Chelsea

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "First half was everything you want in an away performance at this level. Our pressing was very good, our patterns with the ball was outstanding. We put ourselves in a really really strong position.

"Second half, we want more. Our standards dropped. It's difficult because the conditions weren't great. It was a difficult day for both teams in terms of the pitch, in terms of the rain. Overall, very very happy with an away three points."

On taking control after Wolves' bright start: "We kept the ball and made passes and were able to take up attacking positions. And once we did, we looked a very, very good team. Obviously delighted for Cole [Palmer]. There's been a lot of talk around him, about how happy he is - he looked happy today with his three goals. But we could have scored more in the first half and we need to keep improving."

"There's a lot of positives. But I want us to keep focusing on what we can improve. We've got a difficult game on Tuesday against a strong Leeds team."

More on Palmer: "Cole [Palmer] loves playing football. I love watching. Not just him - the whole team. When they're in the mood and when they do the right thing and their mentality is right, they're an outstanding group of players. And Cole is definitely someone that we want on the pitch more often than not. And hopefully he can stay fit now."

Cole Palmer speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "It felt good to score some goals and get three points.

"I don't think [I'm 100% fit] just yet. Obviously people don't know what goes on behind the scenes but being injured the whole season is not ideal and when I'm not able to perform as I want to because I've been injured, and still dealing with the injury, but hopefully I can get over the injury soon by managing it. I know what level I can provide when I feel 100% fit."

On Liam Rosenior: "Life under Liam is amazing, he gives us all confidence. Lets us be ourselves, play free. I'm sure when I'm back proper fit you'll see the best of me."

On his celebration: "Everyone loves to chat rubbish, don't they? I don't pay too much attention to it. You see things. But I feel like I've come from a strong place anyway so I don't pay attention to it."

Did you know?

• Rosenior became just the fourth permanent Chelsea manager to win his first four Premier League games in charge, after Jose Mourinho (August 2004), Carlo Ancelotti (August 2009) and Maurizio Sarri (September 2018).

• Cole Palmer became just the second player in Premier League history to both score a hat-trick and provide 3+ assists in an away game against the same opponent (Wolves), after Raheem Sterling at West Ham.

• almer became the first player in Premier League history to score three hat-tricks in the first half of a match (also vs Everton and Brighton), while his four hat-tricks overall are the most of any Chelsea player in the competition

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

After sparkling for Chelsea in 2025-26, this has been a tougher season for Cole Palmer with injury and a lack of form meaning he only had a handful of goals to show before Saturday.

But this was a display reminiscent of the Palmer of last season - cool and clinical with his finishes while generally getting involved with many of the hosts' attacks.

It is the third time in his Chelsea career he has scored a first-half hat-trick.

Palmer was taken off 15 minutes into the second half as the club continues to carefully manage his minutes while he is working his way back to full fitness following a groin injury.

But, with the 2026 World Cup coming up in four months and England playing their final two friendlies before the tournament in North America in March, this was a timely reminder to both club and country of the talent he possesses.

Gary Rose
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Bar a minor miracle, Wolves will be playing Championship football next season - but performances since 30 December have given their fans some cause for optimism.

They went four games unbeaten - winning two and drawing two - while producing some encouraging displays.

However, it is now three defeats in a row for Rob Edwards' side and their performance in the first half of this game was a reminder there is still plenty of work for them to do as poor defending - particularly with the two penalties - killed the game for them.

Matt Doherty needlessly clipped Joao Pedro inside the box for the first, before Yerson Mosquera shoved over the striker for the second.

Wolves were much better after the break, showing plenty of fight and desire, but by then the damage had been done.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Wolves' performance

What did you make of Chelsea's display?

Come back on Sunday for a selection of your replies

Wolves boss Rob Edwards gives new signings Adam Armstrong and Angel Gomes their debuts. Matt Doherty also returns to the starting eleven.

Wolves XI: Sa, Doherty, H Bueno, S Bueno, J Gomes, Armstrong, Hwang, Arokodare, Mosquera, Mane, A Gomes.

Subs: Johnstone, Lima, R Gomes, Tchatchoua, Wolfe, Krejci, Andre, Rawlings, Bellegarde.

There's two changes for Chelsea as Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto come back into the first XI.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Andrey Santos; Palmer, Fernandez, Neto; Joao Pedro

Subs: Sharman-Lowe, Acheampong, Sarr, Badiashile, Hato, Garnacho, Estevao Willian, Guiu, Delap

There are seven games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Man Utd v Tottenham (12:30)

• Arsenal v Sunderland - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Bournemouth v Aston Villa - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

• Burnley v West Ham

• Fulham v Everton

• Wolves v Chelsea

• Newcastle v Brentford (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra with second half on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Bournemouth v Aston Villa" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Arsenal v Sunderland", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Chris Sutton is making predictions for all 380 Premier League games this season, against AI, BBC Sport readers and a variety of guests.

His guest for week 25 is Gladiators star Apollo, real name Alex Gray, who supports Newcastle.

Sutton says: Chelsea were accused of being too negative in their Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal in midweek, but I can't see that being the case here.

I was far too optimistic about Wolves last week when I said they would draw with Bournemouth and I am not making the same mistake this time.

The games have been coming thick and fast for Chelsea and I actually admire their manager Liam Rosenior for the way he changed things up in their comeback win over West Ham.

Wolves boss Rob Edwards has probably got one eye on preparing for next season in the Championship, and his side will be one step nearer to that after this game.

Sutton's prediction: 1-2

Apollo's prediction: 1-2

AI's prediction: 1-2

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Chris Adams
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior is looking to become just the second English manager in Premier League history to win his first four games in charge when his side visit bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

A win in the Black Country would edge him towards Craig Shakespeare's record of five with Leicester City between February and April 2017.

Four successive league victories is something his predecessor Enzo Maresca only managed once across his 57 games, winning five on the bounce in November and December 2024.

Rosenior has won six of his first eight matches in all competitions, with both losses coming in the two-legged League Cup semi-final against Arsenal.

Cold snap for Palmer

How best to use Cole Palmer is something Rosenior has had to contend with during his whirlwind start to life in the Stamford Bridge hotseat.

In the England midfielder's last 16 top-flight games of the 2024–25 season, he scored one goal – a penalty against Liverpool – while in 13 league games this campaign, he has scored just twice from open play.

After a blistering start to life in west London, when Palmer scored a seriously impressive 43 goals in his first two seasons, injuries have meant a stop-start campaign this time around.

The numbers show that the fifth-placed Blues have fared better from an attacking and defensive point of view when he has not been in the team this season.

Wolves on the wane again

Wolverhampton Wanderers' mini-revival under Rob Edwards, which saw them go four league games unbeaten over the new year period, is very much over now they're on a run of three straight defeats.

They haven't found the net in those three games and with one of last season's stalwarts, Jorgen Strand Larsen, departing for Crystal Palace on transfer deadline day, they find themselves without their top two goalscorers from last season.

Adam Armstrong has joined from Southampton, but even with his addition the entire Wolves squad combined has just 69 all-time Premier League goals to its name - only promoted Sunderland come off worse.

A protest by Wolves fans against the club's ownership saw thousands of them boycott the first 15 minutes of a 4-1 defeat to Manchester United at Molineux in December. They could be forgiven for staging a repeat after the half-time whistle.

Wolves haven't scored a second-half goal in any of their last 10 league home games. Only three sides have ever had a longer spell without a home goal in the second half of a match; Everton are the worst offenders, with a run of 13 ending in January 1999.

Curiously, the arrival of Angel Gomes on loan from Marseille means Edwards now has four players called Gomes to choose from – captain Toti, midfielder Joao and winger Rodrigo, which is sure to be music to the ears of commentators everywhere.

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Wolves at Molineux (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Rosenior is not sure if Reece James and Pedro Neto will be fit enough to feature against Wolves and both will be assessed before Saturday.

• Winger Jamie Gittens has a tear in his hamstring and will be out "a little bit more long-term", but Rosenior believes Cole Palmer and Estevao Willian will be able to play a full 90 minutes if required.

• Asked about Palmer specifically, Rosenior said: "Not just with Cole, with all of the players, we have the very best medical team, sports science team and we do many tests. We want to make sure these players can play at the level they need to play at to help us win. In terms of Cole, there isn't a timeframe that he's going to be perfect in a month or two months, it's game to game and that's the way we've been working with him."

• The Chelsea boss added: "He's bought in and been magnificent. He wants to be playing every minute of every game, we know the player and the character that he is, but he's also maturing and he understands the bigger picture, which is his career."

• Continuing on a similar theme, Rosenior said he will do what he can to protect his players' "wellbeing" after a busy schedule in recent months: "I'm very conscious that the lads played at the Club World Cup and went through the summer with no break. They've got to play so many games - our schedule has been crazy - then they have World Cups to go to and international games to play. I want to make sure the wellbeing is correct for these players and for their careers as well."

• On facing bottom club Wolves: "We prepare in exactly the same way that we would for any game we play. They've put in some very positive performances in their past few games."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool are interested in signing Sunderland's Dutch goalkeeper Robin Roefs, with the club expecting offers above £50m for the 23 year-old. (Football insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Matt Jones
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Eight games in four different competitions across just 29 days. Talk about a whirlwind start to a new role for Liam Rosenior at Chelsea.

The new head coach at Stamford Bridge had to hit the ground running and in the main he has. He's won six of those first eight fixtures, with the two defeats coming to Arsenal in the first and second legs of the League Cup semi-final.

As such, perhaps the former full-back hasn't had too much time to ponder some of the larger tactical questions he faces at Chelsea - one of which, undoubtedly, will be getting the best out of the club's recent star player, Cole Palmer.

There's no doubt the England midfielder has been in a lull in terms of form and fitness. A toe injury meant he missed a three-month chunk of football between September and December, so his modest return of five goals for the season is perhaps no surprise. He also had a thigh issue that meant he missed two matches in January.

In the Premier League, the former Manchester City graduate has struggled for a while. In his last 16 top-flight games of the 2024–25 season, he scored one goal – a penalty against Liverpool – while in his last 11 games of this one he has one goal from open play.

The numbers show that the Blues have fared better from an attacking and defensive point of view when he's not been in the team this season.

Palmer is a conundrum that Rosenior still looks to be figuring out. The midfielder has played four games under the new head coach, although intriguingly he's been left on the bench for arguably the two most difficult fixtures so far – away at Napoli and Arsenal.

In Naples, Palmer showcased his brilliance off the bench with two assists, taking advantage of extra space when the game had slowed down. He was given half an hour to do the same against Arsenal on Tuesday, but found it tougher to make an impact against the meanest defence in the country.

In the very early days of Rosenior's tenure, Palmer has pivoted more towards being a playmaker.

His touches per 90 minutes of 63.5 are up compared to his Chelsea average of 59.7, with his touches in the box of 1.8 way down on the 4.7 he's averaged with the Blues so far. In his 255 minutes of football under Rosenior, Palmer has only touched the ball in the penalty area five times.

A more withdrawn attacking role has not meant an uptick in creative numbers yet. Palmer's average chances created per 90 minutes are down from 2.2 to 1.4 since Rosenior took charge, while his average expected assists have dropped to 0.04 from 0.25.

Palmer has also played primarily off the right so far under his new coach, with 53% of his minutes under Rosenior coming on that flank.

Palmer set the bar so high in his first couple of years with the club, with 43 goals across his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge. Undoubtedly, there is still time for him to reach those heights again with the Blues and under Rosenior.

But with a World Cup on the horizon and three competitions for Chelsea still to play for this season, he could do with finding some form again sooner rather than later.

The player and his new coach were spotted in talks on the pitch after the final whistle as Arsenal celebrated on Tuesday. They clearly have plenty to discuss.

"What we're doing not just with Cole, but all of the players, is doing the right tests," said Rosenior.

"We are making sure these players can play at the level they need to be. He's been magnificent, he wants to play every minute of every game, but he's also maturing as a human being and understands the bigger picture.

"The lads played the Club World Cup and had no break. Then they have World Cups to go to.

"I'm trying to get the best out of him and the rest of the team all of the time while taking into account the games coming up.

"It's not about being not able to play him in some games, it's making sure he feels right and contributing to the team the way he wants to."

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's semi-final League Cup game between Arsenal and Chelsea.

Here are some of your comments:

Arsenal fans

Jerry: This is the mark of champions. With backs against the wall, find a way regardless. Arsenal made a good account of themselves matching Chelsea's funny tactics - how do you set up defensively while chasing a game?

Micky: It certainly was not pretty, but a calculated and methodical approach saw us handle the game superbly. We never looked under any serious pressure and that's testament to the players sticking to the process. Well done to Arteta and the boys for getting us to Wembley, now let's go and win what will hopefully be the first of many trophies!

Zyd: For all the negativity that surrounds the way Arsenal play, the reality is that what matters is the scoreline at the end of the 90 minutes. As much as we celebrate our wins because of our solid defence and laser-sharp focus, we need to bring the same focus to the end of the season. A League Cup trophy might give us a mentality boost; it is level heads that will bring us a quadruple.

Bruce: They used to say we 'bottled it'. Now we show grit, steel, concentration and organisation...and we're 'dull'. Bring on 'boring, boring Arsenal'

Rachel: An uncomfortable watch. Yes Arsenal won, but the intensity was lacking and I didn't feel we ever had total control. Can we win a cup final playing like this?

Chelsea fans

Stuart: Totally understand the requirement to frustrate and subdue Arsenal for an hour or so. The concern is that when we did go for it we looked toothless in attack.

Graham: It was always going to be a big ask playing against one of the best teams in Europe, but great to see (at long last) a change of formation that made us more solid and far more flexible. We always needed not to concede and take the game as far as possible and we managed to still be in the tie at 95 minutes. If rotation takes place v Wolves on Saturday, please not seven players but two or three max.

Marco: Well, that was both confusing and disappointing. I understand Rosenior trying something different in terms of formation, but I have no idea why Delap was on the right wing, for example. It felt like a tactic that should be employed when you are winning, not when you are chasing the tie. The lack of urgency and obsession with keeping the ball would make one feel that Chelsea were the team in the lead. This is not how you want to see your team get knocked out.

Nicholas: Arsenal certainly didn't deserve to win this game but maybe we didn't create enough chances to win it either. I really don't think they are that good a team. They only appear to be good because everyone else is so average and that applies to European football in general. It's just not of a high calibre at the moment.

Keith: Good effort from Chelsea. Unlucky to lose on the night really, although Arsenal deserved it over the two legs. Thought the referee was too quick to stop the play. Delap has to go though, just not up to it!

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea forward Fran Kirby says the evidence of the players "buying into" Liam Rosenior's methodology was clear in Tuesday's Carabao Cup semi-final defeat by Arsenal.

The Blues lined up with three centre-backs and restricted the Gunners to very few chances before a double attacking substitution on 59 minutes, with Cole Palmer and Estevao Willian replacing Jorrel Hato and Liam Delap, to move back to a more familiar shape and push for an equaliser.

However, they could not find a goal and were eventually caught out on the counter-attack to lose 1-0 on the night with the last kick.

"I think Chelsea can take huge confidence from the game," Kirby told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"They really nullified Arsenal and that's not easy to do, especially at the Emirates.

"Rosenior hasn't had long to work on this, players are playing out of position and having to learn where to be in and out of possession.

"But, you could see they have been working on their shape and their press. They reduced Arsenal to a lot of long balls as they struggled to find their pockets around how compact Chelsea were.

"Malo Gusto was coming into midfield, Enzo Fernandez was moving out to the left - these are not their natural positions so they had to learn.

"The effort levels that the players put in - you can see the way Rosenior wants them to press aggressively and run back for each other is starting to rub off on them.

"You can see the players are buying into it, there were no arms being thrown in the air or complaining at each other.

"You look at Fernandez - he covered every blade of grass with his effort levels out of possession and then towards the end of the game was getting involved in possession and driving the team forward.

"Those are the players you want your other players to look at as an example and the ones you want in your team."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Chelsea, AC Milan and Newcastle are all interested in Serbian forward Dusan Vlahovic, 26, on a summer free transfer. (Football Italia), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Liam Rosenior flexed his tactical muscles for the first time since his appointment as Chelsea manager four weeks ago.

Until now, the Englishman had largely continued with predecessor Enzo Maresca's system, reluctant to overload his players with too much information too soon.

However, after winning six of his first seven games, including his opening four Premier League matches, Rosenior delivered a surprise for his opposite number.

For the first time since March 2024, under Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea lined up with three centre-backs. The system is likely to appeal to supporters, with Thomas Tuchel having used it during the club's 2021 Champions League triumph and Antonio Conte adopting it in the 2017 Premier League title win.

Rosenior also took an additional gamble by leaving three players high up the pitch to counter-attack when Arsenal took corners. The approach gave Arsenal the opportunity to outnumber Chelsea in the box, but committing the same number of players forward would have left them exposed to breaks.

Arsenal adapted by bringing more men back to cover, allowing goalkeeper Robert Sanchez the space to claim crosses - one of his key strengths.

It was in stark contrast to how Chelsea coped in the first leg, conceding from a corner early on and letting in three goals from set-pieces.

For 45 minutes, Arsenal's front four barely touched the ball and Rosenior's adjustments paid off. Enzo Fernandez forced a save just before half-time in a cagey opening period.

Chelsea made a double attacking substitution on 59 minutes, with Cole Palmer and Estevao Willian replacing Jorrel Hato and Liam Delap, to restore Chelsea to their more familiar shape. Alejandro Garnacho later joined the fray as another attacking option, coming on for midfielder Andrey Santos.

Yet Arsenal, so assured defensively this season, largely kept the door shut. They conceded only a half-chance - Wesley Fofana's near-post flick from an 82nd‑minute corner - and a handful of long‑range efforts from the in‑form Fernandez.

As they pushed for a goal to keep the tie alive, a familiar face in Kai Havertz broke Chelsea's hearts.

It felt harsh for the Blues to lose on the night, but even in defeat, Rosenior can take encouragement from a significantly improved display compared with the first leg at Stamford Bridge, where the tie had effectively slipped away.

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior, speaking to ITV1: "We dominated the areas we wanted to in the second half, but we didn't find that quality moment.

"When you're pushing as we were, we put both defenders in the box and in the last few minutes of injury time that [conceding] can always happen.

"Arsenal knew they were in for a game, over both ties. I think there are clear improvements from the first leg to the second. Yes, it's painful to lose - you want to go through. We just need to keep making improvements, which I'm seeing."

Any regrets from the first leg? "I'm not making excuses, but we had an illness go through the camp on the day of the game - we had four players missing - and I'd been in charge for three days. I cannot fault the application, intensity or the fight of the players.

"What we need to do is remember that this is the start and I'm really, really happy with a lot of things I'm seeing. You want to get the results - but we need to make sure we rest and recover and we keep improving as we go."

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Arsenal's performance

What did you make of Chelsea's display?

Come back on Wednesday for a selection of your replies