Chelsea

We asked for your views on Chelsea's 2-0 Conference League play-off first leg win over Swiss side Servette on Thursday.

Here are some of your comments:

Nakul: I thought it was still a performance far away from what the standard of this club should be at. First half was not good enough and clinical enough but eventually we saw out the game. If we play like this in the league we are in trouble, but a win is a win.

Matthew: Good performance. Some worrying moments in the first half, but we did improve in the second half. I hope Marc Guiu's miss doesn't destroy his confidence as he did well before he came off. Great to see Nkunku and Madueke (he can't be sold) score. I just hope the fans don't turn on Maresca as it was really poor to hear the fans booing. Onto Sunday.

Alan: We won. Just about, no thanks to the defence. If they intend to play out from the back, then the defence needs a big shake-up. As for the team as a whole, if the manager is going to keep changing the team so drastically, how is any player going to fit into a pattern? Despite the win, I still see this season being a disaster.

Bails: It's a risky type of game to play and it's not working. The answer is not to keep buying players, it's just to use what we have. Selling players like Gallagher will not do us any good as he would bring so much. Sterling suits the system but he's been ousted. Kepa could be our number one but no. All the tools but no clue, it feels like.

Richard: Less attempts on target than Servette is not a ringing endorsement. There were multiple changes to the starting line-up and a lot of the players don't know each other too well. Weaknesses exist throughout the team. The defence looks insecure, midfield are not able to impose themselves and lose possession. Deadly striker required still. Who?

Sylvia: Yes a win is a win but this was a very disjointed performance with no sign of the on-the-front-foot possession-based and attacking football which is supposedly Maresca's style. Just lots of backward and sideways passing. Depressing to watch.

Danny: Chaos. Our club is a laughing stock and we have no chance whatsoever of top four in this or next season. Too much money spent on mediocrity and the decision making by the management is appalling. Who had the idea of playing roulette with the captain's armband?

Michael: Bit of a painful watch at times and I don't understand playing without a striker after the subs were brought on. Tosin and Veiga looked ok at the back and good saves from Jorgensen.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter at Stamford Bridge

Image source, Getty Images

Enzo Maresca says Mykhailo Mudryk's moments in the attacking third are "like flipping a coin" and the Chelsea boss wants to help his winger realise his potential at Stamford Bridge.

The 23-year-old played the full 90 minutes of the 2-0 win over Servette on Thursday but missed a huge chance just after half-time and struggled to make an impact.

When asked about the Ukrainian, who was signed from under the noses of Arsenal in a deal which could rise to £88m in add-ons, Maresca said: "This is Mudryk, not only in terms of tonight but also in terms of since he joined the club.

"He had some good moments and then some moments like flipping a coin. You don't know if it's one thing or the other thing.

"We are going to try to help him change. He needs to try to understand that we are going to give him the ball in the last third. And when he's there, [it's about] taking the right decision. For me, most of the mistakes from Misha are not about the quality or the technical mistake - it's about the choice.

"Sometimes he tries to do something different and we lose the ball. Sometimes he has to go one-v-one. It's about decision making. Hopefully we can help him improve that.

"If he can become more consistent, he can take one step forward."

Chelsea earned the first win of Maresca’s reign but conceded 22 shots on goal in a match where the Blues, at times, struggled against the Swiss Cup winners.

“I was a bit worried. In the last 10 minutes, we played a little bit with fire," added Maresca.

"We could have managed the game in a completely different way but I also expected [it] because we are in a moment where we are learning things.

"In the end it was a good thing because we didn't concede and from that we can learn."

The second leg of the Conference League play-off will take place next Thursday in Geneva (kick-off 19:30 BST).

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The Conor Gallagher chants were audible. And frequent.

The longer Chelsea's Conference League play-off first leg against Servette remained 0-0, the louder they became - and the more uncomfortable the ownership will surely have felt as a result.

The loss of a homegrown player, adored by match-going fans, is clearly still raw. In the first game since Gallagher's departure to Atletico Madrid, his absence, both on the pitch in midfield and in a wider sense at the club, was felt. And heard.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall - the man many supporters see as Gallagher's replacement - did little to ease things with his performance, lacking quality on the ball aside from the pass to create Christopher Nkunku's penalty.

It is not of his own making, but the two will be compared constantly and an uphill start at a club like Chelsea is a situation few players excel in.

There were bright spots. Pedro Neto looked lively and Tosin Adarabioyo looked composed on their full debuts and Nkunku was a threat throughout. Noni Madueke came off the bench to score an excellent second.

Filip Jorgenson in goal, also on debut, was a standout performer - his accomplished display culminating in a fine stop down to his right late on to maintain the Blues' 2-0 advantage.

The less said of Mykhailo Mudryk's performance the better. In a week where Raheem Sterling's services have been rendered redundant it is hard to see how he turns things around. Another shadow one of Chelsea's players must now live in.

Overall, this was a fairly flat showing despite the primary objective being met and Enzo Maresca getting his first win as Blues boss under his belt.

Servette registered 22 attempts to the hosts' 14 and the tie would have an entirely different dynamic should Tiemoko Ouattara late deflected effort had snuck in rather than rattling the crossbar.

The atmosphere at Stamford Bridge was that of a crowd skeptical but ready to latch on to any encouragement thrown their way.

However, not too much encouragement was forthcoming so fans chanted about the elephant in the room. The young man now in Madrid.

Chelsea's Raheem Sterling has been offered to Aston Villa but Unai Emery is not sure if the forward fits into his plans. (Mirror, external)

Sterling was kept in the dark about being frozen out at Stamford Bridge and has ruled out a move to Saudi Arabia. (Mail, external)

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

Neil Johnston
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo said in pre-season he lost confidence because of the pressure of his £115m price tag after joining from Brighton in August 2023.

But will this be the season the Ecuador international comes good?

Caicedo was entrusted with the captain's armband by Enzo Maresca against Servette and led his side to a 2-0 first leg win in the Conference League play-off at Stamford Bridge.

He scored one goal and registered four assists in 48 games in his debut campaign as Chelsea finished sixth in the Premier League, with manager Mauricio Pochettino leaving in May.

Caicedo praised a performance coach and his former manager Pochettino for getting him back on the right track after a difficult start to life at Chelsea.

Maresca's decision to make him skipper on Thursday should do Caicedo the power of good.

Chelsea need as many leaders on the pitch as possible and Caicedo could yet prove vital as Maresca negotiates his first season in charge.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

Have your say on Chelsea's performance, external

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

Read the match report

Image source, Getty Images

Will a move to Chelsea be the catalyst in Joao Felix's career, or is his transfer to Stamford Bridge a bad one? That is the debate that European football experts had on Wednesday's Euro Leagues podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live.

"You have to believe that every 24-year-old will live up to expectations, especially someone who has the talent that he does," said Mina Rzouki.

"The only issue is whether you can see him doing it at Chelsea. That is the overhanging question mark and I don't think he can.

"One of the reasons that we hail players like Jude Bellingham is because of how they have managed their career and the choices they have made. Felix has chosen a club that have no rhythm and no rhyme. It is hard to understand what Chelsea are trying to achieve and you do not know if you will be selected to play or if you will be a fringe player."

Julien Laurens added: "There was no other club that wanted him this summer and Chelsea only came in for him because of Conor Gallagher. Otherwise he would still be at Atletico and not playing because he has fallen out with Diego Simeone.

"If this move does not work and he does not play then no one will come in for him in January or next summer. It would then become a waste of an incredible talent.

"They have to find him the right position and play him, but then you are still at the mercy of him being consistent, which he has not been for years now.

"This move is so important for him, because if it does not go right then I do not know what will be next for him."

Listen to the Euro Leagues podcast on BBC Sounds

Image source, PA Media

BBC Sport football news reporter Nizaar Kinsella spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live about Chelsea's sale of academy players in the transfer window.

He said: "Chelsea are quite defensive about this and they say that all Premier League clubs are doing this to an extent and that is true. Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City have been selling academy players to help buy players. It helps to balance the books in the way that football accounting works.

"Chelsea have been particularly aggressive in this space, and Conor Gallagher was one of those. I think that's why Chelsea were so keen to go through with this deal, because he was in the last year of his deal.

"The difference with Chelsea is that they've spent so much money and this is because they've sold so many academy players.

"It's got to the point where they can't even adhere to Uefa rules for the upcoming Conference League competition because they don't have enough academy players available. This is staggering because in football circles, Man City and Chelsea are considered to have the two best academies in English football."

Image source, Getty Images

European football expert Archie Rhind-Tutt says Atletico Madrid have the better end of the Conor Gallagher and Joao Felix deal because Diego Simeone gains a player that suits his style.

Midfielder Gallagher has signed a five-year contract with the Spanish top-flight club, while Felix has signed a seven-year deal to begin a second spell at Stamford Bridge.

"It is difficult to argue that Atletico haven't really won this deal," Rhind-Tutt said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Euro Leagues podcast.

"They paid a lot of money for Felix so they have done well to at least get a fee - especially as Felix is a player who has been accused of not having the best mentality.

"Gallagher fits into the way they play, and in the process they have got rid of someone who was a problem case for them.

"If you are a Chelsea fan then surely you are looking at this and thinking: 'How have we lost again on another deal?'

"But also, what players are thinking that Chelsea looks like a good place to go right now? I scratch my head and wonder who is advising these players."

Julien Laurens added: "This deal happened for purely financial reasons because all of Gallagher's sale goes into Chelsea's pocket and they can spread the cost of Felix.

"But a year ago Felix was a Chelsea player and he was not very good, so why would you go after him again? It was to make sure the Gallagher deal happened."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign Ben Chilwell by Chelsea after the left-back was told he does not feature in boss Enzo Maresca's plans. (Talksport), external

Napoli director Giovanni Manna has returned to England to continue transfer talks for Blues striker Romelu Lukaku. (Gianluca di Marzio - in Italian), external

Forward Raheem Sterling wants to remain in the Premier League after being told he has no future at Stamford Bridge. (Sky Sports), external

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

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Joao Felix's introduction to life at Chelsea in January 2023 was symbolic of the state of the club - chaotic.

After arriving on a £9.7m half-season loan from Atletico Madrid, Felix dazzled for the first 58 minutes of his debut. He glided past defenders, looking every inch the player Atletico spent £113m on in 2019. Then he was sent off for a shocking lunge on Fulham's Kenny Tete and Chelsea lost 2-1.

The resulting suspension ruled Felix out for three of the 21 Premier League games that would occur during his loan spell. Already one of the most expensive loan deals of all time, social media users were quick to highlight the financial repercussions of the red card and ensuing ban.

On his return, Felix impressed and scored in a 1-1 draw at West Ham. Then came limp defeats by Southampton and Tottenham in which Chelsea drew blanks, mounting pressure on manager Graham Potter.

A narrow 1-0 win over Leeds and a 3-1 victory at Leicester gave the former Brighton boss a stay of execution. Felix showed glimpses, hitting the woodwork in both, but was substituted at half-time against the Foxes.

His first Stamford Bridge goal came a week later against Everton in another performance that began sharply but petered out. Chelsea conceded late to draw the game 2-2, and after a 2-0 home defeat by Aston Villa in their next outing Potter was dismissed.

Frank Lampard was bought in to take temporary charge and, amid the mess, results fell off a cliff.

Perhaps appropriately, Felix's finest moment came in one of Chelsea's lowest. His excellent solo goal in the 4-1 defeat at Manchester United in the penultimate game of the season showed what he is all about - gliding across the pitch with the ball before unleashing a cultured finish into the bottom corner.

In terms of chaos at Chelsea, not much has changed on Felix's return.

The squad is bloated, the plan is unclear and the transfer policy still appears scattergun.

However, Felix is a player of genuine standout quality with an extremely high ceiling. After showing glimpses in loans at Chelsea and Barcelona, perhaps he just does not fully know who he is as a player and where he belongs yet.

Chelsea fans have genuine reason to be excited. As long as they avoid thinking about where he will fit in.

Image source, Chelsea FC via Getty Images

New signing Joao Felix has said "there is no better place for me to be than Chelsea" following the completion of his transfer to Stamford Bridge.

Speaking to club media, external the Portugal international said he sees the club as a "perfect place to shine".

He said: "It was a little bit of a lot of things that made me want to come back; the project, the club, the league, the fans, the time I spent here that I loved. I felt really good when I was here, despite the results we had. I'm really happy to be back."

Felix, who was previously on loan at Chelsea, continued: "I've developed as a player in a lot of ways; the perception of the game and the spaces the ball can arrive easily where I can make more impact, I try to figure it out by watching some videos of me of my games.

"I've kind of changed since I was last here. I'm 24 now. I feel like I grew up as a player. That's normal with age. I'm more prepared for the Premier League.

"I feel like my best years are ahead of me. I have no doubt about that. The best years are still to come. And this year is going to be a good year, because now I am permanently at home, and I can enjoy home."

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea have announced that Pedro Neto will change his shirt number from 19 to seven - which was previously worn by Raheem Sterling - for the remainder of the season.

Manager Enzo Maresca confirmed earlier on Wednesday that Sterling and Ben Chilwell are both training away from Chelsea's first-team squad.

Neto, who signed from Wolves earlier this month, wore the number 19 in Chelsea's loss to Manchester City on Sunday.

New signing Joao Felix will wear the number 14 - and the club have said numbers are subject to change up until the end of the transfer window.

Ross Mooring
Fan writer

The sorry saga of Conor Gallagher's time at Chelsea since the takeover of 2022 has come to an end - with his move to Atletico Madrid finally sealed.

Beyond the debate over selling a player - who outperformed everyone in a blue shirt last year who wasn't named Cole Palmer - Gallagher is a homegrown talent who applied himself, in a way not easy to replicate in terms of commitment nor desire.

Without his on-field contributions last season the club would not have qualified for Europe nor enjoyed two long domestic cup runs.

Chelsea's management were bemusingly compelled to buy Joao Felix from Atletico just to force through the sale after the collapse of the Samu Omorodion deal.

Felix was deemed not good enough by Atletico, Barcelona, and had a subpar loan spell here in 2023. Chelsea's transfer fee combined with the cost of Gallagher's replacement in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (a player currently nowhere near an England setup that included Gallagher in the Euros) has wiped out the "pure profit" for which Gallagher has been sold.

The icing on this sour cake is the club's attempts to hide Gallagher being forced out from the start, offering him an insultingly short term contract with the apparent promise of another new deal - if he established himself in Enzo Maresca's side.

No one at Chelsea, fans especially, would begrudge Gallagher laughing at such a return under the current management. Morale among supporters is at a very low ebb under the current ownership.

With yet more hundreds of millions spent in the transfer market everyone is under pressure to deliver Champions League football - with a team again in the early stages of development.

Find more from Ross Mooring at ChelseaFancast.com, external

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca says it is "not a comfortable situation" for players left out of his large squad.

The head coach confirmed in his pre-Europa Conference League news conference on Wednesday that Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell are part of a group of 15 players who are currently training away from the first team.

While the Blues have a squad of over 40 players, Maresca has only been working with a group of 21 on a day-to-day basis.

"If they are looking for minutes, then it is better if they leave. If they do not leave, then they have a contract here and they are a Chelsea player," he said.

"For sure, it's not a comfortable situation. I don't have any doubt. When I was a player, I had the exact same happen to me, so I know exactly 100% the feeling.

"But also, I think it's good to know that if you are going to stay, then you are going to struggle to get minutes. Now in this moment, it is not the best situation. But probably in two days, in one week, 10 days, it can be a better situation because you move, you join a club where you are going to play more games.

"There are also different clubs who maybe don't have 15 [training away] but have four, five or six players who are in the same situation. I think, in the end, after 10 days it will be much better for all the clubs – not only Chelsea."

One of the Blues new signings this summer, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who is part of the main squad, says they are "in a bubble".

"You can't let that sort of thing affect you," the 25-year-old added. "We just go out every day and train as well as we can, getting ready for the matches. Everything that happens outside is not up to us.

"We have one job and that is it - to play as well as we can for the club.

"Of course if you have friends in the team you want to see them every day and train, but these are decisions we don't make as players, that's the club. It's not in our hands, all we can do is go and play and train."

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Europa Conference League play-off game against Servette (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Captain Reece James will not be fit to face Servette, while new signing Joao Felix will have to wait until Sunday's game at Wolves to be eligible to play.

• Maresca confirmed right-back James is the club's captain, but they "have three or four more options after him" and he is "thinking of one or two more to nominate to give more responsibility".

• On why they signed Portugal international Felix, Maresca said: "He is a good player, he is a talent. The club already knows him from two years ago. He can play different positions with us - inside, as a nine, outside."

• He said Conor Gallagher's exit was "not something new" but that it "is very sad" to sell players like him and added: "In his moment things are different because you have to sell academy players for profit. It is the situation and the rules are there and we need to respect the rules."

• After confirming Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell are training away from the first-team squad, Maresca said he did not feel he was being "brutal", just "honest".

• He added: "I spoke with Raheem before the Manchester City game, I said he is going to struggle to get minutes with us and this is why he was out of the squad. With Chilwell, I said he is a lovely guy but, because of his position with us, he is going to struggle. If you define this as brutal that is for you to decide, I say this is honesty."

• On if he will struggle to keep players happy: "Almost impossible to keep them all content. I just try to be honest with all of them. The noise is all outside, I am working with 21-22 players, I'm not working with 42 players. We are 42-43 players, but more than 15 players are training apart."

• He added: "It is not about if they are Chelsea players, they are not working with me. It is not a mess like it looks from outside, absolutely not."

• On difficulties with the length of contracts of some players: "This is not my problem. I just have to think about who is best for us. If they have six-year or 20-year contracts, I'm just here to make best decisions for the team. The contracts are not my job."

Follow all of Wednesday's football news here

You have been sending us your reaction to Chelsea selling Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid, after the England international said his 18-year stay at the club made his "dreams come true".

Here are some of your thoughts:

Harvey: Our owners are sadly clueless. Before them, we were extremely well run and we were champions. Now we have wasted over £1bn with no clear plan or structure. The player numbers are out of control and we have a manager who has knelt at the feet of Pep Guardiola. Selling Conor Gallagher is like selling Frank Lampard - and that obviously didn't happen! Go home Todd.

Tom: It is just awful. Last season it was Mount, now it is Gallagher and Chalobah is likely to follow! We are just numbers on a spreadsheet that needs balancing for Todd Boehly - and I'm not sure he is even good at that! I know football is a business, but it is also about keeping the players that understand what it means to represent the club.

Peter: He had to be sold so the deal could be done for Joao Felix. He refused a new contract. The only way we could get a fee for him was to buy Joao Felix from Atletico, therefore making it possible for them to buy Gallagher from us. Conor always gave 100% but he lacked a finish or often lost the ball along the way. I wish him the best of luck for the future.

Rod: Chelsea should hang their heads in shame. Another loyal and homegrown player sold. I have been a Chelsea supporter for 66 years, but I'm beginning to question their policies because it seems to me that the club is going backwards.

Fossie: Another good academy product lost. When are these owners going to understand that you cannot buy success? The spine of any team must come from those who are the heart and soul of the club - the academy players. These owners are wasting money on heartless players who owe the club nothing but still pick up a wage. Something has got to change.

Bernie: I'm glad to see the back of him. He keeps saying that playing for Chelsea was "a dream come true" yet, after multiple contract offers and being made captain (albeit a stand-in), he decides to leave. The constant rumours of him moving on can now, thankfully, end.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea's new signing Joao Felix says he's "really happy to be back" and always wanted to return to the Premier League after previously spending time on loan at the club.

Speaking to the club's official website, external the Portuguese said: "I’m really happy to be back at Chelsea and I can’t wait to get started, I can see some familiar faces from the last time I was here, which is always nice.

"I loved my time here before and I told my friends and family that I’d love to return to the Premier League one day. To do that with Chelsea is a great feeling and I’m excited to be back."

The 24-year-old scored four times for the Blues in 20 appearances during his previous loan spell at the club in the 2022-23 season.

England playmaker Cole Palmer says individual awards are "nice" but he wants to win trophies with Chelsea after receiving the PFA Young Player of the Year award.