Chelsea v Port Vale: Team newspublished at 16:35 BST 4 April
16:35 BST 4 April
Chelsea make three changes from the side beaten so disappointingly at Everton in their last Premier League game.
Enzo Fernandez has been given a two-game ban by the club after outspoken comments suggesting he leave in the summer. Andrey Santos starts in midfield while Estevao Willian is also in the starting line-up. Moises Caicedo drops down the bench.
Port Vale manager Jon Brady makes four changes from the side that lost 4-0 at Wycombe Wanderers as Rhys Walters, Liam Gordon, Ben Waine and Martin Sherif come in for Jordan Shipley, Jaheim Headley, George Hall and Ethon Archer.
Sutton's predictions: Chelsea v Port Valepublished at 12:04 BST 4 April
12:04 BST 4 April
Ever since Liam Rosenior was appointed in January, there has always been an element of Chelsea fans who don't think Rosenior is the right man to take them forward - but losing their past four games in a row in all competitions has certainly not helped his cause.
Yes, you can say they have been beaten by European champions Paris St-Germain in two of those matches, but I still expected them to get a result at home to Newcastle and then Everton absolutely blew them away.
If Rosenior loses this tie too, then the alarm bells would really be ringing at Stamford Bridge. It is a game where he cannot afford to slip up, but I also feel like he needs a performance to go with the win everyone is expecting.
Wycombe beat Port Vale 4-0 on Saturday so Chelsea surely have to at least match that scoreline before they focus on the league again, with two more crucial home games coming up against Manchester City and Manchester United.
Vale are toiling at the bottom of League One and so far on this cup run I have wrongly predicted they will lose to Fleetwood, Bristol City and Sunderland.
The good news for Vale fans and their manager Jon Brady is that I am going to predict they will lose this time too.
Their aim will be to stay in the game as long as they can and try to nick a goal, but the circumstances mean Rosenior will probably pick a strong team and Chelsea will have too much quality for them.
Chelsea v Port Vale preview: Perfect tonic to Blues' current malaise?published at 17:53 BST 3 April
17:53 BST 3 April
Image source, Getty Images
It could be argued that the international break was a welcome one for Chelsea and their head coach Liam Rosenior. His players travelled to join their respective national teams seeking to forget four straight losses in all competitions.
It's the first time since May 2023 that Chelsea have suffered such a lengthy losing streak and a reset, or at least a refresh, appears necessary.
Back-to-back Premier League defeats by Newcastle and Everton - games where Chelsea failed to score or even impress - were straddled by a humiliating 8-2 aggregate thrashing by Paris St-Germain in the Champions League last 16.
Rosenior's last victory came in this competition at Wrexham and a home quarter-final against League One's bottom side Port Vale should provide the perfect tonic to the club's current malaise.
This quarter-final represents something of a free hit for the Staffordshire side and they have already defeated Premier League opponents Sunderland to reach this stage. However, the occasion will be tempered by the very obvious threat of relegation and by the time they return to EFL action against Rotherham on Tuesday night they could be up to 20 points from safety with eight games remaining.
Chelsea's cup record is also worthy of envy and they've progressed from 64 of their previous 66 FA Cup ties against lower league opposition, only losing to Barnsley at Oakwell in 2008 and Bradford City at home in 2015 during that run.
That's a 97% success rate for the Blues in these fixtures and probability suggests a 28th FA Cup semi-final and a visit to Wembley for Rosenior and his side.
Did you know?
The gap of 62 league places between Chelsea and Port Vale is the third largest at this stage of the competition since the start of the century. Only Brighton versus League Two Grimsby Town in 2023 (76 places) and Arsenal against National League Lincoln City in 2017 (88 places) had a bigger gulf and both of those ties resulted in a 5-0 victory for the top-flight side
Chelsea are vying to reach the FA Cup semi-final without facing a top-flight opponent for the fourth time in the competition's current format (from 1925-26). It would be the joint-most of any side, level with Tottenham.
Joao Pedro has scored seven goals in his past seven FA Cup games. Six of these goals have been since the start of 2023-24, with no player netting more in the competition during that period
Should Fernandez be dropped? published at 16:37 BST 3 April
16:37 BST 3 April
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on if manager Liam Rosenior is right to drop Enzo Fernandez. Could this decision have wider ramifications for the rest of Chelsea's season?
Here are some of your comments:
Kazuki: Yes, unfortunately it is a right call. However good he is as a player, his attitude towards his own benefit wouldn't do any good for the club. Chelsea needs a class.
Dell: Definitely wrong to "sanction" Enzo. I doubt if he would have been involved in the Port Vale game anyway. We need all the fit players to be available for the Man City game. Yet again petty politics from petty owners and management who aren't fit to run the club or team.
John: If Fernandez is a toxic presence in the dressing room, then sanctioning him was the right move. Only the coach and players would know.
If not - if his only transgression was speculating about his future - then benching him was a sign of weakness and will backfire. All that discussion will only intensify and go underground.
Daren: Rosenior strikes me as a decent guy, who treats people with respect. Enzo has crossed a line and Rosenior must show that he's the boss or risk losing authority.
David: As vice captain he's a disgrace. What example is he setting to all his team mates and the academy?
John: No, he was right to state his views. The suspension is a sign of a weak coach trying to stay relevant.
Russ: The players will now start not bothering and then Liam will be sacked and then we start again. I love Chelsea but that's how we seem to roll.
Tim: Rosenior should drop himself! Inept and out of his league with our club! He should hand in a transfer request and go asap.
This is your Chelsea page. Hit follow if you're using a computer. If you're logged in on the BBC Sport app hit the bell icon and choose news notifications so we can send you the best club content.
'We all want to put Chelsea where it's supposed to be'published at 15:11 BST 3 April
15:11 BST 3 April
Image source, Getty Images
Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto feels the international break has been "good for us to forget about past mistakes" and they are "all fighting every day" to reach their objectives.
It has been a difficult period for the Blues, having lost four successive matches and winning just once in their past six Premier League games.
However, they return to action in the quarter-final of the FA Cup this weekend at home to Port Vale and sit just one point off fifth-placed Liverpool as they chase down a Champions League spot.
"There are a few moments that will be tough for us, but the only thing that I can say and I would say is to look forward for the rest of the season," Gusto told BBC Sport.
"There is the FA Cup coming up. The Premier League that we still compete for our objective which is top four, the Champions League for the next season. Can't wait to play the rest of the games to achieve our target.
"I think the international break was good for us to forget about the past mistakes that we did in terms of results. So I think the atmosphere is how it is. We just have to change it in our advantage. To be even more together, more than ever. To show our best on the pitch and show that we we're still on the road to compete for the trophies."
After a positive start under new boss Liam Rosenior at the beginning of the year, the team and the head coach have come in for criticism over recent performances and heavy defeats.
Gusto, who has featured in all but three league games this campaign, is still positive about what Rosenior has brought to the club.
"He has a great impact. He's a really good person. We spoke a lot since he joined the club," said the France international.
"We know that it was a bit hard in terms of results, but I'm sure that we will change the balance, and we will show a different face. First of all for us, for what we want to achieve, and for the fans.
"He's really passionate. He really want to to achieve the biggest things for the club. We all want to put Chelsea where it's supposed to be, so we are all fighting every day to do that. That's that's our objective."
Is Rosenior right to drop Fernandez?published at 12:03 BST 3 April
12:03 BST 3 April
Media caption,
After Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior confirmed in his news conference on Friday that "frustrated" Enzo Fernandez will not be included in the squads to be face Port Vale in the FA Cup or Manchester City in the league, we want to know what you make of the decision.
The Blues boss insisted he has "the utmost respect" for the midfielder and what he has achieved, but a "line was crossed" in recent interviews that brought speculation over his future at the club.
So, do you think Rosenior is right to drop Fernandez? Or could this decision have wider ramifications for the rest of Chelsea's season?
Rosenior on Fernandez sanction, Cucurella comments and FA Cup focuspublished at 11:54 BST 3 April
11:54 BST 3 April
Nicola Pearson BBC Sport journalist
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior has been speaking to the media before Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final against Port Vale at Stamford Bridge (kick-off 17:15 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Rosenior confirmed Enzo Fernandez has been dropped from the squad to face Port Vale and the following game against Manchester City as a sanction for recent comments made about his future.
The midfielder raised questions about whether he would still be at the club beyond the summer in an interview after Chelsea's Champions League exit at the hands of Paris St-Germain. He then clarified his focus now was with the Blues, but in a more recent interview he said: "I'd like to live in Spain, I really like Madrid - it reminds me of Buenos Aires," when asked where he would love to live if he were to leave London.
In response to those, Rosenior said: "It's disappointing for Enzo to speak that way. I have got no bad words to say about him but a line was crossed in terms of our culture and what we want to build."
He continued: "In terms of the decision, it's not all about me, or the sporting directors, the ownership, the players. We are aligned in every decision that we make. It was a joint decision. The door is not closed on Enzo. It's a sanction. You have to protect the culture, and in terms of that, a line was crossed in the international break."
The Blues boss also said the situation is "not ideal" and "a lot of this stems from a difficult 10 days in terms of results we have had", with a "huge emotional dump that fell through into the next three games" following the first-leg defeat by PSG.
He added: "The players were motivated that we could do something really special in the Champions League. The comments from Enzo and Marc Cucurella's interview both stem from that. It actually stems from a good place where they want the club to succeed. But in those moments, we need more emotional stability as a group of players."
Asked for more on Cucurella, who said during the international break it would be "hard to turn down" former club Barcelona, Rosenior responded: "I had a fantastic conversation with Marc yesterday, half an hour in my office. I've been here for less than three months and I'm enjoying it - even the difficult moments. I've told the players from day one that if they have any issues on how we do things, speak to me or sporting directors."
He continued: "My disappointment in Marc's interview was where it went to. I think he should've spoken to us first about how he was feeling. I want players to know they can speak openly and honestly for the benefit of the football club. As a football club, we know we need to improve."
Rosenior did confirm, however, Cucurella was a separate case and he would be available for Saturday.
The head coach insisted he wants to be fully focussed on the FA Cup quarter-final, but this is not about him winning silverware for his own career but "about the club being successful now and in the long-term".
What is next for Musonda?published at 13:58 BST 2 April
13:58 BST 2 April
Nizaar Kinsella Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Musonda (right) debuted for Chelsea playing alongside his idol Eden Hazard against Nottingham Forest
"If I'd played 50 games at Chelsea, or even 20, I'm not in this position today," Charly Musonda told BBC Sport.
His lack of minutes at Chelsea left him with limited options. A move to Levante in Spain's second division was made with promotion in mind but after the club failed to go up on the final day of the season, Musonda says he was pushed out to save on wages.
"In Spain I left early, in Cyprus I wasn't paid. I had to walk away and leave money behind - still haven't been paid," he said.
Musonda smiles throughout the interview and says he is excited about VS1, a new one-versus-one, combat sport-style football league he is working on from his base in Los Angeles.
"Doing what you believe in - that's happiness. Living with purpose, adventure, things fall where they fall. That mentality comes from my dad. Even when life hit him hard, he always smiled," he said.
Which clubs have used academy players most in Premier League?published at 12:19 BST 2 April
12:19 BST 2 April
Matt Jones BBC Sport journalist
Manchester City and Chelsea, even with heavy spending in recent years, are leading the way this season when it comes to the use of academy players.
City have used seven academy players in the Premier League in 2025-26 - more than any other side. Chelsea's graduates, meanwhile, have accumulated the most minutes with 5,673.
Manchester United's tradition continues - their ongoing run of naming at least one home-grown player in a matchday squad dates back to 1937. They have used six this season, although their combined minutes (1,264) are well short of Chelsea and City (5,162).
There are some nuances within the numbers.
Across the Premier League, there are players from top-flight academies now at other teams.
Some players moved clubs during the season and others moved from one academy to another before making a senior appearance, the most notable example being Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea to Liverpool.
Peter: It's out of control, a frenzy of vast sums of money on unproven young players. It might have been acceptable if they had been top of the league and still in the Champions League, but they are not and hence it's not acceptable.
Jim: I have been going to watch Chelsea since 1955 and I've seen both ups and downs at the club. Since the takeover I've seen a severe downside and it's my hope that something will be done to reverse this trend.
David: If we were battling for the Premier League and building a new stadium, I'd still be concerned about these losses. But at the moment it looks a disaster. Maybe Clearlake are as clever as they think they are and it'll all work out.
James: My concern is the club as a whole and success on the pitch plays a large part in what happens off it. At the moment, Chelsea seem to be regressing and the comments from certain players do not help. Champions League qualification is vital and although a complex case, the club is never going to increase matchday revenue playing in what is, by Premier League standards, a small stadium.
John: My concern is that we continue wasting money on substandard players that don't improve the team and the lack of desire to win trophies.
A record pre-tax loss - are you concerned?published at 16:51 BST 1 April
16:51 BST 1 April
Chelsea have announced a £262m pre-tax loss for 2024-25 - the biggest in Premier League history.
It eclipses the £197.5m lost by Manchester City in 2011 and means the Blues now occupy four places in the top ten list of biggest pre-tax losses in the Premier League era as seen below.
It comes despite Chelsea bringing in £490.9m in revenue, which the club says is the second highest total in their history.
The club insist they remain compliant with financial regulations such as Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) which allow losses of £105m over three years.
Blues fans, do these losses concern you? Is it symptomatic of wider problems? Or are you only concerned with what you see on the pitch?
What Chelsea need to do to stop the lossespublished at 14:45 BST 1 April
14:45 BST 1 April
Nizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporter
Image source, Getty Images
It is important to note that Chelsea have not yet released their full accounts, which will soon be published at Companies House and are expected to provide a more detailed picture.
"People ask whether Chelsea are a football club or a hedge‑fund experiment. I don't think these accounts offer any clearer answer. We are still waiting to see the full picture on Companies House," said football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
He said the figures highlighted the importance of Champions League football to a club that is currently sixth in the Premier League.
He added: "For every one pound you receive from broadcasting [in the Champions League], you only get 11p in the Conference League, and it is much harder for the marketing department to sell a hospitality box for a match against the second‑best team in Denmark than when Barcelona come to town."
There are also concerns that Stamford Bridge is beginning to look dated, leaving Chelsea at risk of falling behind their rivals, particularly with new Premier League squad-cost ratio rules coming into force this summer.
These replace PSR and allow clubs to spend 85% of their total revenues on squad-related costs.
"Chelsea have only a 40,000‑capacity stadium and are around half of Manchester United's size, and probably £50-60m behind others," Maguire added.
"With the introduction of the new squad‑cost ratio rules, it is really important for clubs to boost revenue wherever they can.
"Chelsea are simply behind their rivals, with less to spend on players - and that will take its toll over time."
Maguire agreed it was unlikely Chelsea would breach Premier League regulations.
Chelsea made a £128.4m profit last year - almost entirely due to the sale of their women's team to themselves, a loophole that has since been closed.
It means pre-tax losses over the past three years are about £220m in total, but Maguire said that Chelsea would have needed to submit the losses accounted for under PSR by 31 December.
"The lack of any news suggests the league is satisfied with their PSR figures," Maguire said.
Fernandez comments 'destabilising team at crucial moment'published at 10:45 BST 1 April
10:45 BST 1 April
Will Faulks Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
The international break means two weeks without a Chelsea game - the perfect window for a small story to get blown out of proportion as fans and journalists sit around waiting for the Premier League to return.
It was to this backdrop that Enzo Fernandez chose to launch his farewell tour.
He had already planted the seeds with his comments after the Champions League defeat by Paris St-Germain a couple of weeks ago, where he sighed that he "didn't know" where he would be playing next season.
His return to Argentina for national team duty then gave him the perfect platform to start the next stage: the open flirtation with Real Madrid. He went on a podcast over the weekend to talk about how much he would like to live in the Spanish capital. Hardly subtle, bordering on shameless.
The vice-captain is destabilising his team at a crucial moment in the season and has shown that he is putting his desires and his career ahead of the club he is supposed to be a leader and a cornerstone player for.
If Fernandez leaves, the BlueCo project stops being just stuck and starts going backwards. Players who might otherwise be happy to continue giving their best now see a senior starter agitating to move and begin wondering if they should be doing the same thing.
Chelsea are then stuck in an impossible position, even if they do get a big offer for Enzo: sell a key piece and admit your ambitions are not matching those of the world's best players, or hold on to an unhappy player who is clearly not afraid to make a fuss?
The long contracts players such as Enzo have been signed to are supposed to protect the club - but they can't force a player to be happy, or to play well. In fact, there is a sense Enzo is accelerating his campaign to leave precisely because the club has so much leverage on paper.
"Winning a title like the Club World Cup also helps, strengthens the bond, and you create great relationships during the celebrations.
"When a manager gives you that confidence and offers you a platform to fight for titles, you'd die for him.
"The moment Maresca left, it had a big impact on us. These are decisions taken by the club. If you asked me, I would not have made this decision. To make a change like that, the best thing is to wait until the end of the season.
"You would give everyone, the players and the new manager, time to get ready, have a full pre-season.
"The instability around the club comes from this, in a nutshell. We had a caretaker [former under-21s coach Calum McFarlane] first, then a new manager, with new ideas and no time to work on them. It is what it is."
Chelsea are six points outside the top four - although just one behind Liverpool in fifth - and suffered their joint-heaviest defeat in a two‑legged European tie this month when they lost 8-2 on aggregate in the Champions League to Paris St‑Germain.
"Results like that are always hard to take," Cucurella added. "You are fighting and training every day only to realise, at the very end, that when games matter, we are still a bit away from the top level.
"I understand this is part of the club's policy, and that they want to take this direction - signing young players and looking to the future. But, for all of us who want to win big things, moments like this make you feel discouraged.
"To fight for major trophies such as the Premier League or the Champions League, you need more.
"Signing young players only might complicate achieving those goals. Against PSG, we lacked players that had gone through situations like that."
Musonda: 'I would have played for free to prove myself at Chelsea'published at 14:09 BST 31 March
14:09 BST 31 March
Nizaar Kinsella Football reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Musonda made eight appearances for Celtic
"I won't lie. Mentally, yes, it's been very difficult," the former Chelsea winger Charly Musonda told BBC Sport.
Musonda, who retired aged 28 last summer, decided to quit football after a spell in Cyprus marred by unpaid wages - but despite this being a far cry from the start of his career, there is renewed excitement on the horizon.
"One studs‑up tackle cost me four years of my career. Doctors told me I had a 20% chance of ever playing again," he said of the posterior cruciate ligament injury that changed everything in 2018.
After nearly four years out, Musonda was fit enough to return for Chelsea but found the club lost faith in him. Subsequent moves to Levante in Spain and Anorthosis in Cyprus could not revive his ambitions.
After his career instability, Musonda, based in Los Angeles, is now working on developing a one‑versus‑one, combat sport‑style football league game.
Musonda injured the PCL in his knee, an almost unheard‑of issue in football, when surgery is usually avoided to prevent altering a player's explosiveness or running style. Two months out became a full season and when he tested the knee again during his loan back at Vitesse, he broke down once more.
Seeking answers, Musonda consulted his private doctorand was advised to have surgery. Chelsea initially refused, delaying him another month, but Musonda eventually won the argument.
During his eight‑to‑10‑month recovery, the global coronavirus pandemic struck, slowing his progress further by restricting access to club facilities and staff.
At that stage, Musonda paid for parts of his own rehabilitation, hiring a private physiotherapist in Dubai at his own expense – a move he says led to him being fined but that he ultimately credits with helping him return to training three and a half years after the initial injury.
Managers Maurizio Sarri and Lampard had come and gone, and Thomas Tuchel was now in charge at Chelsea.
"I met Tuchel in the car park and he told me he knew who I was from Dortmund and to be ready for the following pre-season," Musonda said. "I came back and was told to sign a contract at half my salary and to go out on loan by Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini, the loan coach.
"I was also told I would be training with the under-23s but I pulled one of Tuchel's coaches aside and he said it was a mistake – that I was travelling with them to Ireland the next day for the tour. I trained there and I got Covid. A nightmare.
"When I returned, Tuchel told me there was some animosity in the front office. I said I would have played for free that season to prove myself at Chelsea and that if I wasn't good enough, I would walk away when my contract expired.
"I knew from September that I wouldn't play and it was tough, especially after being told I had only a 20% chance of playing football again when I had the surgery to then feeling fully fit.
"I just needed an opportunity at Chelsea, but it was a tough sell after so long out. Mentally, that was one of the toughest moments. It killed me. Chelsea was where I wanted to make it."
'Not a chance' - fans pessimistic on Champions League hopespublished at 12:14 BST 31 March
12:14 BST 31 March
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on whether Chelsea will win enough points in their remaining seven matches to qualify for next season's Champions League.
Here are some of your comments:
Robert: Not a hope...Chelsea are on a downward path and may not even get past Port Vale in the FA Cup. Give it up Blues fans..!
Nick: We'll be lucky to secure a Conference League spot, given current form. With three fixtures against teams in the top five, and two against teams fighting to avoid the drop, Chelsea have the toughest run-in, by some distance. The perfect end to the season, however, would be for us to secure a CL place by winning the penultimate match - relegating Spurs at the same time.
Paul: No chance making the Champions League this season.
Christopher: Chelsea, based on the fixtures and recent form, do not in all honesty belong among Europe's finest teams. Failure to beat teams below them in the standings says it all! From a Chelsea fan since the sixties!
David: Chelsea will be lucky to get 6 or 7 points from the games we have left this season. No Champions League football next season, manager sacked if we don't win the FA cup.
Mark: The way we're playing at the moment is with no passion, no belief and basically no goalkeeper. No idea if we're gonna drop out of the top 8. Worst of all instead of putting Spurs down we'll make sure they stay up.
William: Basically, not a chance.
James: I can't see Chelsea getting the required points to qualify for the Champions League and if they do somehow squeeze in it will largely be down to teams around them dropping points, which based on current form appears unlikely.
