Chelsea

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

"Stupid, stupid, stupid mistake"

That was how former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel described Nicolas Jackson's red card against Flamengo in the Club World Cup on Friday night.

It took just four minutes from coming on as a late substitute for the striker to be walking back off the pitch after being sent off for a studs-up challenge.

It was the latest incident to lead to questions around Jackson's discipline.

The 24-year-old is now suspended in two competitions simultaneously having also been sent off in the Premier League in May in a then crucial game against Newcastle United.

Alongside his eight yellow cards, it means Jackson has a combined record of 10 cards across all competitions this season.

There were already question-marks around the Senegal forward's discipline when he first arrived in the last campaign after he picked up five bookings in his first six league games leading to an early suspension.

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Many hoped he had put that behind him when he received just five more across the rest of the season.

But these latest incidents have once again left supporters and onlookers asking if this is a bigger problem.

Since his arrival from Villarreal in 2023, Jackson has the joint-most red cards among Chelsea players alongside Reece James.

While he does not come out on top for total yellow cards or combined cards (fourth and third respectively), it is worth noting who the other players are that are above him.

Moises Caicedo leads the way with 28 bookings, but as a defensive midfielder, yellow cards come with the territory.

It is a similar story with Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez, as defenders and midfielders it is almost expected that you will pick up these cards as you try and stop attacks and break up play.

While you do not want your striker up front to be a pushover, you do want them to be clever in how they hold up the ball and battle with the opposition's defence.

The timing of Jackson's latest suspensions also means he is giving new arrival Liam Delap a free hit in the central striker role for Chelsea.

And although the latest Blues recruit is not exactly squeaky clean on the pitch himself - with 14, Delap picked up more yellow cards than Jackson last term - he has yet to be sent off in his senior football career.

But is a striker playing on the edge always a problem?

Former Blues forward Diego Costa had a notoriously fiery persona and picked up 30 yellow cards across his three seasons in west London - although, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, just the one red card.

Club legend Didier Drogba could also walk the discipline tightrope and notched up a combined 64 cards across 381 appearances for Chelsea.

However, with the contributions they offered in front of goal, it felt very much part of their game and helped them provide what they did on the pitch - an area supporters are yet to be convinced of with Jackson.

How concerning is Jackson's latest sending off? Can it be accepted as part of his game? Or does he need to change the way he plays?

Let us know

Bayern Munich have entered the race for Chelsea target Jamie Gittens, 20. The German champions are reportedly willing to offer Borussia Dortmund £55m for the winger. (Kicker - in German), external

As far as Chelsea are concerned, Nicolas Jackson, 24, is not for sale despite interest from Saudi Arabia and Europe. (Sky Sports), external

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

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Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter in Philadelphia

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea midfielder Dario Essugo has revealed Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim influenced his career as he looks to emulate N'Golo Kante, Michael Essien and Claude Makelele at Stamford Bridge.

The 20-year-old made his debut in the Club World Cup win over Los Angeles FC and is set for a role in Enzo Maresca's squad following his £18.5m move from Sporting.

Essugo made his debut in Portugal aged just 16 and six days old, becoming the youngest player to play for Sporting, while also becoming the youngest Portuguese player to play in the Champions League that same season.

He cited his then-Sporting manager Amorim among his influences: "I made one training session with the first team and the coach liked what he saw and he called me to play.

"He brought me to the first team so he helped me a lot, to understand the game, to reach the level I am here now. I am grateful. He is so demanding. He is a demanding person. He likes to win every time."

Chelsea's reason for signing Essugo is to reduce the workload on star midfielder Moises Caicedo and when asked about comparisons to the Ecuadorian, he continued: "Of course it is good when they compare you with a very big player but it is a mix of both because I want to go my own way to reach the top."

Essugo was produced by Sporting's famed academy, which also brought through Cristiano Ronaldo, and he cited a number of Sporting midfielders, past and present, as influences.

"Manuel Ugarte, Joao Palhinha and Morten Hjulmand were three big players I had the opportunity to learn from. Palhinha is so strong defensively and then Ugarte can play good too. So I learned."

But Essugo also looks up to famous figures from Chelsea's history.

"I want to make my own way but I also like to see Makelele, Essien and Kante, to follow their steps. I'm a defensive midfielder but I can also go forward and play box to box," he added.

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League has written to Chelsea to seek clarification over the club's position with ticket re-sellers - amid controversy over Todd Boehly's involvement in Vivid Seats.

Boehly is both a director and investor in Vivid, described as an "unauthorised ticket seller" by the league, and also owns a 13% stake in Chelsea.

The website lists Chelsea matches on its platform, with some tickets last season at Stamford Bridge going for as much as £20,000. It is not allowed to operate in the United Kingdom, although is permissible overseas.

Chelsea Supporters' Trust asked the Premier League to "act and investigate" the situation which it believes is both a "breach of trust and "a clear conflict of interest" in an open letter issued in March.

Premier League CEO Richard Masters has explained it is discussing the matter with Chelsea in a situation described as "ongoing" at a Football Supporters' Association event last week.

The Supporters' Trust has also submitted evidence against the American company to the government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Boehly, Chelsea and Vivid have been contacted for further comment.

Vivid CEO Stanley Chia is quoted by Sportico , externalas saying "economic and political volatility" has impacted the ticketing market as the company's share price fell by 61% this year.

Chelsea have recently pledged to take action on ticket touting, although without naming Vivid or other ticket re-sellers, which the CST letter said it was "encouraged" by.

There have been concerns about a "flat" atmosphere at Stamford Bridge, highlighted by previous manager Mauricio Pochettino and echoed by current head coach Enzo Maresca at times last season, amid trials of a singing section in the Conference League.

Chelsea are currently participating in the Club World Cup in the United States and next face ES Tunis in Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter in Philadelphia

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella says the heat in the United States at the Club World Cup, and the time off following the end of the domestic season, has made it more difficult for European teams.

South American teams went undefeated in their first nine matches in the newly expanded competition - a run that included Brazilian club Flamengo beating Chelsea 3-1 in Philadelphia.

"Flamengo also have a good team, they are first in the league with a lot of international players and are in the middle of their season and physically did better than us in this moment," said Cucurella.

"Some of our players had a few weeks off and now we need to restart again so it's a bit tough for the European teams.

"They also played in the heat and maybe these things we can control better in this moment and we can learn, but it's better it happens now in these stages rather than in the later rounds."

The match took place in 27C heat but Chelsea's last group match against ES Tunis could play in temperatures of up to 37C as a heatwave hits their base in Philadelphia.

Cucurella added: "The conditions are not the same as well for European teams and it's not an excuse. It's a reality and it's one of the reasons.

"But this is the tournament we need to play, we cannot make excuses and if we win the next game then we will go through.

"The two goals were pretty similar. They were crosses, they won the first contact, and just put the ball in the net. We need to improve.

"We have a tactic to defend and we can do better but it's true that it's our second game in a short space of time and these things can happen."

• Club World Cup scores & fixtures

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Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Chelsea's performance following their 3-1 defeat by Flamengo at the Club World Cup.

Here are some of your comments:

Kim: Another game when the manager plays players out of position and wonders why it doesn't flow. As for Jackson, he's just not up to this level.

Steve: Poor performance all round. Seemed that there was a lack of any strategy going forward. Sanchez worried me every time he had the ball at his feet. Good shot-stopper but not at all comfortable when he has time to think. Jackson an absolute disgrace - too prone to doing something stupid and letting the team down.

Alan: First and foremost, Jackson needs to go. He is a liability to the club. Secondly, something seriously needs to be sorted out with the defence. It's an absolute shambles. Thirdly, what is the point of only playing James for 50% of each match when he is clearly making an impact on the match. And lastly, how much longer are the owners going to put up with Maresca's inability to read the game and act accordingly?

Steve: Can't see what all the fuss is about. Chelsea are virtually on their holidays after a long season. Flamengo are midway through their season playing in a climate they enjoy. If the roles were reversed and the tournament was being played in favour of the European teams, then we'd see different results.

Henry: After a good first half, we lost our way in the second half. Our opponents appeared to be more motivated and took their opportunities well. Perhaps it's a case of one tournament too many. Having already played a full season, the players need a rest.

Ash: An inept, dreadful performance against a spirited Flamengo side who were made to look good by Chelsea's performance. Jackson needs a good long spell out of the team.

Were you at the game or following from elsewhere?

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

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

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter in Philadelphia

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea striker Liam Delap makes his first start after excelling from the bench on his debut, providing an assist for Enzo Fernandez in the Blues' opening Club World Cup game against Los Angeles FC.

Enzo Maresca teased rotation for this match against 2022 Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo and makes four changes.

A number of high-profile players are on the bench for Flamengo, including striker Pedro and defenders Guillermo Varela and Alex Sandro.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, James, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandez, Pedro Neto, Palmer, Gusto, Delap.

Subs: Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Madueke, Essugo, Jackson, Santos, Nkunku, Sarr, Dewsbury-Hall, Anselmino, George, Acheampong, Guiu, Lavia.

Flamengo XI: Rossi, Wesley, Danilo, Pereira, Lucas, Pulgar, Jorginho, Gerson, De Arrascaeta, Araujo, Plata.

Subs: Cunha, Varela, Ortiz, Pedro, Everton, Vina, Matheus Goncalves, Juninho, Alex Sandro, Bruno Henrique, Allan, Michael, Evertton Araujo, Joao Victor, Wallace Yan.

Image source, Getty Images

The Professional Footballers' Association has announced its shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, with six standout Premier League performers in the running.

Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Alexis Mac Allister are joined by Newcastle United's Alexander Isak, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice and Chelsea star Cole Palmer.

Salah continued his remarkable consistency for Liverpool, while Mac Allister impressed in his second season at Anfield.

Isak's clinical finishing helped Newcastle to a strong league campaign, and Fernandes remained a creative force despite United's mixed form.

Rice was pivotal in Arsenal's push in the league and Europe, and Palmer continued to show great form at Stamford Bridge with a series of match-winning displays.

The winner, voted for by fellow professionals, will be announced later this summer.

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea are planning to hijack Newcastle's move for Brighton and Brazil forward Joao Pedro, 23. (Sun), external

Borussia Dortmund's English winger Jamie Gittens, 20, is intent on joining Chelsea this summer and remains their main target in that position. (Standard), external

England winger Noni Madueke, 23, is on the radar of a host of clubs this summer, including Arsenal. (Telegraph - subscription needed), external

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

In Cole Palmer's mind, the 22-year-old is still the same ambitious young footballer that messaged Eden Hazard, but his life has changed markedly in the last two years.

The England international has become a household name and is now described by Enzo Maresca as "Chelsea's best player".

Palmer is on billboards advertising the Club World Cup in United States host cities and been given the no10 shirt, once worn by the legendary Hazard.

But when asked about his newfound fame, Palmer said: "Yes, I am just a normal kid so when people do stuff like [notice me], I think… why me?

"Obviously in restaurants I get recognised. At the start, it was a bit wow, but now I get used to it. I still do the same things now that I did before I came to Chelsea.

"I try and think it's just a game of football at the end of the day, like it's not life or death. So I just try and enjoy it. I like to go and play five-a-side, PlayStation and go to the Astro [turf] and just do normal things [to take my mind of things].

"It has been quick in terms of how fast it has happened but it is a nice feeling and if I keep performing and keep doing stuff hopefully it will get better and bigger."

What highlights Palmer's change in status was he once messaged Hazard while an academy player in 2015. Of course, the message went unreplied and unread.

When asked whether Hazard replied yet, Palmer said: "Nah," but added: "I have seen him a few times at the training ground. He asked me for one of my shirts for his sons."

Palmer has also taken Hazard's iconic no10 shirt, explaining: "I wore no10 all my life growing up and I just like the number, so yes, it is an iconic number, which makes me think of Messi and Rooney."

He is also seeing a team built around him with fellow Manchester City academy graduates, with Liam Delap – who joined in a £30m move from Ipswich - rekindling a former partnership from their youth days.

They, along with Romeo Lavia, won Premier League 2 for the Under-23s in 2021 under now Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca and Palmer explained: "I played with Liam for a number of years when he started at City. I just know where he is going to be, and I like to find him and hopefully I can assist him a lot this season."

The Blues next face Flamengo in the Club World Cup in Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field and Palmer's uncle has provided some Brazilian knowledge.

"My uncle has lived in Brazil for over 10 years and messaged me to say they are one of the biggest clubs in Brazil and please score," he continued.

"Apparently, that's all they are talking about so I expect it will be a good game."

Millie Sian
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been speaking to the media before Friday's Club World Cup Group D match against Flamengo (kick-off 19:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Maresca confirmed that he still "trusts" Mykhailo Mudryk, despite the Football Association charging the winger with violating its anti-doping rules, adding: "Misha is a Chelsea player. I trust all of my players."

• The last time the pair spoke was at the Europa Conference League final and the Ukrainian appeared "quite good" and "didn't seem worried", but the club are "definitely going to contact him in the coming days or week".

• Chelsea want to sign another winger this summer, regardless of the Mudryk situation.

• Maresca added: "We've already done one entire season without him and we tried to find a solution with some of the academy players, like Tyrique [George]. We are going to go for a winger this summer because it's quite clear it's a position we need to work on."

• There are no new injury concerns but he will need to rotate players throughout the tournament to cope with playing "a game every three days". He added: "I'm not saying it will be 10 or 11 players each game, but four or five players for sure. We cannot play each game with the same players."

• When asked about how the squad is handling playing in the heat of the American summer, he responded: "It's not easy but this is also why we are trying to rotate the players. It's a problem for us, but it's also a problem for some of the other teams."

• Maresca believes Flamengo will be "more used to" the current temperatures.

• On their Brazilian opponents, he said: "They are a very good team, they play nice football and they have many good players. Their manager is a former player, who played for many years in Europe, so I know him. They are well organised and, like any Brazilian team, full of very good players."

• The players will have played 11 months of non-stop football when the Club World Cup ends, so he is trying to protect them by "training less" and "prioritising the things that are important" such as in-game tactics.

• He explained his comments about the Club World Cup feeling like a pre-season for Chelsea, stating: "We finished our season in the Premier League and Europe, we had some days off but then we started again, so the feeling we have is of pre-season. But we know this is a big competition, so we are here to win games and go far."

• When asked whether the club are open to listening to offers for Noni Madueke, he was quick to shut down the rumours. He said: "Noni is our player. You can read speculation about many players at the moment, but he is our player and we consider him our player for next season as well."

Image source, Getty Images

Thiago Silva may have joined Chelsea in the twilight of his career as a 35-year-old in 2020, but his impact over the four seasons he spent at Stamford Bridge is still visibly apparent.

After impressing for Fluminense in their Club World Cup opener against Borussia Dortmund, Silva shared a moment with Dortmund's Chelsea loanee Carney Chukwuemeka on the pitch at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

"My boy, how good to see you mate. I love you," Silva posted on his Instagram, external story along with a picture of the two embracing. Chukwuemeka and the Brazil legend spent two seasons together between 2022 and 2024.

Silva may turn 41 in September but his incredible durability was on full display against Dortmund. He captained Fluminense and showed all of his quality and experience in an immaculate performance to secure a clean sheet in the 0-0 draw.

Chukwuemeka was not the only young Chelsea player to benefit from playing alongside him in the latter years of his career in West London, in which he made 155 appearances and won the Champions League, Club World Cup and Super Cup.

On Silva's departure from Stamford Bridge, Reece James - now Blues captain - labelled him, external "A true brother" and "One of the best players to play the game and an even better person".

Fellow defenders Levi Colwill and Trevoh Chalobah both credit the seven-time French Champion with helping their careers. Colwill has spoken of the impact, external of playing alongside Silva after basing his game on him while growing up and Chalobah commented "idolo" - Portuguese for idol or hero - under one of his final Instagram posts, external as a Chelsea player.

If any in Enzo Maresca's young squad need inspiration or motivation to progress in their careers, a fine starting point would be to tune in to Fluminense's remaining games in the United States - and keep a particular eye on their number three.

Chelsea retain an interest in England midfielder Morgan Rogers, 22, should Aston Villa be open to a sale. (Mail+ - subscription required), external

The Blues have also made initial contact with Brighton over Brazil striker Joao Pedro, 23, who is wanted by Newcastle. (Fabrizio Romano), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

New Chelsea defender Mamadou Sarr believes he is ready for the big stage at Stamford Bridge and reckons his new squad can be young winners - like Champions League-winning Paris St-Germain.

joined in an £11.9 million deal from Strasbourg – a club also owned by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital – becoming the first player to move towards Chelsea from France since the BlueCo era at both clubs.

But Sarr dismisses that being part of Strasbourg was just a way to get into Chelsea.

"I joined Strasbourg to play for Strasbourg, then Chelsea came to me," Sarr said at the Club World Cup in the United States. "I knew of some interest approximately in November, December. Then in January I had an idea that it was possible [to move]. When one of the biggest clubs come to you, it is so exciting."

Sarr was an unused substitute in the 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC that began Chelsea's campaign in the newly expanded competition.

The Blues are not only competing on the world stage but have also qualified for next season's Champions League.

But where does Sarr fit in?

"I have to progress, to work hard to get minutes," he said. "These are the best players in the world. I need to work hard."

Sarr may be content to initially be a squad player but has high hopes for himself having helped Strasbourg qualify for the Conference League, despite them being the youngest team in Europe's top five leagues.

His former manager Liam Rosenior told the Athletic that Sarr "has everything to become world class", joking in another interview that he is such a fan of Sarr that he could be his father.

Sarr has stated he wants to be the best defender in the world, looking up to Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk, but conceding his style is more similar to the Reds' defensive partner Ibrahima Konate.

He also believes that Rosenior has a similar style of play that will help his adaptation, a deliberate ploy by the ownership to help players move between clubs. For instance, midfielder Andrey Santos also back at Stamford Bridge after a successful 18-month loan spell in Ligue 1.

Chelsea face Brazil giants Flamengo in their next Club World Cup game and could play PSG in the quarter-finals, a club Sarr knows well.

"There are a lot of similarities (between Chelsea and PSG)," Sarr continued. "I played them twice last year. They are a very good team. Chelsea is a very good team. We can compete with them and beat them.

He added: "Every club wants to show that they are the best team in the world. Chelsea want to be the best team in the world so we want to win."

Image source, Getty Images

The 2025-26 Premier League fixtures are official - so we asked how you think the schedule has fallen and where Chelsea will be after the first 10 games.

Here are some of your replies:

Conrad: Well nice. Four London derbies to start with. Hopefully that should be three wins and a draw minimum, as long as Nicolas Jackson or Christopher Nkunku aren't up front. I think Cole Palmer will be back to the goalscoring machine of seasons before and Chelsea will finish in the top three.

Steve: I would like to think top four after 10 games. It is going to be a busy season with the Champions League, the Premier League and other cup competitions. Exciting times ahead, hopefully.

Henry: The team is still very inexperienced, but as long as we don't sign any more youngsters I think top four is a guarantee.

Ahmed: I wish Chelsea a good season. I am optimistic they will be top two at the end of the season, despite the youthfulness of the team.

Opta has ranked the difficulty of each top-flight team's first five Premier League fixtures of the 2025-26 season.

According to Opta's model, Manchester United have the hardest start, followed by their opening-weekend opponents Arsenal and then Bournemouth.

Aston Villa's first five games have been ranked the easiest, alongside Crystal Palace.

Take a look below to see where your side places...

Image source, Getty Images

Fans have been warned by the Premier League that fixtures could be moved at "relatively short notice" next season because of the number of teams playing in Europe.

A record nine top-flight clubs have qualified for continental competition in the 2025-26 campaign.

The Premier League said there is an "increased likelihood" that games will be re-scheduled if English teams reach the latter stages and it suggested fans take this into consideration when planning their attendance at games.

Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham will be playing in the Champions League next season.

Aston Villa and Crystal Palace have qualified for the Europa League, while Nottingham Forest will be playing in the Conference League.

"While the Premier League celebrates this success, it will come with an impact on the scheduling of league matches," a statement from the Premier League said.

"There is an increased likelihood of Premier League fixtures moving at relatively short notice, after our fixture announcements, should our clubs progress to the knockout rounds of these competitions."