Chelsea

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea started against Crystal Palace with new signing Joao Pedro up front, Cole Palmer playing in behind, Jamie Gittens on the left and Pedro Neto on the right - and another creative influence, Enzo Fernandez, in midfield.

However, they struggled to create anything before the break and could well have been behind.

In the second half, two other new attackers - Estevao and Liam Delap - came off the bench when the hosts were pushing for a winner and Palace appeared willing to settle for a point away at a 'big-six' opponent.

The six attackers mentioned above cost Chelsea close to £250m in total - not including the £107m for midfielder Fernandez - so fans would no doubt expect the Blues to create plenty of chances.

But they mustered just three shots on target on Sunday - one fewer than Palace - and could have done with someone like former winger Eden Hazard, who was watching on in the stands.

Chelsea will feel their attack will start firing soon, but perhaps their short pre-season and addition of so many new players, once again, means they take time to settle.

This was a missed opportunity for the Blues who were in celebration mode before kick-off, which helped create one of the loudest atmospheres at Stamford Bridge since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Yet the positive feelings from winning the Club World Cup and Conference League could not be translated into a statement display on the field. However, goodwill among their fanbase is still alive despite a disappointing opening result.

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Chelsea drew 0-0 to Crystal Palace in their opening Premier League fixture on Sunday and manager Enzo Maresca believes his team could have performed better, but not to get ahead of themselves.

"Tough game, we expected a tough game. Apart from the first half free-kick, we didn't concede any chances but they are a very good team," Maresca told BBC Match of the Day.

"We could have counter attacked better, we could have defended better but it is only the first game of the season.

On a limited pre season: "They [Palace] played about eight games, we played just two so we tried our best. We didn't lose a clean sheet."

On how the new signings performed: "Some of them are ready, some of them need to adapt a little bit but overall very happy with all of them."

On Eberechi Eze's free-kick: "When they scored, I didn't see that but when they reviewed it, I saw that it was a foul."

On signing a central defender: "You like to talk about central defenders? I already spoke. Thank you very much."

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• Chelsea have started a Premier League season with a goalless draw for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign against Stoke City.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Chelsea's performance

What did you make of Crystal Palace's display?

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

Chelsea give a debut to winger Jamie Gittens but are without defender Tosin Adarabioyo for precautionary reasons after he pulled up in training.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, James, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Neto, Palmer, Gittens, Joao Pedro

Subs: Jorgensen, Fofana, Gusto, Hato, Essugo, Andrey Santos, Delap, Estevao, George

Crystal Palace start Eberechi Eze amid widespread reports of the forward nearing a move to Tottenham.

Star defender Marc Guehi also starts amid interest from Liverpool.

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson, Munoz, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi, Mitchell, Wharton, Hughes, Sarr, Eze, Mateta

Subs: Benitez, Clyne, Cardines, Sosa, Lerma, Devenny, Esse, Rak-Sakyi, Edouard

Three matches make up Sunday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

• Chelsea v Crystal Palace - BBC Radio 5 Live

• Nottingham Forest v Brentford - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Manchester United v Arsenal (16:30) - BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 14:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction from the 14:00 games here

And get Man Utd v Arsenal here

There is real excitement about Chelsea at the moment.

They have just won the Club World Cup but the Premier League is the one they want and I bet one or two of their fans are thinking they have got half a chance this season.

This game might be a reminder of how hard that is going to be, because Crystal Palace are such a well-balanced and dangerous side under Oliver Glasner.

I still think Chelsea will win though. They have a few options up front now and some versatile attackers too, so they can try to break Palace down in different ways.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea and Crystal Palace have both won two trophies each since the end of the last domestic season and will hope to carry that momentum into the first London derby of the new Premier League campaign.

Palace claimed the first major honour in their history by winning the FA Cup final and also beat Liverpool on penalties last weekend to lift the Community Shield.

Chelsea, meanwhile, claimed silverware in the Conference League and the newly expanded Club World Cup.

But their summers have otherwise followed very different paths.

Chelsea's relentless turnover of players has continued apace, with over £230m spent on incomings and more than £190m recouped in sales.

New signings, such as Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap, Jorrel Hato and Estevao Willian, could make their league debuts for the Blues on Sunday, as could the in-form Joao Pedro. The Brazilian scored three goals in two starts at the Club World Cup and also netted in pre-season wins over Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan.

Palace, meanwhile, have spent just £2m - the second lowest figure in the top flight prior to the weekend - adding some squad depth with the recruitment of full-back Borna Sosa and goalkeeper Walter Benitez.

Despite unprecedented success on the field, it has been a testing period for chairman Steve Parish. On Monday, Palace lost their appeal against demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League, with the Court of Arbitration for Sport backing Uefa's decision that they were in breach of multi-club ownership rules.

The club are also braced for bids for Marc Guehi, who has entered the final year of his contract, and Eberechi Eze, who has been linked with Arsenal and Tottenham.

Losing Eze would be a real blow, particularly this late in the transfer window.

He has improved his total number of goals and assists in each of the past three seasons and either scored or created 26 goals in all competitions last term, the highest figure of his career.

We have looked into the age profile of Chelsea's players for the 2025-26 season and recorded what percentage of minutes each of them played last campaign.

For the purpose of this exercise, we have deemed those under 24 as youth, between 24 and 30 as in their peak years and anyone over 30 to be a veteran.

The green represents new signings, who naturally did not play, red are those that have since left the club and yellow are all those that remain.

While the approach may at times have seemed chaotic, a clear vision for Chelsea since the arrival of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital in 2022 has been a focus on young players.

Last season, there was no player over the age of 30 in their Premier League squad as they put all their faith in youth.

Now, with more players heading into the peak category, the Conference League and Club World Cup success last campaign suggests the approach may finally be bearing fruit.

Judging by this summer's business, the owners look determined to stick with the transfer gameplan, with all the latest signings also fitting in that youth category.

Now, it is up to the Blues' blossoming squad to challenge those at the very top of the league this time around.

Image source, Getty Images

Let's have a look at who BBC Sport's TV and radio commentators have picked as the Chelsea player to watch out for in the next few months.

Estevao Willian

Age: 18 Position: Winger Country: Brazil

Conor McNamara: I commentated on Estevao's debut for Chelsea against Bayer Leverkusen and the kid is a star.

He showed an excellent poachers' instinct to score his first goal in Chelsea blue, reacting well after Cole Palmer's shot had come back off the crossbar - but Estevao's game is all about running with the ball at high speed.

He only turned 18 in April, but the Brazilian looks the real deal.

It's early days of course, but he already seems to have a telepathy with Palmer - when the England international backheeled the ball on the edge of the area against Leverkusen, Estevao knew it was coming and got his shot away.

Mark Scott: I'm commentating at the Bridge on Sunday and Estevao is the player I'm most excited about seeing.

Regarded by many as the biggest talent to come out of Brazil since Vinicius Junior, he gave Chelsea fans a taste of his ability with a cracker against them at the Club World Cup, and has since impressed in a blue shirt with a sparkling showing in the friendly win over Leverkusen.

That electric performance showcased the abilities that have led to all the hype - immense quality on the ball and extreme confidence and flair driving at defenders with it.

Estevao is versatile as well, able to play on either flank or as a number 10. Chelsea's plan was to ease him in gradually, but they might have to re-think that.

Read the full piece here

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Chelsea have rejected a loan with an obligation to buy bid from Dortmund for midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka and have opened talks with Bayern Munich for Christopher Nkunku.

The Blues are believed to be growing frustrated with Dortmund over ongoing talks for Chukwuemeka and will only entertain permanent offers for the midfielder.

Chukwuemeka spent the second half of last season on loan at the German club but also agreed a new contract at Stamford Bridge which included a £40m release clause.

There remains a gap in valuation of nearly £20m but Chelsea are willing to accept less than the agreed clause as long as suitable add-ons and a sell-on clause are included.

Meanwhile, Bayern have re-ignited their interest in Nkunku and have opened talks but valuation is again a challenge between the clubs.

Chelsea are holding out for close to the £50m paid to sign the versatile attacker from RB Leipzig in 2024 but Bayern are aiming to negotiate a lower fee.

Nkunku played neither of Chelsea's two recent friendly matches against Bayer Leverkusen or AC Milan

Chukwuemeka is training with the so-called 'bomb squad' - a group of a half dozen senior players training away from manage Enzo Maresca's first team.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Enzo Maresca rarely says anything that could frustrate his bosses at Chelsea but he pulled no punches on Friday in his first news conference to preview the Premier League season.

He went public with his stance that he wants a new signing to replace defender Levi Colwill, who is expected to be out for the majority of the season after surgery on his knee, when he stated: "We need a central defender. We are looking for an internal solution but, as I said, the club know exactly what I think."

The Italian said Colwill's influence at Stamford Bridge is underrated, going into forensic detail about how his unique ability to build up from the back is not matched by alternatives on the club's books.

"When we build, we build with Levi in the middle. It's different to the player in the middle on the left side," Maresca explained.

"Last year, we played 64 games and we played 64 games with Levi and Tosin [Adarabioyo]. Now Levi is out, the only one that he can do that job well is Tosin.

"[Jorrel] Hato is a new one. He never played as the guy in the middle last season. So it's not about being a central defender. Yes, [he is a] central defender. Can he do that? It's different, it's not just about that."

That stance not only risks upsetting his bosses, who want him to work with what he has got, but also those alternative options who are wanting the chance to step up, including Hato, Wesley Fofana, Benoit Badiashile, Trevoh Chalobah and Josh Acheampong.

It also would rip up the club's transfer plans to strengthen in attack, with Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho the primary target, and RB Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons also under consideration.

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

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Maresca confirmed Wesley Fofana "could be available" but Benoit Badiashile and Romeo Lavia are both "in the process to come back". Meanwhile, Trevoh Chalobah "is OK" for the weekend.

• On the loss of Levi Colwill to an anterior cruciate ligament injury: "He is aware he has to be a long time out. A big loss for us with how important he was for us last season for the way we want to play. We are able to create chances and attack if we are able to build in the right way and Levi was a huge part of that build-up. Now he is out we are going to try to find a different solution."

• He said the Blues are "trying to find a solution internally" but added that the "club know exactly what I think" and that is that "we need a central defender".

• The Chelsea boss feels they are "ready" despite the short pre-season but they "need to wait for real competition", adding: "It is something new - something we don't have the answer to because it has never happened before. For me, sports science and the doctor it is new and we don't have the answer. We react to this new situation and we look for answer to this new situation."

• On different expectations around the club this campaign: "This shows how good the team has been last season. When I joined one year ago, the noise around the club was completely different to now. This is for many reasons. My target and target of the team is to try to improve everyday and then we will see."

• He insisted he doesn't "pay attention to what other people say about us" after Arne Slot said he expected Chelsea to win the league last season, adding: "I don't like to play this kind of game. I focus on my players - others can say what they want."

• On the test they will face against Palace on Sunday: "Very difficult. They won the FA Cup and Community Shield this year. In two finals they beat the two best teams in England over the past 10 years in Manchester City and Liverpool. That shows how difficult it will be."

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

Chelsea are making progress in their efforts to sign Alejandro Garnacho, 21, from Manchester United and believe £35m is a fair price for the Argentina winger. (Teamtalk), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Sophie Brown
BBC Sport journalist

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Chelsea endured their worst season in almost two decades in 2022-23, finishing 12th in the Premier League - it was a season of turmoil which saw four different managers come and go, and the volume of injuries played a key part.

The Blues had 48 separate injuries, causing a total loss of 1,836 days – both figures were more than any other top-flight club. N'Golo Kante, Armando Broja, Wesley Fofana and Reece James alone each missed more than 100 days, while the club didn't field an unchanged starting line-up in the league all season.

Things didn't get much better in 2023-24 with 43 separate injuries, a number topped only by Manchester United. Chelsea's tally of 20 different injured players again included James, who was out for 206 days with two separate problems.

However, last season saw a marked improvement, with 24 separate injuries, exactly half as many as the 2022-23 campaign. Chelsea lost 827 days to injury, less than half the amount of both the two previous seasons, with only four clubs losing fewer.

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has offered up his annual predictions:

4) Chelsea

Last season: Fourth

It's sometimes hard to keep track of events at Chelsea, but what we do know is they are the World Club champions and Conference League holders, and finally seem to be on the right track under Enzo Maresca.

Chelsea have added the quality of Joao Pedro from Brighton in attack as well as the youthful promise of Liam Delap. Jamie Gittens is another intriguing addition while the brilliance of Cole Palmer makes him the talisman.

And the progress of 18-year-old Brazilian wonder boy Estevao Willian will be followed keenly.

Chelsea will be right in the hunt for trophies domestically and will relish their return to the Champions League. They usually find a way to win silverware and I expect them to so again, but not the Premier League.

Read the full piece