Sutton's predictions: Chelsea v Nottingham Forestpublished at 13:58 BST 3 May
13:58 BST 3 May
Which Chelsea will we see here?
Interim Blues boss Calum McFarlane said we shouldn't question their players' character after they won their FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United last weekend.
That was a good performance but everyone saw that same group down tools and throw the towel in against Brighton a few days earlier in a defeat that led to Liam Rosenior losing his job.
Off the back of those two games, how can anyone predict what we will see from this Chelsea side?
Nottingham Forest, in contrast, are on a roll with the goals suddenly flying in for Vitor Pereira's side.
They are also in European action this week but with Chris "the Woodchopper" Wood back up front, I can see them chipping away at Chelsea and earning another valuable point.
McFarlane keeping his message straightforwardpublished at 17:37 BST 1 May
17:37 BST 1 May
Nizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporter
Image source, Getty Images
It is intriguing to see a relatively unknown coach take on a role as significant as leading Chelsea, even on an interim basis.
It has been an exercise in learning about a coach about whom little is publicly known, but who appears to have steadied the ship following a 1–0 win over Leeds in the FA Cup semi-final.
McFarlane is still attracting criticism from some disgruntled supporters online, but he has handled it with apparent composure.
When questioned by BBC Sport, he said he had not seen the criticism and was focused instead on his work and his family life.
That measured approach appears to be benefiting the players, helping to dampen some of the noise around a club that remains on a five-game winless and goalless run in the Premier League.
In other news, it is pleasing for all involved with Chelsea to see captain Reece James and arguably star centre-back Levi Colwill also in contention for Monday's match against Nottingham Forest.
McFarlane on James, tennis and 'honour' of leading Chelseapublished at 14:29 BST 1 May
14:29 BST 1 May
Marissa Thomas BBC Sport journalist
Chelsea interim boss Calum McFarlane has been speaking to the media before Monday's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge (kick-off 15:00).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On team news, McFarlane said captain Reece James is back in training while Levi Colwill is also "looking promising." He added they are taking it "day by day" as there are "a lot of games still to play so we don't want to push too much".
Both players could "potentially" be involved in the squad.
On James as captain: "Reece has been brilliant from the day I stepped up in January. He's injured this time around so it is a different role. He loves and cares about the club and has tournament experience."
On Enzo Fernandez, Marc Cucurella and Joao Pedro going to watch the tennis in Madrid: "It says a lot about the group that they go away together. I love that they spend time together. They went to Madrid to watch tennis, I don't see an issue. It's a positive sign for the unity of the group."
On being in the dugout at Stamford Bridge: "I've been involved at games at Stamford Bridge as assistant and support staff but there might be a different feel leading the team and it will be a great honour in front of the Chelsea fans. Really looking forward to it and hoping we can put in a similar level of performance as we did at Wembley."
On whether Chelsea is an attractive club to manage: "I don't think I have to sell that in all honesty, it's one of the biggest clubs in the world, great history of winning, we've got some unbelievable players, some of the best players in the world, great training facilities. You've got everything you could want."
On the crowd: "We need the crowd to bring a positive energy and get behind the team. We all want to do well for this club and we want to win every single game. We want to win as many games as possible."
On the possibility of Champions League qualification: "We just have to win our games and not worry about anything else. We have to just focus on ourselves. We want to be in the Champions League, we want to be in Europe."
Two sides in contrasting formpublished at 13:29 BST 1 May
13:29 BST 1 May
Image source, Getty Images
Since returning to the Premier League in 2022, Nottingham Forest are unbeaten at Stamford Bridge and they will hope to preserve that record and boost their survival hopes when they face Chelsea on Monday (15:00 BST).
These two sides could not be in more contrasting form. Forest are unbeaten in their last six league games, with only Brighton picking up more points than the relegation-threatened side's 12 since the start of March.
However, the hosts have lost and failed to score in each of their last five league games, a run that saw Liam Rosenior's spell at the club come to an end. Chelsea have not lost six in a row since November 1993 and have never lost that many in a row without scoring in their league history.
It is a massive chance for the Tricky Trees to push further away from the drop zone after their impressive 5-0 thrashing of Sunderland. However, they won't be sitting comfortably just yet, as relegation rivals West Ham and Tottenham won their games last Saturday to leave the table as it was before the weekend's results.
Chelsea did manage to arrest their sliding form with a confidence-boosting 1-0 victory in the FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United under the stewardship of interim boss Calum McFarlane. He proved himself earlier this season by guiding the side to a surprising draw at Manchester City after Enzo Maresca's sacking.
Chelsea fight 80,000 bots per game and cancel 16,000 membershipspublished at 12:03 BST 1 May
12:03 BST 1 May
Nizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Chelsea are blocking between 60,000 and 80,000 bots and have suspended 16,000 memberships as part of ongoing efforts to tackle ticket touting.
The Blues are among the most targeted clubs in the Premier League and have been affected by sophisticated criminal networks involved in the illegal resale of tickets.
There have been attempts to exploit tourists attending matches in a wealthy part of London, alongside supply-and-demand pressures as Chelsea appear to have outgrown the 40,000‑capacity Stamford Bridge.
In addition to rolling out new technology to block bots, Chelsea have increased the number of suspended memberships for misuse to 16,000, up from 5,000 previously.
The Blues also say there is a 94% non‑collection rate at ticket collection points for the 1,000 fans per match identified as potentially breaching club policy. Meanwhile, misuse of concessionary tickets has more than halved, most notably in the family stand.
Chelsea say they have invested in "additional resource" to address these issues.
However, criticism remains. The Chelsea Supporters' Trust (CST) says co-owner Todd Boehly's continued involvement in running Vivid Seats - which remains listed on the Premier League's unauthorised ticket websites page and sells Chelsea tickets at heavily inflated prices, often to American tourists - "undermines confidence, cuts across the wider fight against ticket touting, and reinforces a growing feeling among supporters that the system is not working in their interests".
Some Chelsea fan groups acknowledge the club's anti-touting measures are having an impact, but the CST has also expressed frustration over Champions League pricing, the membership structure and the potential ballot system for home fixtures.
Chelsea say they are consulting supporters on how to make the ballot system fairer and have told fans to expect changes next season.
A meeting is scheduled for Wednesday to discuss ticketing systems.
Where are we at with Mudryk's doping case?published at 11:51 BST 1 May
11:51 BST 1 May
Daniel Austin & Nizaar Kinsella BBC Sport senior journalist & Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
BBC Sport has been told Mykhailo Mudryk was banned by the FA in January but that only a close-knit group of people around him and a small number of people at Chelsea were informed.
That is because the FA's anti-doping programme is deemed strictly confidential - all parts of the process, from testing to discussions with lawyers, are carried out behind closed doors in order to respect the privacy of footballers.
UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) works in collaboration with the FA on the programme.
The exact prohibited substance for which Mudryk tested positive has never been named by the FA, but BBC Sport understands it is the cardiovascular medication meldonium, which has the potential to increase respiratory capacity and stamina, which he came into contact with while on duty with the Ukraine national team.
It remains unclear how exactly Mudryk apparently ingested meldonium, which has been banned by Wada since 2016 and is primarily used in Eastern European countries to treat conditions such as angina, heart failure and coronary artery disease.
Mudryk has been suspended and unable to play for either Chelsea or Ukraine since the FA provisionally suspended him 16 months ago.
He remains contracted to the Blues until 2031, having signed a long deal when he joined for £61m in 2022, as part of the club's plan to amortise the cost of transfers and contracts.
If Mudryk's ban is upheld by Cas, he would be unable to play again until roughly December 2028, as that is four years since his provisional suspension began.
But if the ban were to be reduced by Cas, he could be back on the pitch in a much shorter timeframe. Sources close to the player believe he could be back in action as early as next season.
Chelsea would be able to terminate Mudryk's contract once the Cas process has concluded, given an anti-doping ban constitutes a breach of employment terms in most footballers' contracts.
Mudryk last played for Chelsea on 28 November 2024 and was an unused substitute for a league match three days later against Aston Villa.
The Ukrainian is training alone with a private coach at facilities including Uxbridge FC and has also hired goalkeepers for some sessions.
Mudryk lodged his appeal to Cas on 25 February.
The court will re-examine the case, typically with a panel of three arbitrators who go over the evidence and can either uphold, overturn, or modify the ban given out by the FA.
Gossip: Chelsea target £60m for Jacksonpublished at 07:40 BST 1 May
07:40 BST 1 May
Chelsea believe they could get up to £60m for 24-year-old Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson, who has spent the season on loan at Bayern Munich. (Athletic - subscription required, external)
McFarlane facing social media criticismpublished at 16:59 BST 30 April
16:59 BST 30 April
Nizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Calum McFarlane is highly regarded at Chelsea but has been subject to jibes about his lack of experience as well as conspiracy theories.
Those who know the 38-year-old say he has found aspects of the sudden limelight difficult, particularly during a period of anger among Chelsea supporters.
McFarlane has tried to avoid showing too much of his personality publicly, although an exception came after he led the Blues to Sunday's FA Cup semi-final win over Leeds. He spoke with emotion, describing it as "the best day of my career by an absolute mile" because his family support Chelsea, while Reece James pushed him forward to receive applause from the fans after the match.
At other times, he has looked to defend himself from criticism.
One social media video questions his and his staff's links to influential Chelsea recruiter Joe Shields, accusing them of benefiting from "nepotism". It has been viewed more than 600,000 times.
The video does not mention that McFarlane worked at Fulham, Crystal Palace and Norwegian club Tromso, who were playing in the Europa League when they promoted him to first-team coach. A family illness later saw him return to London to work closer to home at the Kinetic Foundation in his native south London, an organisation for whom Shields is wrongly said to have worked.
McFarlane returned to the professional game a few years later at Manchester City's academy, working alongside Shields and academy director Glenn van der Kraan. They brought him and his assistants Harry Hudson and Dan Hogan to Chelsea this summer, with McFarlane joining from Southampton under-21s.
However, their collective lack of a Uefa Pro Licence - the highest coaching qualification - has been criticised in further social media posts and videos. It has also been noted that others within the academy, including youth mentor and legend John Terry, hold the qualification.
Questions remain about the academy more broadly, following the departures of long-serving figures Neil Bath and Jim Fraser and the introduction of a new vision.
The new leadership has, however, made a strong start, with both the under-21 and under-18 league titles in the same season at Chelsea for the first time.
What's the likelihood Jackson returns to Chelsea?published at 09:11 BST 30 April
09:11 BST 30 April
Nizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporter
Image source, Getty Images
We've had a few questions around the chances of 24-year-old Nicolas Jackson's return to Stamford Bridge via our Ask about Chelsea form.
Bayern Munich have said they are unlikely to sign Jackson on a permanent basis after his loan spell. That means the Senegal international will, at least initially, return to Chelsea.
From there, he could be offered a place in the new manager's squad, sent out on loan again or sold.
Assessing which option is most likely is difficult without knowing who the head coach will be and what their plans are.
It is well known that Bournemouth nearly signed Jackson six months before Chelsea, a move that would have seen him play under managerial target Andoni Iraola.
However, during his previous spell at Chelsea, Jackson's personality caused friction with former head coach Enzo Maresca and members of the club hierarchy, who remain in place.
Chelsea also still have striker Liam Delap on their books, teenage forward Marc Guiu and established starting option Joao Pedro, while Strasbourg striker Emanuel Emegha is set to join in the summer.
Along with Jackson, at least two of those players are likely to be sold in the summer.
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'I'd rather we missed out' - fans on Europe chancespublished at 17:09 BST 29 April
17:09 BST 29 April
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on Chelsea's chances for European qualification as they currently sit eighth in the Premier League.
Here are some of your comments:
Sal: No chance! With Liverpool and Manchester City yet to play, and 10 points behind fifth place, we would be lucky to even make top half of the league!
Steve: No, I don't think Chelsea will qualify for Europe. All the teams around them are in form. Chelsea are not at the races presently.
John: Absolutely will not secure a Champions League place, nor do we deserve to either. Hopefully it'll be the wake-up call for the owners, but I rather doubt it... wonder how that "landmark" sponsor deal is going.
Steve: The best we can hope for is the Europa League and frankly, I'd rather we missed out on that and focus on building some real momentum in our domestic league and competitions. From the four games we have left, I can see maybe four points, six at best, which I don't think will give us enough to reach sixth place. Gutted at no Champions League but given our season, we don't deserve to be there.
Scott: We may scrape the Conference League but that is all we deserve. Maybe that - or nothing at all - will convince our owners to change the youth only policy of recruitment and get some experience in the building.
Kenneth: Hopefully not until we're a proper football club again.
James: I feel now that given the league form the only chance of playing in Europe next season is by winning the FA Cup which will not be easy. That said if the players can turn in the sort of performance they did against Leeds then who knows.
Vick: We will get Europe by winning the FA cup. Come on Chelsea.
How much will Rosenior's dismissal cost Chelsea?published at 08:43 BST 29 April
08:43 BST 29 April
Nizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporter
How much will Liam Rosenior be paid by Chelsea after his sacking? That question has been the subject of several submissions sent in via our Ask about Chelsea form recently.
Chelsea have informed Rosenior that he will not receive a full payout for the remainder of his six-and-a-half-year contract, signed in January and reportedly worth £4m per season.
Such break clause arrangements are standard across top-level football but that clarification followed reports that Rosenior could receive as much as £24m following his departure.
It is understood the settlement will be significantly lower than that figure, though the exact amount will remain undisclosed until Chelsea's next set of accounts are published next year, when one-off managerial dismissal costs are typically published on the government website, Companies House.
Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.
We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.
Big picture 'gloomy' but Leeds win a 'huge boost' for Chelseapublished at 12:49 BST 28 April
12:49 BST 28 April
Will Faulks Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Chelsea got a big result on Sunday against Leeds United, winning an FA Cup semi-final which was about more than just earning another chance to lift a trophy at Wembley.
The game brought a goal scored, a clean sheet and a win for the Blues. Those are three things the club have been desperately searching for in recent weeks. The confidence from such a win will be a huge boost in the remaining Premier League games this season. There may not be enough time left to force our way back in the right direction, but we at least go into those matches feeling we've got a chance.
After the abject showing on Tuesday, it was a relief to see Chelsea playing with some grit and determination. It was also a little galling as it showed just how much of their recent slump has been a simple case of players downing tools.
It wasn't all just a product of renewed effort, though. Interim coach Calum McFarlane made some useful tweaks to his tactics and to the team's overall philosophy to beat Leeds' potent (but fragile) high-press, and he put the best players he had available in their most comfortable roles.
Robert Sanchez kicked the ball long, made some good saves, and was well protected by his defence, while Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia blocked up the midfield and slowed the game in possession. If Chelsea had a left-winger in better form than the desperately poor Alejandro Garnacho, we might have seen something a little more appetising in attack too.
But regardless - Chelsea have won a game, confidence is coming back, Joao Pedro is fit and Reece James could yet feature against Nottingham Forest in a week's time. Things are certainly brighter than they were a week ago, even if the big picture remains gloomy.
'Player power has a lot of sway' - but does Rosenior 'shoulder more blame'?published at 12:00 BST 28 April
12:00 BST 28 April
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on whether Chelsea's players had 'downed tools' in the final stages of Liam Rosenior's era at the Blues.
Here are some of your comments:
James: I would like to think that whoever is in charge, the players would give it their all. However, the reality is that clearly player power has a lot of sway. It is now obvious that, for whatever reason, there was no universal buy-in to Rosenior and that reflects more on the players than his managerial competence.
Tony: If you have ever had a boss that failed to inspire you, demotivated you by their ineptitude, then you may have not performed at your best, and maybe lacked the desire to succeed. If that is an experience you recognise, then you should understand to an extent what happened at Chelsea. The key responsibility of the head coach is to get the best from the team. Rosenior comprehensively failed to do that. The players shoulder some blame, but he shoulders more.
Peter: Analysis paralysis. Rosenior wanted to play a man-for-man system all over the pitch. The players neither believed nor understood the system and the results dropped off a cliff as soon as Rosenior tried to implement the strategy and tactics to carry his vision into effect. On Sunday, we saw no such system and played a formation and style the team understood and believed in.
Graham: Having the sporting directors run the playing side is a very poor way to run a Premier League club. Evidently, they make all the signings and decide on tactics, who will be selected and so on. None of them have any experience of managing a side, and it shows with the players they have signed and those they have allowed to leave. This situation has a lot to do with the current state of the club.
Peter: In reference to how players performed under Rosenior and how they performed after his departure, it goes to show that the players did not like his way of playing out from the back (boring). Against Leeds, they were playing more directly with the ball going up front a lot faster and this was why they got the win in the FA Cup semi-final. They were playing how the team and the fans wanted to see them playing.
'Should feel ashamed' - Sutton and Houghton on Chelsea attitudepublished at 08:32 BST 28 April
08:32 BST 28 April
Media caption,
When Liam Rosenior lost his fifth consecutive league fixture away at Brighton, the clock was ticking on his time as Chelsea manager.
On the latest episode of Monday Night Club, former Premier League striker Chris Sutton said "there was a distinct lack of effort from these Chelsea players" in the 3-0 defeat at the Amex.
"That is why people were questioning their character. I am not buying the fact that, just because they have had a result after Liam Rosenior has gone, that this Chelsea team is back in any way, shape or form. I still think they have got a long way to go," added Sutton.
Now the spotlight has shifted from Rosenior's sacking and onto the Chelsea players as some accuse the young squad of having "downed tools."
Former Lionesses captain, Steph Houghton, believes players "did give in" and that it was going to be hard for Rosenior to find any momentum after his players were "massively outrun" by Fabian Hurzeler's Brighton.
"When you have a team that stops running it is so hard to get it back," Houghton said.
"These next four games are when you see what these players are about - having a young squad that lacks leadership, the type of players that are going to get hold of each other. In the last three to four months, they have really missed that.
"The automatic thing is to spit their dummy out, that's exactly what they did against Brighton. They have four games left under an interim manager that they all know will be nice as they know him from the academy. So it's easy for them. It's when the next manager comes in, they can't just down tools like they did against Brighton."
Sutton added: "You still have a responsibility for that club to do the best you possibly can.
"The Chelsea players quite frankly should feel ashamed of how they played at Brighton."
Could Uefa have a decision to make between Chelsea and Strasbourg?published at 07:50 BST 28 April
07:50 BST 28 April
Dale Johnson Football issues correspondent
Image source, Getty Images
As the battle for places in Europe hots up in the Premier League, the race to shuffle papers to satisfy Uefa's bureaucrats has been just as intense.
This is because European football's governing body has strict multi-club ownership (MCO) rules.
Those rules could cause a team to be demoted from one competition to another, like Crystal Palace were from the Europa League to the Conference League last season, or miss out on Europe altogether.
Half of the Premier League clubs are now in some form of multi-club arrangement.
To many fans, Chelsea and Strasbourg may be the most obvious example of two clubs operating as one entity.
They are both under the BlueCo umbrella and if they do end up in the same competition, it will be a serious tests of Uefa's multi-club ownership policy.
On 17 February, four members of the board of BlueCo Alsace, the French club's holding company, stepped down.
They were Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, Chelsea's joint-sporting directors. James Pade and Jeffrey Wilbur, noted as Chelsea directors on the Premier League's public register, were also removed.
At UK Companies House, co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali stood down as directors of BlueCo Data Limited on 28 February. They are still on the west London club's board.
If the two clubs are permitted into the same competition, and following past precedent, it is likely they would not be allowed to trade players until January 2028.
Strasbourg are eighth in Ligue 1 and have a small chance of qualifying domestically - but if they win the Conference League, they will earn a place in the Europa League.
Uefa says that a European titleholder must get European football, but there is no clause to cover this in the MCO regulations.
Chelsea are in the FA Cup final - and if they win it, that would also result in Europa League football.
Chelsea players 'need to look at themselves' after Leeds winpublished at 18:17 BST 27 April
18:17 BST 27 April
Image source, Getty Images
Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final victory over Leeds United is a good distraction for Blues fan and content creator Rory Jennings, who is finding the attitudes of current Chelsea players are not "sitting right" with him.
The west London outfit sacked manager Liam Rosenior last week, but managed to secure an FA Cup final place under interim head coach Calum McFarlane on Sunday.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show, Jennings said: "What doesn't sit comfortably with me is, the reason we've beaten Leeds United is because we showed heart, fight and tenacity. All of those words that should be natural for any football team, all of them were completely absent a few days ago when Liam Rosenior was manager.
"So something about this crop of players doesn't sit right with me, but it's hard for me to feel anything other than jubilant at the moment because beating Leeds is a dream come true."
Former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney, said: "I've been there as a player when a manager's been sacked and I'd felt sad, like I'm part of the problem and part of why they've been sacked.
"But I was watching the Chelsea players and I didn't seem to see that in them – there seemed to be a relief. I guess it happens, but that's where as a player you need to look at yourself as well."
On who should become Blues' next permanent boss, Jennings added: "The next manager who comes in after McFarlane has to be somebody who can unify Chelsea. I want someone who gets the club and knows the history and what the standards should be – I would have had John Terry now instead of McFarlane.
"I feel like the standout candidate now would be Cesc Fabregas but it won't happen. It's got Gary O'Neil written all over it."
Chelsea players 'issue rallying cry' - but is it too little, too late?published at 16:34 BST 27 April
16:34 BST 27 April
Nizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporter
Image source, Getty Images
It certainly felt as though Chelsea's players had 'downed tools' when watching them inside Amex Stadium during their 3-0 defeat by Brighton in Liam Rosenior's final match in charge.
Many in the dressing room were unconvinced by their former head coach, citing his lack of authority and communication style, with Spanish-speaking players said to have particularly struggled under him.
However, there is nuance to the debate, with individual players experiencing different issues during that period.
Some may have downed tools, others appeared short of confidence and - perhaps most damningly - there are those who simply may not be good enough to meet Chelsea's perceived ambitions, especially as injuries forced certain players into more prominent roles.
There were also comments from players such as Trevoh Chalobah, who suggested fatigue was playing a part, having featured in the Club World Cup, not being given a full holiday and enduring a shortened pre-season.
Throughout their five-game losing run, Chelsea were also failing to take chances during matches in which they enjoyed long spells of dominance, notably against Manchester United, Everton and Manchester City.
All of it contributed to the perception that players had downed tools.
But while that may have been the case in some instances, in others it may be a harsh judgement.
Now it appears Chelsea's players have issued something of a rallying cry following Rosenior's dismissal, and are attempting to unite behind interim boss Calum McFarlane after booking their place in the FA Cup final with a timely victory over Leeds United on Sunday.
Do you feel as though the players had downed tools? If so, does that frustrate you, especially if you think they will now unite behind McFarlane and potentially kick on to more success?
