Chelsea

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Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel believes Chelsea could be winning the Champions League again within the next four years.

The Blues last won the trophy four years ago, when they beat Manchester City in Porto in 2021 thanks to a goal from ex-forward Kai Havertz.

As a result, Chelsea qualified for the new-look Fifa Club World Cup which began at the weekend and will take place on a quadrennial basis.

They got their campaign underway on Monday night with a 2-0 win over LAFC, however, the Blues were not at their free-flowing best with some fans suggesting it was the "same old problems" for the side.

After a somewhat tumultuous three years since the new ownership took over, Chelsea looked to finally be seeing some of the fruits of the overhaul after qualifying for the Champions League and securing silverware with the Conference League trophy.

That all despite having the youngest ever team in a single campaign in the Premier League last season at an average of 24 years and 36 days old.

Speaking after the game on DAZN, Mikel said boss Enzo Maresca "is building something special".

He continued: "Don't forget the team is a very young team. We're putting so much pressure on them, it's a very young team.

"If you look at this team in the next two, three, four years, I think we could be talking about them winning the Champions League."

Do you agree with Mikel? Or could it still be a while before Chelsea are lifting that European trophy again?

Make your choice

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter, in Atlanta

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Chelsea midfielder Romeo Lavia says he likes the Club World Cup individual walkouts as he bids to overcome his injury issues.

The 21-year-old started the 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC in Chelsea's opening match of the newly expanded tournament in the United States.

Before kick-off, as with the other matches at Fifa's tournament, each individual player was announced and walked out separately at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

When asked about the experience, Lavia said he liked it: "I think it's something special and new for us. It's a first for us. I enjoyed it. Why not bring it to the Premier League?"

He added: "I mean, it's a bit of a showbiz thing, isn't it? I quite like it. The only difference is [if we did it in the Premier League], we might get a bit cold because once you're out there, you have to wait for maybe the other players.

"But apart from that, it was good. I guess we always learn new things from international tournaments and that's what makes it special."

Defender Tosin Adarabioyo also spoke of the entrances and laughed as he said: "It's something new! We buy into it. We've not done it before so it's a new experience for us all."

Lavia faces new competition after Chelsea signed Dario Essugo from Sporting while also recalling another midfielder in Andrey Santos from his successful loan spell at Strasbourg.

"It's what is needed for the club of this level, so it's all healthy," said Lavia.

"We all have great connections together. It's just about doing our best every day, and then the manager must decide who he wants to pick, but all the players are going to be ready."

But Lavia also needs to improve on his fitness record having made just one substitute appearance in his first season at Stamford Bridge and a further 19 appearances this season, meaning he has missed more matches than he has been available for.

Lavia was then asked whether he hopes to ever emulate Moises Caicedo's feat of starting in all 38 Premier League matches and said: "I'm doing everything possible to stay fit, and playing as many games as possible.

"I think the biggest 'credit' a footballer can have is to be available. It's definitely something I'm aware of.

"So I do everything possible to stay fit. Honestly, all the injuries I have had before, I just want to put them behind me and look forward to the future feeling good. So I don't know why I should be thinking about the injuries."

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Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca says he hopes Cole Palmer will continue to show initiative in his play after impressing in their opening win at the Club World Cup.

The Blues began their tournament with a convincing victory over Los Angeles FC and the Chelsea boss was pleased with his number 10's performance.

"I had a short conversation with Cole and I said to him that I really like the way he was today," said Maresca speaking post-match

"He took responsibility, showed initiative on the ball. He was trying to receive the ball, go one-versus-one against players, and this is the Cole we expect."

This was Chelsea's first game of pre-season, with their last match being their victory over Real Betis in the Uefa Conference League final.

Maresca added: "After the Conference League final, Cole said he was bored when receiving the ball, so he decided to do something different. The day after that interview, I said to him that he could do it from the first minute and why did he wait so long? Why not do the same after one minute?"

"Today he was doing exactly that, and we are happy when he does that. I've said many times Cole is our best player, a top player, and hopefully he can continue to do the right things."

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Chelsea have announced they will host a mini-tournament in August involving Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan as post-Club World Cup preparations for the new campaign.

The competition will kick off on 8 August, with the hosts taking on Bundesliga runners-up Leverkusen, now managed by Erik ten Hag.

The Blues wrap up the weekend on 10 August, taking on AC Milan, led once again by Massimiliano Allegri.

Should Chelsea progress to the final of the Club World Cup, then there would be less than a month of rest for the players.

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With the transfer window now open again until 1 September, we asked for you to tell us one player you want to bring to Chelsea and one player you want the club to sell.

Here are some of your comments:

Nick: Out - Sterling. Big part of the wage bill and has proven ineffective so needs to go. In - Ideally Maignan. Still not old for a goalkeeper and should be relatively 'cheap', but has a lot of experience that could be passed on to our future 'keepers like Slonina and Penders.

Ewan: Sell the liability that is Robert Sanchez and bring in Dean Henderson.

Cammy: As much as I have backed Nicolas Jackson, I feel his red card against Newcastle was a real 'sliding doors' moment regarding his Chelsea career, and as such, I'd be happy to see him moved on. As for who could replace him, I like the idea of Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart. He's versatile, has a different profile than we already have and most importantly, fits the Clearlake model.

Jeremy: Nkunku to sell. It's been clear to see that he's disillusioned with life at Chelsea and wants out. No point in keeping an unhappy player or even taking him with us to the Club World Cup. Someone that we should sign is Osimhen to be the main striker. Delap is one for the future, but he still needs development and would learn a lot from having Osimhen as a team-mate.

Liam: Sell Sanchez- a good shot stopper but vulnerable from crosses and has a tendency to play us into dangerous situations. Buy Eze - proven in the Premier League and could be tempted to showcase his talent in the Champions League. Would work well on the left side or could even come more central to reduce the burden on Palmer who looked fatigued at the second half of last season.

In this weeks episode, BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast takes a look at the 2004/05 Premier League season when Jose Mourinho delivered Chelsea their first league title in 50 years.

Mark Chapman, Chris Sutton and Rory Smith look back on Mourinho's debut season and hear from midfielder Claude Makelele on his role within the team. Sir Alex Ferguson also offers his take on his rivalry with the Chelsea boss.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your views on Chelsea's opening Club World Cup match against Los Angeles FC in Atlanta.

Here are some of your comments:

Thabiso: Same old problems - ponderous build-up, flimsy press and panicky defence. On the plus side, Liam Delap looks like the menace up front we have been crying out for.

Phil: A bit lethargic but this was only a group game. Noni Madueke was poor, but Nicolas Jackson and Delap looked good, and Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto linked up well together. We need to improve as the tournament progresses but let's not forget this is also part of our pre-season, so rotation and resting will be part of the overall plan.

Olllie: Same old, same old. Palmer carrying the rest of the average bunch. Delap looked good for the minutes he got, but still no spark of excitement for the fans. We need to up our game massively.

David: Chelsea were pretty good after they settled down. While every Chelsea fan wants them to win every game and fixture, Neto is showing how good he is and Palmer seems to be coming out of his shell. Things can only get better (we hope).

Ron: We are still too slow and deliberate in our build-up from defence to attack. Still don't agree with our style of play but Delap looks like a good buy. He makes good runs off the ball, which help to open up well set up defences. Looking forward to seeing some more of the new youngsters, but feel we need another strong central defender and keeper.

Tom: Loved the energy Delap brought to the game when he came on. Great movement and touch to put Enzo Fernandez in for his goal. Very excited about this signing!

Gary: I thought we were very flat against a poor side. We still need a world-class forward and a goalkeeper just to get us closer to the top three, but will we address those positions?

Nick: We were only troubled occasionally, when playing sloppily and losing concentration. Neto was the clear man of the match but Flamengo will be a tougher game for us on Friday.

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Following his Chelsea debut in the 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC at the Club World Cup, Liam Delap's new team-mates have backed the £30m man to be a success at the club.

After Delap made an impressive cameo appearance from the bench in the second half, defender Levi Colwill said: "I've known Liam for a long time now, and I've played against him loads of times. Growing up, you know what sort of players are going to make it and he was always one of those.

"To have him in our team, to train against him, to see him score goals - which I know he will - I'm very excited."

Much has been made of Delap taking on the number nine shirt at Stamford Bridge, but Colwill is not expecting him to feel the pressure.

"I know he wouldn't listen to that or read too much into it because he's a confident player. He's an amazing player, and we know he's going to score goals for Chelsea. That's the mentality we need from every player."

Meanwhile, Tosin Adarabioyo added: "He's settled in very well. He's a good young lad and we know what qualities he brings.

"He's aggressive [when] pressing and an aggressive striker, making sure he's always there, setting the intensity. Hopefully he scores many goals for us."

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Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca was pleased with his team's win in their Club World Cup opener, but admitted the match was played in a "strange" environment.

Goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez were enough to get Chelsea off to a winning start against Los Angeles FC in front of a crowd of just 22,137 at the 71,000 capacity Mercedes-Benz Arena.

"It was a good match, a good performance," said Maresca.

"I think the environment was a bit strange - the stadium was almost empty, not full. But, overall, I think after almost three weeks off we started quite well, we created chances, we won the game and and got a clean sheet. We were able to use different players, so overall [I am] happy."

New signing Liam Delap made his debut from the bench in the second half, and provided the assist for Chelsea's second goal.

Despite this being an opportunity for Maresca to look at his squad, much of the focus shifted to the lack of fans inside the ground.

"We are professional and we have to adapt to the situation and to the environment. You have to adapt when you play with a full stadium. You have to adapt when the stadium is not full," Maresca added.

"The behaviour of the players, the attitude, is important. I think once again today they showed how professional they are.

"We finished the Premier League and the Conference [League] very strong defensively without conceding many goals. Hopefully we can continue with this attitude."

Chelsea have opened talks with Lyon over Belgian winger Malik Fofana, 20. Nottingham Forest have also shown interest. (L'Equipe - in French), external

Meanwhile, the Blues have joined Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle in the race for Southampton and England Under-21s winger Tyler Dibling, 19. (CaughtOffside), external

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

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Were you at Chelsea's opening Club World Cup game or following from elsewhere?

What did you make of the Blues' display and what are the talking points?

Come back to this page on Tuesday to find a selection of your replies

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter in Atlanta

New signing Liam Delap could make his debut for Chelsea from the bench against LAFC after joining for £30m from Ipswich Town before the Club World Cup.

Returning loanee Andrey Santos and a trio of teenage signings Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Mike Penders are also on the bench.

Meanwhile, LAFC have left former Blues striker Olivier Giroud on the bench but familiar foe Hugo Lloris starts in goal.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, James, Tosin, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Lavia, Neto, Palmer, Madueke; Jackson

Subs: Filip, Penders, Sarr, Anselmino, Gusto, Chalobah, Badiashile, Acheampong, Essugo, Andrey Santos, Dewsbury-Hall, Fernandez, Delap, George, Nkunku, Guiu.

Los Angeles XI: Lloris, Palencia, Long, Segura, Hollingshead, Delgado, Jesus, Tillman, Ordaz, Ebobisse, Bouanga.

Subs: Hasal, Ochoa, Marlon, Raposo, Chanot, Tafari, Hom, Saldana, Yeboah, Giroud, Martinez, Wibowo.

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No sooner does the season finish and we start looking forward to key dates for the next campaign - and that will be a lot easier to do on Wednesday when the Premier League fixtures are released.

That's right, that special day in the calendar is almost here already. The day when you'll learn details of derby fixtures, Christmas opponents and end-of-season run-ins.

This page will bring you all the fixtures when they drop at 09:00 BST on Wednesday and we'll be giving you the chance to have your say on how things look.

The new campaign kicks off on the weekend of Saturday, 16 August and it will conclude on Sunday, 24 May 2026, when all 10 games will take place at the same time.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Before Chelsea's first match at the Club World Cup against Los Angeles FC on Monday, we put your questions to our football news reporter out in the US, Nizaar Kinsella.

Nick asked: With the limited time between signing Liam Delap and the start of the Club World Cup for him to pick up Maresca's methods, do you think he's likely to play a significant role for the team in the tournament, or are we likely to see Nicolas Jackson starting and Delap used as an option from the bench?

Nizaar: Liam Delap may have only just joined from Ipswich Town but he knows Enzo Maresca's methods. He won the Premier League 2 title at Manchester City under the Italian while scoring 24 goals, playing alongside Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia. I think the reason Chelsea wanted to get him, midfielder Dario Essugo and defender Mamadou Sarr in for this tournament was to help their adaptation. I expect Delap will share the minutes with Nicolas Jackson as they battle it out for the number nine shirt.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Before Chelsea's first match at the Club World Cup against Los Angeles FC on Monday, we put your questions to our football news reporter out in the US, Nizaar Kinsella.

Here are some of his answers on how the competition could help the Blues.

Rob asked: Will this help Chelsea at all in regard to next season or will players be burnt out even before the season starts?

Nizaar: Chelsea would add 23% more revenue to the profit and loss account if they won the tournament with £97m in TV revenue earned. It would give Chelsea a super 'have' to the rest of the Premier League's 'have nots'. They would have £311m in revenue compared to around £246m for Champions League only clubs. The non-European clubs are down at £130m in TV money terms. Uefa's squad cost controls are stricter in terms of the loss limits and don't allow the sale of hotels or the women's team to be included and it is expected Chelsea will fall foul of those regulations and pay a fine.

Joshua asked: What is your prediction for Chelsea at the Club World Cup and do you think their squad depth could make them contenders after such a long season?

Nizaar: I think they are contenders to win it but not favourites. I know from several sources that Real Madrid are taking this competition very seriously as highlighted by the signings of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen before travelling to the United States. Manchester City have spent very big, Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League and are rightly considered one of the best teams in the world and Bayern Munich are among the other favourites.

Check back in a couple of hours for the next part of the Q&A.

The transfer window is open again for summer business to be conducted.

Clubs can now strike deals until the deadline at 19:00 BST on 1 September.

So if you can sell one player who is it? And if you can buy one player only, who gets the nod?

Give us reasons for your choice but remember, in this instance it's a strict one player leaving and one coming in.

Send your selections

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Before Chelsea's first match at the Club World Cup against Los Angeles FC on Monday, we put your questions to our football news reporter out in the US, Nizaar Kinsella.

Here are some of his answers on how the tournament will impact pre-season:

Ash asked: The last few pre-seasons Chelsea have been poor and resulted in some significant long term injuries, are you worried that players may be encouraged to push themselves a bit too hard?

Nizaar: This is an interesting question. I think from my experience and from talking to people at Chelsea and other clubs, there are two kinds of injuries to worry about. There are muscle injuries which often relate to player workload as well as conditioning and other factors. Then there are just certain kinds of injuries, resulting in uncontrollable incidents like bad tackles, that are judged differently by medical departments. There will be a concern that if the players aren't managed right through this tournament and into next season that the former type of muscle injuries could increase. It will be on Chelsea's backroom to get this right as this Club World Cup is unchartered territory and could result in the club, who have played 57 matches already, playing another seven matches to extend the season into mid-July.

Conor: How will pre-season work given this competition runs through to mid-July?

Nizaar: There are reports emerging that Chelsea will play a pre-season game against AC Milan in Dublin on 10 August. We have been told that Chelsea are not looking at leaving Europe this summer after already playing a certain number of games in the US at the Club World Cup. They will have to be reactive to an extent with planning given they don't know when they will exit the competition. I do think it will be slightly difficult to handle as players will deserve at least 10 days off after this and it will have to be factored in but it will eat into pre-season preparation.

Check back in a couple of hours for the next part of the Q&A.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter, in Atlanta

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Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris admits Chelsea are at a "different level" and that his side are the minnows of the group at the Club World Cup.

The former Tottenham captain, now 38, will face English opposition again at the tournament in the United States at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

When asked about LAFC's prospects, after they won a play-off match against Mexican side Club America, he said: "We have nothing to lose, especially against an opponent like Chelsea. It will be hard, European clubs can do everything quicker.

"We come here with a lot of humility. We just take it game by game. I cannot hide that the standard of the other opponents are higher than ours. Especially Chelsea, then Flamengo and Tunis is a competitive club in Africa.

"Listen, we just want to come here to enjoy the competition, try to get the best result we can but we also have to be realistic, to compare an MLS game and a Club World Cup game is really hard."

The former World Cup-winning goalkeeper with France added it isn't just European clubs that have player workload concerns with the addition of another competition, adding: "To be honest with you, when I came to the MLS, I expected a rhythm of games less intense than in Europe but then you realise you travel a lot.

"Everywhere is the same, there are a lot of competitions and players have to adapt to the schedule.

"For us, as soon as we finish the tournament, we have to go back to a routine of the MLS games which is not easy either. I am not here to question the schedule. I am just here to tell you we are enjoying being here and to do our best."

Lloris also said the match has no special significance as a former Spurs player but that he still "follows the news" about the club, and saw that manager Ange Postecoglou was sacked despite winning the Europa League and was replaced by former Brentford boss Thomas Frank last week.

He added: "Nothing surprises me in football. But I don't know what happened inside the club so it really hard for me to judge. If they made this decision it is because they believe there is another option which is better for the future of the club.

"Thomas Frank did amazing job at Brentford. But Postecoglou deserves a lot of credit, the players as well, it is not easy to win that kind of competition

"What Ange Postecoglou did was just remarkable. He brought this Europa League trophy, he brought a lot of joy to the Spurs community, a lot of pride as well and we all have to be thankful for that."

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Club World Cup game against LAFC (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Maresca spoke highly of summer signing Liam Delap: "I don't have any doubt that he can be in the future England's number nine."

• On their time together at Manchester City, he added: "We know each other already from years ago, so I know what Liam can give us, he knows what we can give to him to improve and to become a better player."

• When asked if Delap or Nicolas Jackson will be the club's starting striker: "I never say to a player you will be a first choice, the message is always the same, you arrive, you work hard, you work more than the other number nine [and you can be]."

• Maresca isn't ruling out a "very difficult" Club World Cup opener against LAFC: "I'm never confident, I don't know if it's something good or something bad, but I think because of the technology today, any game can be difficult. They can watch many games about us, we can watch many games about them, so every game becomes very complicated."

• The Chelsea boss confirmed they hope to sign a left winger this summer as Jadon Sancho's loan deal ends.

• Brazilian winger Estevao, who is joining to Chelsea in the summer, impressed in Palmeiras' Club World Cup match against Porto, but Maresca insisted the club are still looking to sign a wide player: "If Estevao is doing well we are happy, but he is doing well for another team. Hopefully he can do well when he joins us."

Follow today's football news on our daily live page

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Monday marks the start of the transfer window re-opening, so teams can now do business until 1900 BST on 1 September.

Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens is known to be a major target after Chelsea's £42m bid was rejected on the first transfer deadline day.

The Blues will go away and regroup but are likely to bid again as they need a right-footed left winger in the squad. In terms of outgoings, take your pick.

Chelsea will be busy selling this summer and have to offload Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling, Joao Felix, Djordje Petrovic, Renato Veiga, Christopher Nkunku and many more.

They may also look to add a goalkeeper, if the right opportunity presents itself, after showing interest in AC Milan's Mike Maignan, and a central defensive signing could be made should players such as Trevoh Chalobah be sold.

Read more from around the clubs on the transfer window

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Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca says his team are "here to win" ahead of their first match at the Club World Cup.

The Blues take on Los Angeles FC in Atlanta on Monday, and are one of two Premier League teams taking part in the tournament alongside Manchester City.

Speaking to the club website,, external Maresca said: "When you are the Chelsea head coach or if you are a Chelsea player, you must always try to win. It doesn't matter if it's the Club World Cup or another competition – that is what is expected.

"At this moment [in the year], the players are normally away enjoying their holiday and recovering energy. That is not the case because we are here to try to win. We can rest after the Club World Cup.

"I feel proud [to lead Chelsea into the Club World Cup]. It is the first and everything is new for us. So we must adapt as quickly as possible to make sure we are ready."

After their match against LAFC, Chelsea will take on Brazillian side Flamengo before rounding off their group stage against Tunisian champions ES Tunis.