Chelsea

Charlotte Coates
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Since last etching their name on a domestic trophy in 2018, Chelsea have won every European trophy on offer, as well as the Fifa Club World Cup last summer.

That last piece of domestic silverware was the FA Cup, which they won eight years ago under the guidance of Italian Antonio Conte.

After falling at the semi-final stage of the Carabao Cup this season to Arsenal, the FA Cup could present an opportunity for Liam Rosenior to land a first prize as Chelsea boss.

With the talent at his disposal and strength in depth - the Blues made seven changes from the side that drew with Leeds on Tuesday in the Premier League against Leeds - they will be among the favourites.

Talisman Cole Palmer was left at home, while Enzo Fernandez and Joao Pedro were among the substitutes.

Yet the Blues could still have been 3-0 up inside the opening 20 minutes with Estevao and Caicedo shining.

Once Neto struck a sumptuous opener, Hull City - who had won just one of their 35 previous games against Chelsea in all competitions - came under constant pressure.

Liam Delap, who was on loan at Hull in the 2023-24 campaign, impressively put his earlier misjudgement behind him to tee up his team-mates for further strikes.

With the Premier League title beyond them and out of the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup offers Chelsea a perfect route to Wembley and end their wait for domestic silverware.

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

What did you make of Chelsea's display?

Come back on Saturday for a selection of your replies

Hull XI: Phillips, Coyle, Egan, McNair, McCarthy, Giles, Hadziahmetovic, Slater, Hirakawa, Koumas, Millar

Subs: Pandur, Lunstram, Jacob, Drameh, Gerhardt, Joseph, Famewo, Dowell, Tinsdale

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, James, Fofana, Sarr, Hato, Caicedo, Santos, Neto, Estevao, Garnacho, Delap

Subs: Sharman-Lowe, Gusto, Acheampong, Tosin, Badiashile, Fernandez, Derry, Joao Pedro, Mheuka

There are two ties on Friday as the FA Cup fourth round gets under way, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Hull City v Chelsea - BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 5 Live & BBC Humberside

• Wrexham v Ipswich Town - BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3, BBC Radio Wales & BBC Radio Suffolk

Kick-offs 19:45 GMT

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Hull v Chelsea" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Wrexham v Ipswich".

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

How to follow the FA Cup fourth round on the BBC

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior is really well thought of by Hull City fans from his time in charge there, and he is a former Tigers player as well.

So, he should get a great reception there on Friday night, but what he really needs is a win - especially after letting a two-goal lead slip against Leeds on Tuesday.

Rosenior has had some great results with Chelsea but it seems some fans aren't convinced by him. He will be desperate to prove them wrong by winning a trophy and the FA Cup is a great opportunity for him to do that this season.

Hull are going well in the Championship under Sergej Jakirovic but I just see Chelsea being too strong for them.

I scored for Chelsea against Hull in the FA Cup, many years ago. We won 6-1 that day and the Blues are going to win comfortably this time too.

Sutton's prediction: 1-4

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Paris St-Germain are prepared to rival Premier League clubs Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham with a £100m bid for Brighton's 22-year-old Cameroon midfielder Carlos Baleba. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham are among the Premier League clubs keeping a close eye on Club Brugge and Serbia midfielder Aleksandar Stankovic, 20. (Teamtalk), external

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Recently, Liverpool and the Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk said former players-turned-pundits have a responsibility when discussing the performances of the current generation of footballers.

He believes they can stray into "clickbait" and have a possible impact on players' mental health.

On Thursday's episode of the More than the Score podcast, former Scotland international Pat Nevin and chief sports editor for Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf Marcel van der Kraan join John Bennett to discuss and analyse the modern world of punditry and the impact it can have on players and managers alike.

"As a player you do tend to take it to heart, especially when it feels a little personal," said Nevin.

"Generally, it isn't personal and the pundit is just having their opinion and we all kind of know where the lines are. But, the lines have been jumped over more often in recent years and I think Van Dijk is right about that.

"Because of the clickbait, it is so much easier to get more likes, views and work if you're a little bit more extreme. Ex-players aren't stupid and they know that. If you are too sensible and sit on the fence you won't get the big gigs.

"You have a dichotomy. Most ex-players would like to be balanced but they know if they are too balanced and sensible they won't be there next week.

"My criticism would always be constructive criticism which is explained. One-dimensional labeling of players should never happen. Sometimes if a big name says something enough it becomes accepted wisdom."

Van der Kraan added: "There are two different kinds of pundits; those who need to be on every week and those who are genuinely focused on what is right and what players should do.

"For Van Dijk, after so many years enough is enough.

"It all started after he came into the Netherlands team and became a big player at Liverpool. The first ex-player to really criticise him was Marco van Basten, saying he was not a leader. Van Dijk was biting his lip after every match because it became a bit of a stigma.

"Eventually it filtered to England and every time he had a bad game it became an open nerve."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Returning to the club where his grandmother was a season holder will be an "amazing thing for me and my family", says Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior.

The Blues visit Championship Hull City in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday evening, providing Rosenior an emotional opportunity to return to the club he watched as a child, played for, and later managed.

"Incredible," he told BBC Sport.

"I've got an emotional family connection with the club through my grandma. I used to go up there when I was a little boy. I'm talking four or five years old on summer holidays all the way through. Without that football club, I wouldn't be here now.

"She was a season ticket holder. She got to see me play there. Sadly she passed away pretty much a year to the day before I joined Hull as manager."

"I think she did the draw," Rosenior added with a smile.

"She must have messed around with the balls in the hat. Amazing for my family to get together. I think I need about 20 tickets so we'll see how it goes.

"Without that club and without being there, I wouldn't be in this situation now. I'm so thankful. It's a club that I will always love, and have a special place in in my heart for.

"And it's an amazing thing for me and my family that we go back there."

Image source, Getty Images

Rosenior has started well as Blues manager, winning seven out of his first 10 matches in charge and remaining unbeaten in the Premier League. He believes supporters are beginning to see how his approach differs from previous boss Enzo Maresca.

"What I'm conscious of as well is that they're already part of a very good team," he added.

"My ideas are similar with tweaks and different things, but what you don't want to do is change too much too soon because the players lose their rhythm.

"I think people are starting to see a few things that are different. It's not about being different. It's about winning games of football. And that's the balance that I have to find."

Nizaar Kinsella
Chelsea reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Former Hull City vice-chairman Tan Kesler has revealed how "really ambitious" Liam Rosenior became a success in management.

The 41-year-old is now in charge of Chelsea and will lead his side into an FA Cup fourth‑round tie at his former club, where he made 161 appearances as a player between 2010 and 2015.

Having previously served only as caretaker manager at Derby County in League One, Rosenior was appointed by Hull as a relatively inexperienced head coach in 2022.

Kesler told BBC Sport what he said to owner Acun Ilicali during the hiring process:

"I remember telling Acun: we're speaking to top international coaches, but this young coach has something special," he said.

"Acun comes from the entertainment world - he owns rights to reality shows like The Voice and Survivor. I told him Liam could be someone we bring into the limelight by giving him an opportunity.

"Liam spoke very well and we hoped he could apply his ideas.

"Finally, I asked him in our first meeting over coffee where he saw himself in five years.

"Knowing Championship coaches have short lifespans, I wanted to see if he was pragmatic or really ambitious. He said: 'I see myself coaching in the Champions League'."

"We took a risk - a calculated risk, not a crazy one."

Now working in the same role at Polish top‑flight side Pogon Szczecin, Kesler explained that Rosenior went to extra lengths to persuade players to join Hull.

He recalled driving with club recruiters from Yorkshire to London to convince Fabio Carvalho to sign on loan, and said not every attempt was successful, pointing to a similar trip to Burnley which ended without a deal.

"Liam focuses on communication and delivers what he needs to say in a very short period," Kesler added. "That's key for young players with short attention spans."

Rosenior was ultimately sacked after 18 months and 78 matches in charge, having missed out on the 2023-24 Championship play-offs by three points, because of what Ilicali said was a "difference of opinions".

Kesler "believes everything happens for a reason", with his own exit following six months later because he felt he needed a break after the birth of his son.

Chelsea are set to rival Bayern Munich for 23-year-old goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and will match Brighton's £50m valuation for the Netherlands international. (Teamtalk), external

Atletico Madrid are exploring a move for Chelsea's 27-year-old Spain defender Marc Cucurella. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

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Pundits Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy join host Kelly Somers to bring you the action and talking points from Tuesday's and Wednesday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

Nat Hayward
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior has been speaking to the media before Friday's FA Cup fourth round game against Hull City at The MKM Stadium (19:45 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Rosenior said it is "too early to know" the extent of the problem that forced Marc Cucurella off at half-time of Wednesday's 2-2 draw against Leeds but he is "definitely out" against Hull and the club are "doing our scans and assessment".

• Captain Reece James has had his training "modified", "is still under the weather" and "we will make a decision tomorrow".

• Rosenior confirmed Mamadou Sarr will feature against the Tigers after being recalled from a loan at Strasbourg in January: "Mamadou has a great chance to start the game. It's very difficult to but he's been here before and he knows me really well and my demands. He needs time to bed in but now I think he's in a really good place and will definitely see the pitch at some point on Friday."

• Reflecting on only taking a point against Leeds despite leading 2-0, Rosenior said: "Balanced view - 99% of the game was what I want to see, in terms of with and without the ball, defending set-plays, energy, courage. It was very, very good. It was just those moments, of switching off, where we need to improve."

• Would Chelsea not have conceded twice in six minutes with Wesley Fofana on the pitch: "You can over-analyse. It didn't matter who was on the pitch at that moment - we should have dealt with that situation. 99% of that performance was really good. With Wes, he has had those injury issues and I don't want him to break down again. You want consistency in your backline and we will get there in the end."

• Asked when will Fofana be fit to start three times in a week, Rosenior said: "For the first time he did midweek to weekend. That's a really positive sign. The aim for every player is to build them to a point to where they can play every game. We are not quite there yet. But I am confident we can get him there."

• On returning to the club he both played for and managed: "For me, Hull City is very special. My grandma was a season ticket-holder. I've got my family coming up. The club means a lot to me for many reasons. Hopefully we can put on a really good show. I want to do well in this competition. I don't see it any different to a Premier League or Champions League game. We will go there with a team I think can win the game. We will take it seriously."

Watch Hull v Chelsea live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, or listen to commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds from 19:45 on Friday

Got a question about Chelsea? Get in touch and we'll put it to our experts

We asked for your thoughts after Tuesday's Premier League game between Chelsea and Leeds United.

Here are some of your comments:

Chelsea fans

Nick: Two more points surrendered at home. Two more points dropped from a winning position. Two more points gift-wrapped to the opposition by Chelsea forgetting matches last 90 minutes. Essentially, 60 minutes of controlled, totally dominant, attractive play undone by switching off for six minutes. Intensely frustrating.

Kazuki: Again, our naivety cost us the game. This concept of a young and exciting team is fine as a presentation to the world, but when it's really young from the management to the coach to the players we don't have to stick to the concept as much and could bring in some steel with experience in defence. Please, please, I beg you Chelsea.

James: Leeds is always a tough test but from such a commanding position the game should be seen out. Sloppy in defence second half and it is dropping points like this that could prove costly at the end of the season.

Simon: Poor management, not reacting to the changing game. Desperately need a new keeper as well. Lots of work to be done.

Leeds fans

AC: Apart from the gifted pen Bijol was a welcome return. Credit Daniel Farke as he subbed Okafor for Bornauw, tweaked the setup and we got the ball forward quicker. Dodged a bullet at the end with Palmers miss. Very happy to take a point from the game.

Darren: It's the first time this season I can honestly remember Leeds getting a slice of luck and maybe a result they didn't merit. However, a few more of these will be required to even out the times when the exact opposite is true.

Ian: I'm not quite sure how Leeds pulled that off. When Bijol had a rush of blood to his arms I thought we were dead and buried. A never say die attitude rattled the Chelsea defence and a vital point with another two top-five sides to come.

Jason: Bogle was phenomenal in the Championship last season and he has excelled in the Premier League. Why don't I hear him being touted for an England call up?

JPL: How on earth did we pull that off? Still, we got a very valuable point and we'll take it. No one said this first season back was going to be easy. Every point counts. Can't help feeling a tad sorry for Palmer - that will take some forgetting.

Sean Kearns
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

In recent weeks it's been Chelsea's first-half displays that have threatened to end their winning streak.

But Rosenior alluded to the difficulties his side have had in producing a complete 90-minute performance since he took over from Enzo Maresca during his pre-match interview.

And so it proved again.

With an hour gone, Chelsea looked home and dry. Joao Pedro opened the scoring when he dinked the on-rushing Karl Darlow with a lovely effort following Cole Palmer's through ball.

Palmer then got on the scoresheet, converting from the spot when Jaka Bijol inexplicably bundled over Joao Pedro in the box.

At this point, Leeds hadn't registered a single shot on target.

But sloppiness crept in.

Moises Caicedo, having one of his easier days in defensive midfield, upended Jayden Bogle and Leeds had their way back as Lukas Nmecha converted.

If that was a gift, then Leeds' equaliser was charity.

Josh Acheampong's failure to deal with a simple ball over the top caused confusion and panic in the defence, with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and right-back Malo Gusto desperately trying to clear their lines.

But Leeds' industry was rewarded when the ball fell kindly for Noah Okafor to tap into an empty net, leaving Rosenior furious.

"If we want to improve and get to where we want to be, we have to make sure we're switched on for 90 minutes. It's as simple as that," Rosenior said afterwards.

"I'm devastated because some of the football we played was excellent. We should come away with three points and we haven't because two of moments in the game we haven't taken care of. We gifted Leeds a point."

Chelsea were not without their chances in the closing stages, as Joao Pedro headed against the crossbar.

Their best chance fell to Palmer at the death. After a neat pass from Pedro Neto down the line, Caicedo squared a ball across the box for Palmer to tap into an empty net, only for the England forward to blaze over the bar.

Chelsea and Manchester United are considering a move for Tromso's 19-year-old Gambia defender Abubacarr Sedi Kinteh. (Mail), external

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Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior speaking to TNT Sports: "I don't want to talk about the football that we played. If we want to improve and get to where we want to be, we have to make sure we're switched on for 90 minutes. It's as simple as that.

"Devastated because some of the football we played was excellent. We should come away with three points and we haven't because two of moments in the game we haven't taken care of. We gifted Leeds a point."

On Leeds' goals: "I don't know if we need to make the challenge for the penalty. But even at 2-1, we need to take the sting out of the game. Whether we think it is handball, we are still in control of the situation. You kick the ball away and ask for handball after. These are small points moments that have cost us three points today.

Did he think it was handball in the build up to Noah Okafor's goal?: "At the time I did. I still haven't seen it. The rule is if there is any contact with his hand, it should be disallowed.

"From my understanding, if there is any handball in the build-up to the goal, it should be disallowed. They (VAR) need to help the referee."

Did you know?

• Joao Pedro has scored six goals in his last eight matches in all competitions for Chelsea; more goals than any other Blues player across the 10 games Liam Rosenior has been in charge.

• Since making his debut for Chelsea in the Premier League (September 2023), Cole Palmer has scored 18 penalties, more than any other player (Salah 15).

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

Have your say on Chelsea's performance

What did you make of Leeds' display?

Come back on Wednesday for a selection of your replies

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

• Chelsea v Leeds

• Everton v Bournemouth

• Tottenham v Newcastle

• West Ham v Manchester United (20:15)

Kick-off times 19:30 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

And listen to Around The Grounds on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds from 19:00

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

It's two changes from Chelsea from the side that beat Wolves convincingly on the weekend.

Estevao and Josh Acheampong come into the side, with Pedro Neto and Wesley Fofana making way.

Captain Reece James, who Liam Rosenior said was ill during his pre-match news conference yesterday, doesn't make the squad.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, Gusto, Acheampong, Chalobah, Cucurella, Andrey Santos, Caicedo, Enzo, Palmer, Estevao, Joao Pedro

Subs: Sharman-Lowe, Badiashile, Fofana, Sarr, Hato, Garnacho, Neto, Delap, Guiu

Image source, Premier League

There is no place for Dominic Calvert-Lewin in Leeds' matchday squad.

The former Everton forward's hit 10 goals this season and has been one of the biggest drivers behind the side's revival in recent weeks.

Leeds XI: Darlow, Justin, Rodon, Bogle, Bijol, Gudmundsson, Ampadu, Gruev, Nmecha, Bornauw, Aaronson

Subs: Perri, Byram, Longstaff, Tanaka, Buonanotte, James, Okafor, Gnonto, Piroe

Will Faulks
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Another weekend, another win for Liam Rosenior, who now has seven from his first nine games as Chelsea boss.

The team haven't been convincing in all of them - in fact, you could argue they're yet to put in a full 90-minute performance with the new manager in charge. But the victory over Wolves showed all of the same positives we've seen developing over the last month, with new ones added.

Joao Pedro continues his improved form, this time with two penalties won rather than a goal. Building on that existing trend was his increased chemistry with Cole Palmer. Not only was Palmer the man who put both spot-kicks away, but he also showed more understanding of his team-mate's movements in open play.

More fluidity and conviction in attack was what everyone was asking for, and on Saturday they got it - at least in the first half, before Chelsea eased off in the second period. The Andrey Santos and Moises Caicedo double-pivot has already added a lot of fortitude to the shape, as has the Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah pairing at the back. Robert Sanchez has been given more protection by the block of four ahead of him, and has responded with good form of his own.

If that solid spine can keep up their good performances and the attack continues to develop ahead of them, there's no telling where this season could end up. The Blues have closed the gap at the top of the Premier League table and qualified for the Champions League knockouts.

After facing Leeds and Hull City, they also reach their first free midweek since Rosenior came in, with an international break in March also on the horizon. That provides even more opportunity for performances to catch up with results, and for the positive mood at Stamford Bridge to continue to grow.

Find more from Will Faulks at Chelsea News, external