'You have to be serious and professional'published at 22:49 7 November
22:49 7 November
Image source, Getty Images
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, speaking to TNT Sports: "Tricky game because everyone expected us to win but you have to be serious, professional and the most important thing is they showed how serious and professional they are.
"Very impressed, especially because we are trying to change players every game. It works well. We have good players and we want them to get minutes. Some of them playing in the Conference, some in the Premier League, but all of them want to play every game."
On what impressed him most: "How professional and how serious we have been tonight. Tonight they showed how serious they are.
"We are in the right direction and now the most important thing is to continue. We have one more game before international break and we can rest some of them over the break.
"I would've liked to play with all these attacking boys. But you need defensive balance."
'Never take your foot off the gas'published at 22:35 7 November
22:35 7 November
Image source, Getty Images
Chelsea goalscorer Tosin Adarabioyo, speaking to TNT Sports:
"Amazing game from the boys and we topped it off with a clean sheet.
"Concentration is key to make sure we have the clean sheet at the end of the game and we managed to do so.
"I've been thinking I needed a goal soon so very happy to get one today.
"Never take your foot off the gas. We just kept going.
"I didn't [know fans were chanting 'we want 10']. Didn't mange 10 but a great result.
On keeping first clean sheet since September: "Set out for the clean sheet and we managed to get that. We haven't had one for a while."
Chelsea 8-0 Noah - send us your thoughtspublished at 21:57 7 November
Who is in the latest England squad?published at 14:08 7 November
14:08 7 November
Image source, PA Media
England interim manager Lee Carsley has named a 26-man squad for the upcoming Nations League games against Greece and Republic of Ireland.
Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall and Southampton centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis have received their first call-ups to the senior side, with Saints' Aaron Ramsdale one of three goalkeepers selected.
The only other uncapped player in the squad is Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones, while there is no place for Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers.
These will be Carsley's final two matches in charge before Thomas Tuchel becomes Gareth Southgate's full-time successor from 1 January.
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton).
Defenders: Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Rico Lewis (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Southampton).
Midfielders: Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Angel Gomes (Lille), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Curtis Jones (Liverpool).
Forwards: Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham).
Who are Chelsea's next opponents Noah?published at 11:58 7 November
11:58 7 November
Emlyn Begley BBC Sport journalist
Image source, FC Noah
A new team named after a biblical character with input from Portugal legend Luis Figo, it is fair to say Chelsea will not face many more interesting opponents this season than Armenian outfit FC Noah.
The side go to Stamford Bridge for Thursday's Conference League league phase tie having made history to even be there.
They scored 18 goals in qualifying, including goalkeeper Ognjen Cancarevic registering with a long clearance against AEK Athens, and an 88th-minute winner with 10 men after blowing a 3-0 aggregate lead in their play-off.
The Yerevan side have beaten Czechs Mlada Boleslav 2-0 and lost 1-0 at Rapid Vienna in their two league games to get them dreaming of the knockout rounds.
Ambitious businessman Vardges Vardanyan took charge of the club in August 2023 and almost instantly transformed them.
"Before the start of the European season, I set a goal for the team to reach the group stage of the Conference League," said Vardanyan.
"Many viewed this as an unrealistic and nearly impossible target, but as you can see, despite all the challenges and obstacles, we have made it."
'Of course I want to stay' - Badiashilepublished at 15:04 6 November
15:04 6 November
Image source, Getty Images
Benoit Badiashile has dismissed suggestions he wants to leave Chelsea, despite only playing 37 minutes in the Premier League so far this season.
Amid rumours linking the 23-year-old with a move away from the club, Badiashile said he has no desire to move on from Stamford Bridge, and could start in the Europa League against Noah on Thursday night.
"Of course I want to stay - Chelsea is a big club and I know how difficult it is to succeed here," he said. "I will try to do my best to do it."
The defender has played every minute in Europe so far and will hope to keep his place for the game against the runners-up from the Armenian Premier League.
Noah, who are named after the Biblical figure, were only founded in 2017, have three points from their opening two Conference League fixtures.
Ahead of the fixture, Badiashile conceded he did not know a lot about the side but insisted Chelsea "have to stay professional and be 100% focused on the game."
He went on to praise manager Enzo Maresca as "a great person and great coach", adding he is enjoying working with the 44-year-old because they have the "same vision" of football.
Maresca on Palmer injury and players deserving more chancespublished at 14:12 6 November
14:12 6 November
Henry Brownsey BBC Sport journalist
Chelsea boss Enzo Marseca has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Europa Conference League game against Noah (kick-off 20:00).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Cole Palmer "didn't train in the last two days" after picking up an injury against Manchester United from "the tackle that was not a normal one," but Maresca is hopeful he will be back for Sunday's game against Arsenal. Jadon Sancho will also be assessed.
He confirmed there will be changes for tomorrow's game not "because of Sunday's big game" but because there are "24/25 players all fit and good enough to play different competitions".
He was asked how the players that are playing in the cup games feel and he said: "It's not a problem for me. I understand from the outside you can see two teams, but we are just one team, one squad of 24/25 players - all fit and we are going to try to use all of them."
Maresca added if players do not train well they will not be picked.
On if it would be considered a failure if Chelsea don't win the Conference League, he said: "If we play the final probably yes, but the main thing is the group stage and to go through that, after the group stage, we see. If we play the final and don't win that - for sure. Now you can not think about the final."
On Noah, he said the Armenian side have "good players" but said he doesn't "know how they are going to play".
Maresca says he "feels ashamed about Joao [Felix]" and he would like to give him more minutes in the Premier League. He pointed to a need for "defensive balance" as a reason and added "if Joao keeps working well he's going to find his moment in the Premier League".
Maresca added: "We can say the same for Christopher Nkunku. Every time he plays he scores, he does well and was probably the best player in pre-season as an attacking midfielder - no doubt. Now we are using him as a nine which is not his position. I try to find a solution and balance with all of them, I can understand not all of them can be in their position and have to adapt. They all deserve more chances in the Premier League."
Clubs pay tribute to Dempseypublished at 12:22 6 November
12:22 6 November
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Chelsea and Fulham have paid tribute to former player John Dempsey, who has died at the age of 78.
The former defender made 171 appearances for Fulham in the 1960s before moving to Stamford Bridge, where he won silverware between 1969 and 1978.
A Fulham statement read: "Everyone at the club sends their condolences and thoughts to his wife Trish, and his wider family and friends."
Chelsea wrote: "It is with tremendous sadness that Chelsea Football Club announces the passing of our former FA Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup winner John Dempsey.
"We are sending our heartfelt condolences to all of John’s family and friends at this difficult time."
Is Gyokeres destined for the Premier League?published at 11:09 6 November
11:09 6 November
Katie Stafford BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
If any team hopes to bolster their attack in the January or summer transfer window then Sporting Lisbon's number nine Viktor Gyokeres has to be in the conversation.
Following Tuesday's hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League, Gyokeres is the joint leading scorer in this season's most elite European competition with Harry Kane and has scored 66 goals in 67 matches for the reigning Primeira Liga champions.
The sceptics, who have argued the standard of football in Portugal is not that of Premier League, are likely to have been silenced by the striker's performance against the often dubbed 'best team in the world.'
So if the Sweden international is to be snapped up by an English club, where could he go?
Well, Gyokeres is not going to be cheap so it will have to be a club with long-term ambition and deep pockets. The 26-year-old is believed to have a release clause of 100m euros (£83m) despite only signing from Coventry City in 2023 for a fee close to £20m in 2023.
Premier League clubs were linked to Gyokeres while he was at the Championship club but it was Sporting who seized the opportunity to sign him.
The most obvious choice would be to follow head coach Ruben Amorim to Old Trafford. However, with the club already owning Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and Antony it is unlikely they would sign Gyokeres without selling at least one.
Plus, it was Dan Ashworth - the current sporting director of United - that sold Gyokeres to Coventry for just £1m in 2021 from former club Brighton.
United's neighbours Manchester City could view Gyokeres as a long-term replacement for Erling Haaland should he leave the Etihad, and Sporting's director Hugo Viana may want to re-sign his Sporting star when he succeeds the outgoing Txiki Begiristain.
Liverpool could also be in the market if Mohamed Salah does not sign a new contract and departs Anfield after eight years next summer.
Chelsea, who have three strikers, have proven they like to spend big in recent transfer windows but it is their rivals in North London that appear to be the most obvious fit.
Fans and pundits have long said that Arsenal need a number nine.
Mikel Arteta's side would be formidable with a striker like Gyokeres and would be strong contenders in the league and Europe if he could replicate his form there.
"I could see that," columnist Nedum Onuoha told BBC Sport. "From the style of play that I have seen from him and the intelligence he has, he is a handful.
"If he comes to England then it is important to note that he is simply coming back because he has already got experience playing here and he knows the physical level required. He comes across as very coachable so in an Arsenal system it could really work for him and them.
"That is on the assumption that he is the sort of player that the Gunners are looking for."
In the meantime Gyokeres will no doubt continue to add to his price tag by doing what he does best - scoring.
Gossip: Palmer set for scan on knee injurypublished at 08:17 6 November
08:17 6 November
Chelsea and England forward Cole Palmer will have a scan on his left knee this week, after the 22-year-old was injured in Sunday's draw against Manchester United. (Standard), external
'This team looks like a better Pochettino team than a Maresca team'published at 12:27 5 November
12:27 5 November
Will Faulks Fan writer
Image source, PA Media
Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday was another game which passed without giving any definitive evidence of whether Enzo Maresca's team are real contenders at the very top this season, or just a side who have benefited from some easy fixtures to start their campaign.
So far, Maresca's rapid counter-attacking Chelsea have put plenty of weaker outfits to the sword, largely inspired by some superb moments from Cole Palmer. But in their three games against the big guns, they have picked up just one point.
Defeats by Manchester City and Liverpool were to be expected, but the trip to Old Trafford was a great opportunity to take valuable away points in a big match.
Instead, the Blues lowered themselves to the level of their opposition, especially in a poor first half. All of the hopeful talk about Maresca's philosophy rings a little hollow when his team seem just as unable to break down a low block as they were a year ago, and still do not press well.
Curiously, if anything, the Blues look like a better Mauricio Pochettino team than an Enzo Maresca team. They are deadly in transition and some improved finishing has seen them pick up significantly more points than they had at this stage last year.
But there remains a feeling that a definitive pattern of play in position has yet to be established and, until it is, this team is always going to struggle to beat their biggest rivals.
With a quarter of the season gone, Chelsea are in the top four and the mood at the club is good. But this still feels more like Pochettino's side with better finishing and fewer injuries than anything new or revolutionary.
On Sunday they face Arsenal and have another chance to take a major scalp and really announce themselves as a contender.
'We know how good we are' - Colwillpublished at 15:15 4 November
15:15 4 November
Image source, Getty Images
Chelsea defender Levi Colwill feels the side "deserve to win most games" after a frustrating draw with Manchester United.
The Blues missed the chance to go third in the Premier League table and close the gap on table-toppers Liverpool after coming away with a 1-1 draw from Old Trafford on Sunday.
Despite the result, the young Chelsea side have still made an impressive start to life under new boss Enzo Maresca, sitting fourth in the table above last season's title challengers Arsenal and with a 100% record in the league phase of the Conference League.
"I think the team are very frustrated," Colwill said after the match.
"Where we are in the season, the football we've been playing, like today at times, we deserve to win most games.
"I want to win every game so I was bit disappointed that we didn't. It was obviously a tough one out there and they had threats and that's how they scored.
"We know what we're building, we know how good we are, how good we can be and how good we've been this season.
"At times in this game we played good football, created good chances, but if you don't take the chances it keeps them in the game and they get a sniff. That's what happened."
Man Utd 1-1 Chelsea - the fans' verdictpublished at 11:17 4 November
11:17 4 November
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Manchester United and Chelsea.
Here are some of your comments:
Man Utd fans:
Ray: Poor team performance. Thought there would be a bounce from the players with Ten Hag gone but more of the same - no cohesion between defence, midfield and forwards.
Andrew: I pity our new manager - we are a complete shambles. Clueless. Playing for fouls and appealing to the ref is all we are good at. Worst I have ever witnessed in 58 years.
Adam: It was a solid performance, but the lack of goals is becoming a concern now. United are six points off the top four but, in reality, we are nowhere near the teams above us in terms of an identity and style of play.
Christine: It was a little better but still a team with no identity as such. It is going to take Amorim some time to sort out this mess. The defence is too leaky and the press is not fast enough. These players are not good enough and it's going to take time to change this team.
Chelsea fans:
John: It's a pity that we sent Petrovic out on loan. He is a good goalkeeper, and unfortunately Sanchez is going to prove very costly for us this season. Hopefully we can accumulate enough points to get top four without a quality keeper. Caicedo is immense for us at the minute - he's quality.
Alan: Largely dull and boring. If the manager is happy with this performance then I would be surprised. We just do not know how to get the ball in the net. When pushed, our defence falls to bits. From previous games, we seemed to go backwards with our progress. At times, it was hard to believe we are in the top six playing against a team in the lower half.
Nick: A decent performance without being exciting. We didn't seem to offer much of a threat in the final third. Satisfied with a point after going a goal down. Feeling positive about the remainder of the season. I think fourth place is achievable.
Stu: I thought we were off it. Considering these players haven't played in a week they just didn't convince. Sanchez is the worst goalkeeper we've ever had. He's costing us goals almost every game and yet Maresca won't replace him. Says it all really.
Caicedo and Lavia 'blossoming under Maresca'published at 09:45 4 November
09:45 4 November
Image source, Getty Images
Much of the talk around Chelsea in pre-season was how Enzo Maresca would find the right balance on the field when selecting from a large first-team squad, however, only four clubs have made fewer changes to their starting XI in the Premier League this season than the Blues (14).
On Sunday's episode of Match of the Day 2, which analysed the draw with Manchester United, ex-England midfielder Danny Murphy said: "You build relationships and an understanding with players, where they're going to be and sometimes without even looking.
"The two midfielders [Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia] were excellent but, all over the pitch, they seem to be settled.
"It has been nice to see Reece James back as well. You forget what a wonderful talent he is, he's so comfortable on the ball."
On Chelsea's midfield pairing, former Manchester United defender Phil Jones added: "A big part of a manager's job is to have that close relationship with the players and be someone that they can resonate with. Under Maresca, those two are blossoming."
Chelsea, Al-Hilal and Paris St-Germain are interested in 24-year-old Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr, with Real Madrid officials set to meet his representatives in a few weeks to discuss his future. (Marca - in Spanish), external
The Brighton Caicedo begins to emergepublished at 19:50 3 November
19:50 3 November
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca says 'one plus one doesn't equal two' when it comes to Moises Caicedo.
He also feels the Ecuador midfielder has not been helped by the £115m fee that Chelsea have paid for him.
The reality is Caicedo has, at times, looked a shadow of the player who excelled at Brighton, and justified the Seagulls holding out for such a huge sum amid strong interest from Liverpool.
Caicedo caught the eye at Old Trafford thanks to his well-taken equaliser.
But, there was much more to like about his performance.
The old energy was there, his game intelligence and where he needed to be to cover Manchester United attacks and the simplicity with which he finds team-mates with short passes.
As Maresca pointed out, supporters cannot expect the Caicedo to be the player he was at Brighton. He is operating in a different team, with different expectations.
But we are seeing the talent on a regular basis now.
Image source, Getty Images
