How important is Caicedo's contract extension? published at 18:21 BST 16 April
18:21 BST 16 April
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Moises Caicedo has agreed to a lucrative new contract to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge as part of a series of renewals designed to reward Chelsea's top performers.
The timing is notable. Chelsea have endured an inconsistent campaign and face uncertainty over Champions League qualification.
Caicedo is regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world and he has established himself as one of the side's most reliable performers.
Securing him long-term at a time when Chelsea are desperate for squad stability could be a positive move, but the club's policy of handing out lengthy contracts has been criticised before.
Liam Rosenior remains under pressure, but a player of Caicedo's importance committing his future could suggest a belief in the club's direction - and in the head coach himself.
How important is the deal for Chelsea? Is it a show of faith in Rosenior from Caicedo?
Rosenior on Fernandez's return, form and Champions League questpublished at 17:25 BST 16 April
17:25 BST 16 April
Holly Bacon BBC Sport journalist
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge (kick-off 20:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Rosenior said Enzo Fernandez has been training with the group and training well. He added that it's "business as usual" in terms of selection for the game.
He said Trevoh Chalobah is "very, very close" and has trained, albeit "not quite fully - it was modified training". He said they will make a decision on the defender. Reece James is "a little bit further away", according to the Blues boss.
He is "hoping" Levi Colwill will be involved before the end of the season and said that he will play some minutes for the Under-21s on Friday.
On the quest for Champions League football, Rosenior said: "We have to take advantage of this moment. We're running out of time. We need to show that initiative on Saturday evening. We need to play on the front foot and we need to make up those points, which is still definitely possible."
The Chelsea boss said he wants the team to "push for the first goal" in games and take advantage of their opportunities. "In terms of chance creation we're actually still very good, we just haven't taken those moments. We need to be more clinical. We need to be more ruthless in both boxes and not give up chances from our own doing."
On turning their form around, he added: "We've had a lot of really strong conversations as a group. We've had some very good training sessions. I think in this moment you find out about yourself, you find out about your group and you have to stay focused on the process which is here, the day in day out."
Rosenior said United's interim head coach Michael Carrick is someone he "greatly admired" as a player and knows he is "an amazing coach". The Chelsea boss added that he's not surprised at the points return his United counterpart boss has achieved.
The Trust cites how "supporters have seen no meaningful change" since the findings of the January 2026 survey which highlighted the "deep and sustained" concern of the direction in which the club is going.
They went on to say that these concerns "persist" regardless of league position and club achievements as "the vision remains unclear, its execution inconsistent, and its leadership insufficiently accountable".
In a lengthy letter, the Trust have asked the ownership, board directors and senior leadership to respond to the following four questions:
Does the club accept that supporter confidence in its current leadership model and direction has fallen to an unacceptably low level?
What specific changes will now be made to provide greater clarity and accountability in football leadership and decision-making?
What will change in how supporters are engaged, so that engagement is timely, meaningful and capable of influencing decisions rather than simply explaining them after the fact?
How does the club intend to demonstrate that its current strategy can deliver sustained sporting success, financial stability, and a recognisable Chelsea identity in a way that rebuilds supporter trust?
The Trust concluded that they "remain willing to engage constructively" with the club and look forward to their response.
Championship clubs track Chelsea strikerpublished at 10:50 BST 16 April
10:50 BST 16 April
Image source, Getty Images
Chelsea's Jimmy-Jay Morgan, 20, is being tracked by Swansea, Sheffield United and Preston North End among a host of Championship sides after impressing on loan at Peterborough.
The attacker has spent the season at the League One club, scoring 14 goals in 36 appearances.
He has a year left on his Chelsea deal and a decision on his future is looming in the summer.
Morgan joined Chelsea's academy at the age of eight before moving to Southampton and then returning to Stamford Bridge in 2023.
The Poole-born England youth international has represented his country from Under-16 level through to Under-20.
Gossip: Chelsea set to battle it out for Werder Bremen defenderpublished at 06:39 BST 16 April
06:39 BST 16 April
Chelsea and Newcastle are among the clubs set to battle it out for German defender Karim Coulibaly, 18, after an impressive breakthrough season with Werder Bremen. (Bild - in German, external)
Como's Spanish defender Jacobo Ramon, 21, is attracting interest from a host of clubs including Chelsea and Arsenal. (Teamtalk, external)
The Blues boss said the Argentina midfielder "crossed a line" when he told the media that he does not know if he will be at Stamford Bridge next season and subsequently faced an internal suspension.
Everything I have heard covering the Fernandez ban story was that Chelsea felt they were being strong in their punishment of a two-game ban, despite how important Fernandez is.
There is also a willingness to reintegrate a popular member of the squad, who is an aggressive leader that complements Reece James.
They did not want him to go unpunished as there is a consideration for controlling the long-term culture and that is regardless of how important he is or how much he cost.
My view is that stripping him of the armband would have made it harder to move on and bring him back.
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Man City v Arsenal: Who do you want to win?published at 07:18 BST 15 April
07:18 BST 15 April
Image source, Getty Images
Two Premier League heavyweights are set to face each other this weekend at Etihad Stadium, as Manchester City host Arsenal.
Both teams go into the fixture with different targets. For Mikel Arteta's side, it is about extending their lead at the top of the table. For Pep Guardiola's side, it is about closing the gap and keeping themselves in the title race.
It is a fixture being labelled a title decider by some, so we want to know who you want to win this Sunday's match.
Will you be cheering on the Citizens or getting behind the Gunners?
'This paradox only ends one way'published at 12:10 BST 14 April
12:10 BST 14 April
Will Faulks Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
You won't see many 7-0 victories celebrated as half-heartedly as Chelsea's over Port Vale 10 days ago.
Despite such a heavy win, and the morale-boosting bonus of having seven different goalscorers, supporters had seen more than enough in the preceding defeats by Newcastle,Everton and PSG (twice) to know that things were going seriously wrong. It would have taken more than a big win against a League One team to change their mind.
What really mattered was the game against Manchester City on Sunday and that match proved the fears of those supporters correct. The Blues were right back to the worst of their recent Premier League defeats: weak in defence, blunt in attack and lacking any conviction from the moment they conceded.
Liam Rosenior has only been in charge since January, a fact he likes to repeat as a means of excusing the huge problems with the team he manages. Given his limited time in charge, it's astonishing how often we've already heard him repeat the same lines to explain defeats.
His team are "immature", lacking in resilience both physically and mentally. They miss too many chances and make too many errors defensively. They have no discipline both tactically and professionally, with dissent on the pitch now joined by dissent off it as an issue. These were all problems before Rosenior arrived, but they've all worsened since he took over.
If it didn't already, his reign has a familiar, Graham Potter-shaped shadow hanging over it. A manager without the credentials either as a player or a coach to convince top players to buy into his system needs results to act as his CV. Once he stops getting those results, and the players stop believing in him, he enters a vicious circle.
He can't win games without players buying in. They won't buy in because they aren't winning games. This paradox only ends one way.
Quenda returns in time to face Arsenalpublished at 08:14 BST 14 April
08:14 BST 14 April
Nizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Sporting winger Geovany Quenda is back and ready to face Premier League opposition again, starting with Arsenal.
The 18-year-old missed Sporting's 1-0 first-leg defeat as he completed the final stage of his recovery from a foot injury. Sporting's number seven returned from the bench in Saturday's win over Estrela Amadora and will again be available for Wednesday's tie against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Quenda's return begins a run of at least eight matches before he joins Chelsea in the summer. Those fixtures continue with Arsenal and include league meetings with Benfica and a domestic cup clash against Porto, with Sporting still competing on three fronts.
The winger spent an extended period training in London at Chelsea's facilities, a programme that began before Christmas. He returned briefly to Portugal for the holiday period before heading back to Cobham to continue working with Chelsea's medical staff.
During that time, Quenda met team-mates and incoming head coach Liam Rosenior, although he largely followed an individual training programme and had limited contact with the rest of the squad.
The three-month stay in London allowed him to put into practice the English he had been learning in Lisbon, secure accommodation for next season and gain muscle mass in preparation for the physical demands of the Premier League.
Quenda, who is uncapped at international level, had hoped to be selected for Portugal's World Cup squad, but his extended injury absence has made that unlikely.
Sources close to the player say he is willing to play wherever required next season, is keen to earn a place in Rosenior's squad and ultimately aims to establish himself as a full international and win trophies at Chelsea.
For now, Quenda is focused on ending his Sporting career on a high. A potential upset against Arsenal, amid their late-season wobble, would be an ideal place to start.
Rosenior must 'go for the kill', says Melchiotpublished at 16:20 BST 13 April
16:20 BST 13 April
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Former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot believes Liam Rosenior has to do more to try to win matches instead of slowing down the game.
The Blues currently sit sixth and have lost three straight Premier League games under Rosenior after an impressive unbeaten run when he first joined the club.
Speaking on BBC 5 Live Breakfast, Melchiot said: "The situation for the coach is everyone can talk about it, but when you take a ship that you have to readjust because you're a new coach, you have a different way of looking at things.
"When he started, it was always going to be difficult and now also because you're watching a team like Chelsea, they have to go all the way. [Mauricio] Pochettino had that at the end, you were saying they have to go and win games. Then [Enzo] Maresca came and he went all the way with this team, and he said, 'no, we have to finish games off'.
"When I look now at Rosenior, he has to do the same thing, he has to go for the kill. You cannot always struggle and slow things down and wait. You've got to be really penetrating. If you don't do that, this is where Chelsea's biggest weakness is now. They've got to score goals, and instead of looking good, you've got to be good. "
Chelsea 0-3 Manchester City - the fans' verdictpublished at 12:22 BST 13 April
12:22 BST 13 April
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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Chelsea and Manchester City.
Here are some of your comments:
Chelsea fans
Paul: Sorry, but Chelsea are simply not good enough under Rosey! I am sick of being bored rigid by his style of play - we should remove the lion from our badge and put a crab on it as we always seem to be going sideways with pathetic, pointless possession play!
Stan: Clubs buy players to improve the team, whereas Chelsea have done the opposite and made the team worse. It's difficult being a Chelsea supporter this season.
David: Same old problems - many chances missed - leaking defence. The manager promises improvements. When? You cannot put an inexperienced Premier League manager in a supposedly first-class team.
James: Based on this, Chelsea don't deserve to play Champions League football next season. Qualifying is going to be a tall order now given the points gap down to 11th and other teams are coming into form just as Chelsea continue to falter.
Manchester City fans
Eamonn: A re-run of the League Cup Final really, with the bonus of an extra goal. Great to see Kovacic on the pitch again and let's hope O'Reilly's substitution was only precautionary. One game at a time, City.
David: Outstanding patience and a killer instinct from City. They'll win the Premier League from here. Arsenal will be shaking in their shoes before next weekend's showdown at the Etihad.
John: I don't think Pep will have needed to rant at half-time, the players will have known how sloppy and careless they were with the ball in the first half. Second half, they moved up a couple of gears with Chelsea visibly shrinking in confidence and ideas. A good performance by all the players, which will only add to their current level of confidence. Let's hope that Nico O'Reilly is not badly injured.
Mark: This was a vital win for City after Arsenal's defeat on Saturday. Next Sunday will be interesting!
Is Garnacho living up to early promise?published at 08:45 BST 13 April
08:45 BST 13 April
Nizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Alejandro Garnacho has multiple tattoos depicting Stranger Things - his favourite show - but unlike many of its characters, he is being forced to wait for his coming-of-age journey at Chelsea.
The 21-year-old is struggling to stand out among the cast at Stamford Bridge, having been linked with a transfer away and having drawn criticism for his lack of output in attack and for switching off defensively.
Garnacho has started just seven of Liam Rosenior's first 20 games in charge, with opportunities often coming in cup games against lesser opposition such as Pafos, Charlton, Hull City and Wrexham.
His best moment this season came in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at home to Arsenal, when he struck twice as his side were beaten 3-2, eventually losing the tie 4-2 on aggregate.
He is currently averaging one goal every 4.6 games - a slight improvement on his return of one goal every 5.5 games for Manchester United across all competitions.
Eight goals and four assists in 37 appearances this season is a reasonable tally. However, a return of just one strike in 20 Premier League appearances, while underperforming his expected-goals figure of 3.11 from 28 shots, paints a less encouraging picture.
He has also been criticised for switching off at set-pieces and failing to track back in Chelsea's league defeats by Brentford, Bournemouth and West Ham.
Garnacho acknowledged he is yet to reach his peak in a recent interview with Premier League Productions, adding: "There's a lot more to come, this is just the start.
"I joined two months after the rest without a pre-season and then you also need time to adapt to a different club. Sometimes the first season is harder, but I will work very hard in the games we have left.
"I know what I can do and the most important thing is having the confidence in the player I can be. Of course, in football you have to show it so that's what I have to do."
Yet the statistics suggest the Argentina international is hardly moving forward quickly, following the early promise of his Manchester United debut at the age of 17 in 2022.
Gossip: Chelsea set to enter transfer battle for Kroupipublished at 07:53 BST 13 April
07:53 BST 13 April
Chelsea and Liverpool are set to battle it out for 19-year-old Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi, with the Cherries willing to accept an offer in the region of £60m. (Caught Offside, external)
Fernandez returns after team-mate talks - Roseniorpublished at 20:35 BST 12 April
20:35 BST 12 April
Nizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Fernandez was given an internal two-game ban by Chelsea for his comments over international duty
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior says Enzo Fernandez is available for selection again after overcoming his final "hurdle" by talking to the player leadership group.
The 25-year-old vice-captain served a two-game internal ban, missing the FA Cup win over Port Vale and Sunday's 3-0 home defeat by Manchester City.
Fernandez had suggested he was interested in a move to Madrid in three interviews during international duty with Argentina, while being linked with Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Rosenior said: "I'm looking forward to having him back next week. Sometimes you make decisions not based on the short term, but on what you want to see in the long term.
"It was a long-term decision made by myself, the directors and the club, alongside the leadership group of players, to make sure our values and our culture are in the right place for the future."
Asked whether Chelsea could have benefited from having Fernandez available on Sunday, Rosenior replied: "Possibly, possibly."
He then explained the final "hurdle" the midfielder had to overcome, which he cryptically referenced in his pre-match news conference, explaining he needed to speak with the leadership group, including players like Reece James, Moises Caicedo, Cole Palmer, Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill.
"The hurdle I spoke about was that Enzo wanted to have a conversation with the leadership group - the main players - and speak to the squad," added Rosenior.
"At the time of the press conference, he hadn't done that yet. He has now spoken with me, the leadership group and all of the players, and we look forward to welcoming him back."
Chelsea are sixth in the Premier League and next face Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Analysis: Should Blues be looking over their shoulders?published at 19:46 BST 12 April
19:46 BST 12 April
Nizaar Kinsella Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Much of the focus has been on Chelsea's ambitions to qualify for the Champions League, but they may need to start looking over their shoulders at the teams behind them.
Four defeats in five Premier League matches, and just one win in seven, have left Chelsea in sixth place and drifting, even behind an inconsistent Liverpool side, who are four points clear in the final Champions League spot.
In fact, Chelsea are closer to 11th-placed Bournemouth (with the gap just three points) than they are Liverpool.
And the two teams directly beneath the Blues - seventh-placed Brentford and Everton in eighth - are just a point behind them and both in superior form.
Some of the scrutiny for Chelsea's late-season struggles will fall on Liam Rosenior. He set his side up well for the first 45 minutes, surprising Pep Guardiola's team with a counter-attacking approach. However, once Guardiola had time to adjust at the interval, Chelsea were blown away.
Forwards such as Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto and Estevao Willian have failed to provide decisive moments - leaving them goalless and defeated for three games for the first time in over 18 years, while defensively they have not kept a clean sheet in five home matches.
Rosenior has not had the benefit of a pre-season and it remains early in his tenure. However, Enzo Maresca's departure in January, following a falling out with club hierarchy, was unplanned and has proven disruptive.
In recent weeks, Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella have spoken about how destabilising the managerial change has been.
Enzo Fernandez also talked publicly about wanting to move to Madrid one day, comments which were poorly received inside the club. He was handed an internal two-match ban and missed Sunday's game.
Away from the pitch, a fringe protest group, Not A Project FC, are planning to demonstrate before the upcoming home match against Manchester United. They are expected to march jointly with supporters from French club Strasbourg, who are also under BlueCo ownership.
It will not be lost on Chelsea that they are without a win in 10 games against the era's standard-setters City. Not since beating City in the 2021 Champions League final have Chelsea tasted success against Guardiola, with only Reece James left in the squad from those days.
That record underlines why Chelsea can no longer be considered title contenders, and reflects a lingering inferiority complex after being overtaken by a richer and more successful rival.
With players and fans increasingly frustrated, and momentum firmly negative, there is a real question over whether Chelsea will qualify for European football at all, not just the Champions League.
Chelsea 0-3 Man City: What Rosenior saidpublished at 19:36 BST 12 April
19:36 BST 12 April
Media caption,
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior speaking to Sky Sports after his team's defeat by Manchester City: "Not good enough in the second half. We didn't start well. Had moments to clear the box and keep the ball, but we didn't. They were camped in our half for the first five minutes and then we concede a goal.
"Then it's a similar story for the past month now in terms of dealing with setbacks. If you go down against teams as good as this, what you have to do for the next five minutes is to stay in the game. It ended up being a really, really difficult second half."
On building resilience in the team: "I am accountable. This is a group. It's something we need to improve. It starts with your habits and values. I can't say there was a lack of effort. But there was a lack of confidence in the second half. We have to improve. We are in a difficult place at the moment and we have got another huge game next week.
"We can't forget that we were playing against a team in massive form pushing for the title. But we need to win games like this. That's why I have come to the club. When you make these errors, the feeling and flow of the game changes. We have to make sure we need to do better in those moments if you want to win a game of football.
"It's not an excuse for the second half performance. But if that [Marc Cucurella] goal goes in, we go up in terms of confidence and energy. But we have to be more resilient to setbacks. You can go a goal down but you have to stay in the game - that's what disappointed me the most."
On whether he missed midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who was sanctioned by the club: "Any team will miss Enzo. Myself backed by the leadership group and sporting directors made a decision for the long-term of the club.
"There's nothing personal with Enzo. He will be back with the group on Tuesday. He is a top, top player and a really good guy. Really looking forward to having him back."
On whether there are unresolved issues with Fernandez: "The hurdle I spoke about. Enzo wanted to have a conversation with the leadership group - the main players of the group - and speak to the players. The time I had the press conference, he hadn't done that yet.
"He has spoken with me, the leadership group and all of the players and we look forward to welcoming him back."
Did you know?
Chelsea remain winless in each of their last 10 Premier League meetings with Manchester City (D3 L7), their longest current streak without victory against an opponent in the competition.
Chelsea have lost back-to-back Premier League home matches (also 0-1 vs Newcastle) for the first time since September 2023 under Mauricio Pochettino – today was their heaviest loss at Stamford Bridge since April 2022 (1-4 vs Brentford).
Image source, Getty Images
