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'A big step in the right direction'published at 21:26 6 March
21:26 6 March
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Chelsea goalscorer Reece James, speaking to TNT Sport: "It's a big step in the right direction. Coming here is a tough place to go and the atmosphere was amazing.
"They set up well and it's always frustrating to concede so late on in the game. Our goal was to keep a clean sheet and we could not manage to do that but we got the win.
"It's always good to score and help the team and thankfully we got the win. We know it's another huge game [next week], we need to win and we want to advance and win this competition."
Copenhagen 1-2 Chelsea: Blues remain on course for European trophypublished at 20:36 6 March
20:36 6 March
Michael Emons BBC Sport journalist
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Image caption,
Chelsea scored 56 seconds into the second half after failing to have a shot on target in the first half
Chelsea won the Champions League as recently as 2021 and have a great chance of more continental success in Europe's third-tier tournament.
They are clear favourites to win the Conference League and are well placed to move into the quarter-finals after gaining a 2-1 win away at Copenhagen in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
After a dull first half in Denmark, with Enzo Maresca's side failing to have a shot on target, they instantly improved after the break, taking the lead within a minute of the restart through Reece James' low strike.
A second goal came in the 65th minute when Tyrique George's cut-back was side-footed into the net by substitute Enzo Fernandez, although Copenhagen kept the contest alive as Gabriel Pereira's powerful header gave them a glimmer of hope going into next week's second leg in London.
Maresca has been able to give his squad members game time in this tournament and named teenage forward Shumaira Mheuka in the starting 11 as the England Under-19 international, at 17 years 137 days, became Chelsea's youngest player to start a match in major European competition.
However, he was ineffective and part of a Maresca triple substitution at half-time, before his side instantly scored in the second half.
It has been a tough 2025 with fan unrest growing at the team's inconsistent performances, although the side now only need a draw at home to move into the quarter-finals of a European competition.
Copenhagen 1-2 Chelsea - send us your thoughtspublished at 19:38 6 March
Can 'happier' Chilwell 'command' England's left-back position?published at 17:10 6 March
17:10 6 March
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As Thomas Tuchel approaches his first England squad, I'm wondering who may make an appearance from the slightly less obvious candidates.
It could be too soon for this England squad, but I would go for Ben Chilwell hoping that with more minutes and with the relationship he has with Tuchel he could be an answer.
The Champions League season he had under Tuchel at Chelsea was his best. He speaks about it personally and what an impact it had on him.
I think the left-back position has been a bit a of a struggle for England in recent years so if Tuchel can get the very best out of Chilwell again it is an opportunity.
It's a controversial one, people will probably fire daggers, but I'm ready for it. If Chilwell can get back playing regularly it is a position he can command. He's not that old, only 28, so it's not like he is past his best. He definitely isn't at all.
He just needs a good run of games. His time at Chelsea towards the end was not great. I saw him in the FA Cup at the weekend against Millwall and he looks happier.
When you can get someone playing regularly, looking happy - and he has that prior relationship with Tuchel - then they are an asset.
I would put him ahead of Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly in terms of maturity. Whether this squad has come too soon I don't know but I would like to see it. He has international experience as well.
Maturity and know-how in the backline is so important and I think Chilwell has that. Defensively we've been quite light so he is my pick.
Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nat Hayward
Gossip: Blues given boost in race for Seskopublished at 07:51 6 March
07:51 6 March
Liverpool are the latest club to show an interest in RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, although the 21-year-old Slovenia striker is believed to prefer a move to London, with Arsenal and Chelsea keen. (TBR Football), external
'Good moment to show we are ready to fight for big things'published at 19:49 5 March
19:49 5 March
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Marc Cucurella says Chelsea's game against Copenhagen in the Conference League on Thursday is a chance to show the squad is ready to compete for trophies after a downturn in form.
The Blues travel to Denmark for the first leg of their last-16 tie, before the return leg at Stamford Bridge on 13 March.
"I think in December it looked like we were the best players and the best team in the league. Now it looks like we are not the worst but one of the worst teams," Cucurella said.
"In football this can happen. We are young, we have a new manager, new ideas - just for six months - and we know the expectations are really high.
"We play good football. Sometimes we can improve these last results but, in general, we are doing good.
"Now we need to do the last effort, with the last part of the season. It is a good moment to show we are ready to fight for big things."
Maresca on injuries, Palmer 'excitement' and approachpublished at 18:36 5 March
18:36 5 March
Holly Bacon BBC Sport journalist
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Conference League last-16 game at Copenhagen (kick-off 17:45 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Cole Palmer, Trevoh Chalobah and January recruit Mathis Amougou all come into the Conference League squad. Benoit Badiashile has also travelled.
On squad fitness, Maresca said: "Trev [Chalobah] fortunately for us was not something serious so he is OK. Benoit [Badiashile] is back training with us in the past week, 10 days. Wes [Fofana] is not in the squad but he is back. Romeo [Lavia] has started to train with us in the past few days. Slowly, slowly we start to have all of the players back and it is important for the final rush of the season."
He also added that Robert Sanchez will start in goal.
On Palmer being in the squad: "Since we started, all the decisions we took are trying to protect players. Now we have Premier League games and Conference League games that are all important. We will change players in the squad so we decided to add, for instance, Cole for the final part of the season. For sure, if he's in the squad he can play minutes."
Maresca added: "Cole gets excited even to play training sessions, so he's always happy to play games. It was planned [to add him at this stage]. For the first six months of the season, we tried to give him more rest - him, Wes, Romeo. Unfortunately, the other two got injuries but the plan was exactly this plan."
On whether Palmer just needs one goal to kickstart his form: "In terms of numbers, for sure - goals and assists. I'm happy with the way Cole was, even in the last game, even Villa away when he had two great chances. I know in some moments he wasn't going to score always. It's normal."
The Chelsea boss was asked about his approach: "From now on, all the Conference League and all the Premier League games are important, so we are going to take one by one until the end and try to win as many games as possible."
Maresca was also complimentary about his opponents: "They play very nice football. You can see a team who always want to try to control the game. They don't change the way they want to play. You can see the clear idea."
Who is Chelsea youngster Rabbaj?published at 14:10 5 March
14:10 5 March
Nizaar Kinsella BBC Sport football news reporter
Let's talk about Ibrahim Rabbaj and his performances in Chelsea's academy.
There have been multiple reports about the 16-year-old forward's goals record, which, along with his playing style, is leading to comparisons with superstar Lionel Messi.
A statistic of 50 goals and 60 assists in 42 games across various academy levels -circulating on social media - is difficult to verify.
That stat may even be unhelpful, given it does not clarify whether it includes small-sided games or shorter matches, which are common at that level, and official data is not available until under-18 level.
What is undeniable is Rabbaj, now playing above his age group and a youth international, passes the eye test.
Within 23 minutes of his first start in the U18s Premier League, Rabbaj scored twice at Leicester last month.
Another undeniable truth about Rabbaj is that England and Morocco have been battling for his international future.
And Chelsea still have to wait nearly a year to sign Rabbaj, who turns 17 in January 2026, to his first professional deal.
Image source, Getty Images
Rabbaj's father, Mohammed, grew up playing football and was in the academy of Moroccan powerhouse Raja Casablanca, before moving to Spain and starting his family.
They spent a brief period living in Leicester before returning to Morocco, where they remained with their six children until Ibrahim's gifts sparked a final family move.
Such was the young Rabbaj's talent - at the age of two, playing with a small, size-two football - the family decided to move back to England, to Ashford in Kent, almost entirely to give their son access to the Premier League academy system.
There are videos on social media of Rabbaj, external training in a local park with his father and football-obsessed brother. Eventually, Rabbaj had trials at Arsenal before joining Charlton Athletic's pre-academy.
Rabbaj then played at Crystal Palace until the age of 11, when Chelsea signed him.
One challenge in Rabbaj's journey was a year of not playing football because of an issue with his registration. Another was his small stature.
But his obvious technical gifts shone through as England and Morocco both called him up to their various age groups, up to under-17 level.
Rabbaj has recently chosen Morocco after a series of trips to the country's state-of-the-art training base in Casablanca.
A pathway has been presented to highlight how Rabbaj could be a key player by the 2030 World Cup, which will partly take place in Morocco. Meanwhile, comparisons have been made with Hakim Ziyech's and Brahim Diaz's choices to reject the Netherlands and Spain respectively.
Rabbaj speaks with a Moroccan Arabic dialect. In Arabic, there is the word "maktub", which means "it is written". Given the sense of anticipation around him, many feel Rabbaj destiny is to reach the top.
Gossip: Blues interested in Gittenspublished at 07:29 5 March
Time to back the coach and paint a picture of unitypublished at 16:13 3 March
16:13 3 March
Will Faulks Fan writer
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There can be no doubting that the grand project at Chelsea has been shaken by a couple of months of bad results, but the media briefings have been widespread since last week's win with a very clear message.
The ownership and sporting structure are behind Enzo Maresca and happy with their decision to give Mauricio Pochettino the boot last summer.
It is a good time to send a message like that.
After crushing a Southampton team who look like they will end the season as one of the worst Premier League teams ever, Chelsea have a game to come against a Leicester side who are not much better - plus two legs in the Conference League against a Copenhagen team who operate on a fraction of the Blues' budget.
All of that follows a free weekend which has given players time to rest and recover, as well as handing Maresca another extended spell on the training ground to continue to adapt his team to coping without Nicolas Jackson leading the line.
For those upstairs at the club, this is the time to back the coach and paint a picture of unity. Spinning last Tuesday's win into a run of four victories in a row would restore a lot of confidence, regardless of the opposition, and keep the team's progress towards a European trophy and a top-four place on course.
Some fans will have doubts no matter what the results of this upcoming run are, and a lot more stock will be put in the results of the subsequent games against Arsenal and Tottenham.
But for Maresca and his squad, the here and now is what matters, and ending their bleak post-Christmas struggles with a string of wins would be invaluable.
Serbia international Djordje Petrovic was sent to RC Strasbourg on loan in August due to concerns about his ability to play out from the back as manager Enzo Maresca increased those demands on his goalkeepers.
Playing under English manager Liam Rosenior in Ligue 1 was sold to an initially reluctant Petrovic as a way of improving those ball-playing skills.
Sources at Strasbourg and close to Petrovic believe the loan move has been productive and allowed him to develop his footwork, which was lacking following spells at MLS with New England Revolution and in Serbian football.
It has set up the chance for Petrovic to either return to Chelsea or possibly move to another big club, with sources close to the keeper believing £25m could be a possible valuation, although it could also potentially be high enough to deter suitors.
UK-based agency Unique Sports Group have poached Petrovic from his long-time agent ahead of the summer negotiations that will decide his future.
Chelsea reluctant to sign a new goalkeeperpublished at 18:15 28 February
18:15 28 February
Nizaar Kinsella BBC Sport football news reporter
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Chelsea remain resolute that they will not sign a goalkeeper in 2025 despite criticism for both Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen.
Jorgensen took Sanchez's place as the number one goalkeeper for Premier League matches after a series of errors from the Spain international.
But Jorgensen also made a mistake that cost Chelsea the match at the end of the the 2-1 away defeat to Aston Villa.
Chelsea believe that through their two goalkeepers, as well as loanee Djordje Petrovic, currently excelling at partner club Strasbourg, will be enough options to see them into the coming 2025-26 season.
They also believe that Genk goalkeeper Mike Penders, 19, is a top talent as he prepares to join for £17 million on 1 July.
Of course, Chelsea are not planning to carry all four goalkeepers simultaneously next season and will continue to assess their options as to who stays, is sold or loaned out again next season.
For now, former Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli will remain as a capable third choice back-up and is part of the leadership as one of the longest-serving members of the squad.
Success, hopes and fearspublished at 14:21 28 February
14:21 28 February
Ross Mooring Fan writer
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Realistically, with so many teams around us, a top five finish and likely Champions League football for next season is a coin flip at this stage.
Defensive issues - both in terms of individual mistakes and a general vulnerability to allowing opposition chances - and a misfiring attack with multiple players out until towards the end of the season mean that the margins for gaining enough points to outcompete our fellow contenders are small.
Success however, is ultimately measured in trophies and the club has a great chance to add the Europa Conference League to the trophy cabinet, especially with Fiorentina and Real Betis in the other half of the knockout draw. Winning the Club World Cup is probably a reach given the strength of the other European heavyweights involved.
However the league plays out, just as much of a worry will be if the team continues to have problems cohesively moving the ball up the pitch and controlling games and fails to get back to the form that briefly saw the club within reach of Liverpool in December.
Regardless of how the season plays out, one of the biggest hopes is that several players show themselves to be important pieces for the future. This includes the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Jadon Sancho and Wesley Fofana, as well as Noni Madueke and Nicholas Jackson upon their returns. If they do not, that adds even more positions to the summer transfer target list.
What will success look like for Chelsea?published at 11:58 28 February
11:58 28 February
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As we approach the crunch stage of the 2024-25 Premier League season, it only feels right to address what would be a good outcome for Chelsea from here onwards and what my biggest fear for Enzo Maresca's side is too.
Chelsea have a recent history of being very successful and because of that the new owner is like 'off you pop' to managers if he deems them to be underachieving.
There were protests by fans in the past week about how the club is being run, so qualifying for the Champions League with their young team would be a success but it will be a disappointment if they do not.
A big success would be if they are not still having to fight for that place right at the end of the season as well because only recently they were in title race talks.
And fans want to be competing for titles and big cups right now. They almost expect to be winning the Conference League, as opposed to hoping that they do, because they look like the best team in that competition.
They have to make it to the final and win it. Yes, the fans will celebrate but probably not in the same way as they would have it was a bigger honour.
Away from results is the conversation around Cole Palmer's form, which I think in the main is talked about too simplistically.
It is not like they have to give the ball to Palmer whenever they are attacking - it is just that the position he tends to find himself playing in is very important to their style of play.
The expectation should be on Palmer to score goals, alongside input from everyone else. Their worst case scenario is that their other players also have a dip in form at the same time.
When Chelsea are at their best, it is because of the way they attack. It's free-flowing and fun to watch because of the speed of their wingers, attacking midfielders and forwards.
If they cannot find that attacking excitement anymore and they become a bit stale because Palmer is still out of form and others have not stepped up, then that would be the worst possible end to the season.
Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford
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