Chelsea FC | 2025/26 Season

[Ball Blazer]

The Blues will kick off our 2025/26 season on Sunday 17 August when we welcome London rivals Crystal Palace to Stamford Bridge for a 2pm kick-off, with the match being shown live on Sky Sports in the UK.

Crystal Palace finished the 2024/25 campaign in 12th but are set to play in a major European competition for the first time in their history next season after winning the FA Cup - although which tournament is unclear as they currently await an appeal with UEFA due to rules around multi-club ownership.

Chelsea's 2025/26 Premier League fixtures in full​

Sun Aug 17 - Crystal Palace (h) (2pm KO, shown on Sky Sports in the UK)

Sat Aug 23 - West Ham United (a)

Sat Aug 30 - Fulham (h)

Sat Sep 6 - International window

Sat Sep 13 - Brentford (a)

16–18 September - Champions League matchday 1

Sat Sep 20 - Manchester United (a) *

Wed Sep 24 - Carabao Cup Round 3

Sat Sep 27 - Brighton & Hove Albion (h)

30 Sep-1 Oct - Champions League matchday 2

Sat Oct 4 - Liverpool (h)

Sat Oct 11 - International window

Sat Oct 18 - Nottingham Forest (a)

21-22 Oct - Champions League matchday 3

Sat Oct 25 - Sunderland (h)

Wed Oct 29 - Carabao Cup Round 4

Sat Nov 1 - Tottenham Hotspur (a)

4-5 Nov - Champions League matchday 4

Sat Nov 8 - Wolverhampton Wanderers (h)

Sat Nov 15 - International window

Sat Nov 22 - Burnley (a)

25-26 November - Champions League matchday 5

Sat Nov 29 - Arsenal (h)

Wed Dec 3 - Leeds United (a)

Sat Dec 6 - Bournemouth (a)

9-10 Dec - Champions League matchday 6

Sat Dec 13 - Everton (h)

Wed Dec 17 - Carabao Cup Round 5

Sat Dec 20 - Newcastle United (a)

Sat Dec 27 - Aston Villa (h)

Tue Dec 30 - Bournemouth (h)

Sat Jan 3 - Manchester City (a)

Wed Jan 7 - Fulham (a)

Sat Jan 10 - Emirates FA Cup 3

Wed Jan 14 - Carabao Cup semi-final first leg

Sat Jan 17 - Brentford (h)

20-21 Jan - Champions League matchday 7

Sat Jan 24 - Crystal Palace (a) *

28 Jan - Champions League matchday 8

Sat Jan 31 - West Ham United (h)

Wed Feb 4 - Carabao Cup semi-final second leg

Sat Feb 7 - Wolverhampton Wanderers (a)

Wed Feb 11 - Leeds United (h)

Sat Feb 14 - Emirates FA Cup round 4

17/18 Feb - Champions League knockout phase play-off first leg

Sat Feb 21 - Burnley (h)

24/25 Feb - Champions League knockout phase play-off second leg

Sat Feb 28 - Arsenal (a)

Wed Mar 4 - Aston Villa (a)

Sat Mar 7 - Emirates FA Cup round 5

10/11 Mar - Champions League Round of 16 first leg

Sat Mar 14 - Newcastle United (h)

17/18 Mar - Champions League Round of 16 second leg

Sat Mar 21 - Everton (a)

Sun Mar 22 - Carabao Cup final

Sat Mar 28 - International window

Sat Apr 4 - Emirates FA Cup quarter-final

7/8 Apr - Champions League quarter-final first leg

Sat Apr 11 - Manchester City (h)

14/15 Apr - Champions League quarter-final second leg

Sat Apr 18 - Manchester United (h)

Sat Apr 25 - Brighton & Hove Albion (a) or Emirates FA Cup semi-final

28/29 Apr - Champions League semi-final first leg

Sat May 2 - Nottingham Forest (h)

5/6 May - Champions League semi-final second leg

Sat May 9 - Liverpool (a)

Sat May 16 - Emirates FA Cup final

Sun May 17 - Tottenham Hotspur (h)

Sun May 24 - Sunderland (a)

Sat May 30 - Champions League final (Budapest)

 

[BouncerGuy]

Maresca refuses to rule out Jackson leaving Chelsea

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has refused to rule out the possibility of Nicolas Jackson leaving Stamford Bridge during the summer transfer window.

Newcastle are reportedly interested in the 24-year-old forward, after Manchester United hijacked the Magpies' bid to sign striker Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig.

If they are to sell, Chelsea would be targeting a transfer fee of at least double the £32m they paid Villarreal for Jackson in 2023.

When asked whether Jackson could leave Chelsea this summer, Maresca said: "When the transfer window is open, unfortunately or fortunately, anything can happen. This also involves Nico's situation.

"At the moment we also had two strikers arrive, Joao [Pedro] and Liam [Delap]. So we will see what happens."

Joao Pedro joined from Brighton during the Club World Cup for an initial £55m and scored three goals in three games, including a strike during the 3-0 win against Paris St-Germain in the final, while Delap joined in a £30m move from Ipswich and also featured in the United States.

Jackson's Club World Cup campaign was affected by his dismissal in the group match win over Flamengo, but Chelsea's valuation of over £65m is benchmarked against the Senegal international's 10 goals and five assists in 30 league games last season, following 14 goals and five assists in 35 games during his maiden season at Stamford Bridge.

Jackson also signed a nine-year contract until 2033 in September 2024.

Concern over Colwill injury

Maresca revealed England defender Levi Colwill, who started 35 of Chelsea's 38 Premier League games last season, picked up an injury in training at the start of the week.

"It was in the first session on Monday, just in the last minutes of the session. He felt something and, as I said, we need to wait and then we see," he added.

"We don't know how long he is going to be out.

"I spoke with him yesterday and I told him that if we achieve what we achieved last year, it is also because of him - and he was a main player for us."

But Wesley Fofana is nearing a return from his hamstring injury and, although he will miss the upcoming friendly matches against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan, he is expected to be back for the opening Premier League match against Crystal Palace on 17 August.

BBC

 

[shamaan]

I think they will either be 4th or 5th.

 

[Ball Blazer]

Chelsea continue unbeaten start to season

Striker Joao Pedro continued his scoring streak as Chelsea benefited from controversial refereeing decisions to beat rivals Fulham 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Joao Pedro headed the opener in first-half injury time to score his fifth goal in five starts across all competitions since his £55m move from Brighton, with midfielder Enzo Fernandez scoring a second-half penalty.

However, referee Robert Jones took centre stage after making several controversial decisions.

The first ruled out Fulham midfielder Josh King's goal in the 21st minute. His team-mate Rodrigo Muniz was judged to have stepped on Trevoh Chalobah in the build-up by the video assistant referee (VAR) Michael Salisbury.

Jones confirmed the decision after viewing the pitchside monitor but there appeared to be minimal contact in what also looked a natural action by striker Muniz, while playing with his back to goal.

Joao Pedro further punished Fulham, who dominated the first 45 minutes, by scoring a header from Fernandez's corner with the final action of the half.

Fernandez then scored from the penalty spot to seal victory after Ryan Sessegnon was judged to have handled the ball in the penalty area.

It was a difficult decision for the officials but again went in Chelsea's favour as Fulham manager Marco Silva fumed at referee Jones.

Chelsea secured an important victory before the international break despite losing striker Liam Delap to a hamstring injury early in the first half.

Chelsea 2-0 Fulham: Joao Pedro & Enzo Fernandez score as dubious VAR calls help hosts

Joao Pedro continues his hot streak in front of goal but a controversial VAR call proves the talking point as Chelsea beat Fulham.

www.bbc.com

 

[Geordie Ahmed]

Some very generous refereeing for Chelsea today

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Chelsea face 74 charges over agent payments

Chelsea have been charged by the Football Association with 74 alleged rule breaches related to payments to agents between 2009 and 2022.

The charges are primarily focused on transfers between the 2010-11 and 2015-16 seasons.

Three deals that form part of the investigation involved Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto'o and Willian.

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of those players.

Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich was in control of the club from 2003 to 2022, before selling Chelsea to a consortium led by American investor Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital.

The alleged rule breaches concern agents, intermediaries and third-party investments in players.

Chelsea, who said they had reported the potential rule breaches to the FA themselves, have until 19 September to respond.

There are a wide range of options available to sanction Chelsea, including a fine, transfer embargo and points deduction. However, the Blues' high level of co-operation will be factored in and the club don't expect to be hit with a sporting sanction.

Sources at Chelsea also say they have no concerns about the impact of any future fines on compliance with the Premier League's profit and sustainability regulations (PSR) having factored in a potential punishment after the takeover of the club in 2022.

Chelsea face 74 Football Association charges over agent payments

Chelsea are charged by the Football Association with 74 alleged rule breaches related to payments to agents when Roman Abramovich was owner.

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Injury rules out Chelsea's Delap until December

Chelsea striker Liam Delap could be sidelined until December after sustaining a hamstring injury against Fulham before the international break.

Delap was replaced just 14 minutes into the 2-0 victory over the Cottagers and manager Enzo Maresca said he will be unavailable for 10 to 12 weeks.

The Blues are hopeful the 22-year-old could return in November, offering a boost for the busy festive period, after avoiding the need for surgery.

Delap joined the Blues from Ipswich for £30m in June and has featured in all three games this season.

Chelsea recalled striker Marc Guiu from a loan spell at Sunderland the day after Delap picked up the injury to provide cover amid uncertainty over Nicolas Jackson, who joined Bayern Munich for £70.5m the following day.

Joao Pedro also joined the west London club from Brighton earlier in the summer and is likely to be Maresca's preferred option to lead the line.

"For us, the only number nine is [Marc] Guiu and Joao [Pedro] can play there, and against Fulham we used Ty [George]," Maresca said.

Delap was Ipswich's leading scorer last season - registering 12 times in the Premier League - and played 37 times.

Meanwhile, forward Cole Palmer is pushing for a return when Chelsea travel to Brentford on Saturday (20:00 BST).

The England forward missed victories over West Ham and Fulham with a groin injury.

"Cole took part in the session yesterday for the first time, not the entire session," Maresca said.

"We have one more session this afternoon and we are going to try with him to see if he's OK, otherwise he will be out tomorrow.

"He is recovering from an injury. When he is available, we need to manage him because of the amount of games."

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Chelsea can compete in Champions League - Palmer

Cole Palmer says Chelsea do not see this season's Champions League campaign as a "learning curve" - because they want to be competitive in it straight away.

Enzo Maresca's side were second-best as they lost 3-1 to a more experienced Bayern Munich side at Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

It was Chelsea's first appearance in the Champions League since April 2023 - and the match suggested a young team will need to reflect on what it takes to succeed at that level.

But head coach Maresca suggested his side can take plenty from the defeat and "build something special" - while forward Palmer has dismissed the idea that they can't do that quickly.

"We are not coming here for it to be a learning curve," the England international said.

"We have shown tonight we want to compete and we want to do as best as we can."

Chelsea won the Club World Cup in July, beating Paris St-Germain in New Jersey, having won the Conference League two months earlier, but their former forward Pat Nevin always felt the Champions League was going to be a greater test.

"It was the kind of performance that I expected from Chelsea," Nevin said on BBC Radio 5 Live. "A lot of people were saying beforehand that they were going to break into this competition, they are Club World Cup champions and all of that, but I was thinking, 'steady on'.

"The jump you need to do to come to places like this is quite big and a number of players just don't have that experience yet. They weren't able to do it as a group today."

Chelsea acknowledge weaknesses

Maresca may have been broadly pleased with his team's performance, but accepted they lacked "full focus for the full 95 minutes".

He added: "I think the players were already aware of this competition, of the difficulties.

"You cannot commit mistakes in the way we have done, but I just said to the players, it's a game that we can learn a lot from, and build something special from this defeat."

Chelsea played well, especially early on when Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez missed good chances, but mistakes cost them.

They switched off at a drop-ball, leaving Bayern winger Michael Olise free to deliver a cross that Trevoh Chalobah turned into his own net. Then midfielder Moises Caicedo brought down Harry Kane to concede a penalty - which the England captain converted.

After Palmer had pulled a goal back, Kane sealed victory in the second half when defender Malo Gusto gave away the ball.

They were all defensive lapses against ruthless opposition. Bayern - a team who have won their first match in each of their past 22 Champions League campaigns - know the ropes at this level, in a way the current Chelsea side do not.

Can Chelsea overcome their naivety?

Nevin added on 5 Live: "It wasn't quite men against boys, but Bayern Munich were certainly a good distance ahead of Chelsea here.

"The mistakes Chelsea made were quite naive and they were caught out, not just for the goals, but for a whole raft of chances aside from that. That's what happens with young players playing in this competition, but they will learn from that.

"This level is elite. It is a jump. And that jump may take them a little while."

Inexperience may well have been an issue: In Munich, Chelsea fielded their third-youngest ever Champions League team.

Their entire 24-man squad went into Wednesday's match with just 117 appearances in the competition between them. By contrast, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, 39, has played 131 times in the Champions League for Bayern Munich alone.

His team-mates Kane, Joshua Kimmich and Serge Gnabry have substantial experience at this level. By contrast, Chelsea pair Caicedo and Marc Cucurella were making their debuts in the competition despite being among the team's star names.

Even head coach Maresca, part of Pep Guardiola's staff during Manchester City's 2023 Treble-winning campaign, may need to step up to this level.

It felt as if a third Bayern goal was coming for a few minutes before Kane scored it - but Maresca seemed slow to react, and only made changes after his team had gone 3-1 down.

It was too little, all too late.

BBC

 

[Obaidd]

We are gonna miss Palmer vs Liv today

 

[hassan918]

We are gonna miss Palmer vs Liv today

Chelsea got the win without Palmer so you should be happy now.

 

[Obaidd]

Chelsea got the win without Palmer so you should be happy now.

Yup happy with the win cuz Liv lost points. Disclaimer: I am an Arsenal fan but surprised I haven’t seen Chelsea fans here on PP. Are you one?

Cole Palmer’s everybody’s favourite I think. Looking forward to seeing him again. Love his calm/cold/calculated play

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Chelsea's Palmer expected to be out until November

Chelsea forward Cole Palmer is expected to be out of action until November following a club meeting about his persistent groin injury.

The 23-year-old has faced recurring issues since the injury emerged during a shortened two-week pre-season that followed his starring role in Chelsea's Club World Cup victory in July.

It has limited him to just four appearances across all competitions this season.

Palmer was substituted after 21 minutes in Chelsea's 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on 20 September, and afterwards manager Enzo Maresca said the club would "protect" the England international with a period of rest to ensure his recovery after the current international break.

He is likely to miss games against Nottingham Forest, Ajax, Sunderland and Wolves.

Palmer was not named in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for Thursday's friendly against Wales and Tuesday's World Cup qualifier in Latvia.

When announcing the squad, England head coach Tuchel said Palmer's injury was "concerning" and expressed fears it could become "chronic".

Cole Palmer: Chelsea forward expected to be out until November with persistent groin injury

Chelsea forward Cole Palmer is expected to be out of action until November following a club meeting about his persistent groin injury.

www.bbc.com