to AC Milan and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Everton.

Of all the summer incomings at Stamford Bridge, who do you think will have the biggest impact?

Rank them here

Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Chelsea's lack of front of shirt sponsor and the future of Mykhailo Mudryk have been the subjects of questions sent in via our 'Ask about Chelsea' form.

The Blues are currently the only Premier League side without a matchday shirt sponsor, while Ukraine forward Mudryk could face a lengthy ban, external after being charged by the Football Association with violating its anti-doping rules.

Take a look at the answers from our expert Nizaar Kinsella below.

What is the latest on Chelsea's shirt sponsorship?

There remains an ongoing competitive process for the front-of-shirt sponsor with Chelsea believed to have had offers but focused on aligning with the right long-term partner.

The club is aiming to strike a deal worth £60m-£65m per season following qualification for the Champions League and winning the revamped Fifa Club World Cup.

Multiple potential partners are believed to be in the frame but beyond that we don't know a lot else about who it may be or when they might announce it.

What is the current position with Mudryk?

Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk remains provisionally suspended, is training alone and is continuing his legal battle.

The Ukrainian lost his number 10 shirt to Cole Palmer and was charged by the Football Association (FA) over a doping violation.

We await any potential sanctions in a highly confidential process which will be the next step and then any potential appeal. This could potentially drag on for a while.

Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.

Find out more here

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Uefa have cleared Chelsea over a potential sporting sanction in the Champions League after they managed to achieve a "positive transfer balance" in the summer transfer window.

In July, the Blues were fined £26.7m for not adhering to Uefa's financial controls and also risked not being able to register new signings like Joao Pedro, Alejandro Garnacho and Estevao Willian for the Champions League had they not sold more players than they bought in the summer window.

However, on Thursday, a Uefa statement confirmed: "The squad list submitted fulfilled the criteria of the settlement agreement and it was therefore already reviewed and approved before publication on Uefa's website."

This summer, Chelsea specifically sold players who were Conference League staples, including Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Joao Felix and Renato Veiga - as the Blues broke the Premier League record in player sales.

In fact, the last few days were all about sell, sell, sell for Chelsea, having added eight of ultimately nine new signings to the squad. Only Facundo Buonanotte arrived on deadline day, a season-long loan from Brighton.

However, when Liam Delap pulled up at 12:44pm on Saturday, it sent Chelsea into panic mode. In the hours before the match, AC Milan had completed a move for forward Christopher Nkunku and the club had allowed Nicolas Jackson to travel for a medical at Bayern Munich.

As the seriousness of Delap's injury became known, Chelsea reneged on the deal with Bayern, prompting an angry reaction from Jackson and his representatives.

Chelsea assessed three things: the opportunity of signing Sporting's Conrad Harder, the option of recalling Guiu, and finally a choice to bring Jackson back.

Ultimately, the club felt Guiu's return was the better choice given he has Premier League experience, unlike Harder, plus he knows the system and has the attributes to succeed.

According to Football Transfers, Chelsea's net spend is £1.5m with £285m spent on the likes of Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho. This was countered with £283.5m of sales, which included Noni Madueke, Joao Felix and Nkunku. Add-on fees also take Chelsea into a positive balance.

Chelsea also offloaded almost all of their unwanted loanees but Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi remain stranded in the 'bomb squad'. They have sold over £750m worth of players to partially balance the more than £1.6bn spent on incoming transfers over the past three years.

Image source, Getty Images

Departed left-back Ben Chilwell says Chelsea fans "gave me the best moments of my life" in a farewell message on social media, external.

The 28-year-old, who joined fellow BlueCo-owned club Strasbourg on a two-year deal on transfer deadline day, wrote a goodbye message to supporters alongside a video.

Chilwell's permanent move ends a five-year spell at Stamford Bridge after joining from Leicester in 2020. During that time, he became a Champions League winner and made 107 appearances in total, scoring nine goals and providing 13 assists.

Injury stunted his progress at Chelsea and he fell out of favour under recent management, ultimately spending the second half of last season on loan at Crystal Palace.

"Chelsea fans, firstly thank you! We won the Champions League together, made a bond like I'd never have imagined and I met brothers for life on and off the pitch here," the England international Chilwell said.

"You helped me through the tough times, injuries, personal life, and gave me the best moments of my life.

"I'll never be able to thank you guys enough - looking forward to showing everyone my best. See you soon. Chilly."

Chelsea's England forward Raheem Sterling, 30, France defender Axel Disasi, 27, and Brazil midfielder Andrey Santos, 21, could all make moves to Saudi Arabia before the Pro League transfer window closes. (Sport - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Ruben Loftus-Cheek was a casualty of the unprecedented churn of players at Chelsea between the Roman Abramovich ownership and the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital era.

He was the first player to properly break through the now-revered Cobham academy under Abramovich's ownership, which made him an important figure at Stamford Bridge.

Loftus-Cheek had his best years under Thomas Tuchel, who made it one of his pet projects to allow the player he compared to Germany great Michael Ballack to realise his potential.

However, it was downhill after Tuchel was sacked by the new owners and Loftus-Cheek endured a chaotic 2022-23 season as Chelsea finished 12th.

Around this time, midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo joined for more than £100m apiece and academy players were sold for 'pure profit' to help balance the books.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has reflected on his time playing under Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge after the England manager added him to his latest squad.

Loftus-Cheek - who now plays for AC Milan - was a favourite of Tuchel during his 20-month spell in charge of the Blues between 2021 and 2022 and played in several positions under the German.

It is over six years since the 29-year-old earned his last call-up under Gareth Southgate in March 2019.

"I played many positions under him - he values my physicality," Loftus-Cheek said.

"I played at six, eight and at centre-back all in one game!

"When he [Tuchel] came to Chelsea, he spoke to me about playing right wing-back. I said: 'No! No! No!' But I played there anyway.

"I had never played in that wide position before and Tuchel suggested that I am a powerful runner and have the pace and physicality to get up and down at speed.

"I ended up playing there a lot in that season. I was happy to play but it was just the shock of the suggestion which was the funny thing. I started to do quite well there and feel the position, and it became comfortable for me."

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea recalled Marc Guiu as their top option to address striker Liam Delap's injury.

Guiu, 19, was deemed the best loanee to lead the attack at Stamford Bridge by the Chelsea hierarchy, given his Premier League experience and understanding of manager Enzo Maresca's style of play.

There had been a period of uncertainty around Chelsea's activity after Delap suffered a serious-looking hamstring injury in the 2-0 win over Fulham.

A ripple effect across the transfer market followed, including blocking Nicolas Jackson from undergoing a medical examination at Bayern Munich and an inquiry to Sporting about striker Conrad Harder.

However, concerns about the Denmark Under-21 forward's ability to make a difference at Chelsea made him an opportunity not worth pursuing, especially as he ultimately joined RB Leipzig.

Instead, Guiu, who joined Chelsea from Barcelona in 2024 for £5m, was seen as deserving the opportunity created by Delap's injury, and his pathway should not be blocked by a new signing.

There was no recall clause in Guiu's loan agreement with Sunderland, but the two clubs' positive relationship enabled them to reach a deal, aided by a penalty clause if the young striker did not play sufficient minutes.

Chelsea also factored in Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha when making the decision.

The 22-year-old, who now captains the French club in their Ligue 1 and Conference League campaigns, is seen internally as a future Netherlands international and player capable of featuring for Chelsea or in the Premier League soon.

The decision not to sign Harder and to work with Guiu was also made with Emegha's future development in mind.