Chelsea

Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw at West Ham United on Saturday as Joao Felix's opener was cancelled out by ex-Blues defender Emerson Palmieri, ...

"I was hoping it was going to be our day but we had a couple of close calls as well. We will get better from the experience." They stayed ninth in the table, nine points behind fourth-placed Newcastle who have played a game less.

Chelsea boss Graham Potter has said some of the club's new signings need to adapt to the Premier League, with the club's January spending spree yet to turn ...

"It's exciting, it tests you because you have to make sure you communicate properly and manage the environment because otherwise it can go not very positive, but it's been a good training week. The result means Chelsea have won just once in their last eight matches in all competitions. Potter said that managing a squad of that size is a challenge but also described the situation as "exciting." "That's just how it is, that's the way I see it and I'll just be honest to say how it is but I completely understand that people are frustrated if you don't win." [Reece James](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/189007/Reece-James) up to speed, which is getting [Ben Chilwell](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/225426/Ben-Chilwell) up to speed, which is getting [Ruben Loftus-Cheek](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/186505/Ruben-Loftus-Cheek) up to speed, which is getting [Wesley Fofana](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/270190/Wesley-Fofana) up to speed, which is getting [N'Golo Kante](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/173556/N'Golo-Kanté) up to speed, which is adapting [Myhailo] Mudryk into the Premier League, which is adapting [Noni] Madueke into the Premier League, which adapting [Benoit Badiashile](http://www.espn.com/soccer/player/_/id/282585/Benoit-Badiashile) into the Premier League, which is adapting Joao Felix into the Premier League. "You can also see the potential of the team but you can also see where the work is, which is getting

The Portugal forward was an expensive loan signing, but even after two league appearances it is clear why Chelsea wanted him.

They face [Borussia Dortmund](https://theathletic.com/football/team/dortmund/) in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Wednesday in Germany and his name has been added to Chelsea’s squad for the knockout phase. They do not intend to sign another raft of players in the summer but are prepared to spend big again in a few key positions. It’s the Champions League — that’s the competition we want to win. Reports in Spain last week said Atletico value Joao Felix at £124m, although Chelsea believe they can be persuaded to accept a lower sum than that. There has not been a great deal for Chelsea fans to get excited about on the pitch. Our Champions League starts on Wednesday and it needs to be ours.” But Joao Felix’s well-timed run also caught West Ham’s defence unawares, and his finish was just too good for But Joao Felix is giving them some hope, a reason to get off their seats and a catchy song about coming from Portugal and ‘hating the I know everything. But for his second game running, the Portugal international was Chelsea’s best player. [Denis Zakaria](https://theathletic.com/football/player/denis-zakaria-xtJaqenVE1USfjH2/)) to join in the past two transfer windows, only [Benoit Badiashile](https://theathletic.com/football/player/benoit-badiashile-PjQKdFS2LzolyOLX/) and [Enzo Fernandez](https://theathletic.com/football/player/enzo-fernandez-mA2LkzPdMOcVkFoZ/) have made similarly strong starts. [Chelsea](https://theathletic.com/football/team/chelsea/)’s 1-1 draw at [West Ham United](https://theathletic.com/football/team/west-ham-united/) looked bittersweet.

Chelsea recorded their third consecutive draw in the Premier League as Graham Potter's side were held 1-1 by West Ham at the London Stadium.

Potter has previously hinted that Cucurella is dealing with off-field issues – the details of which nobody has a right to know – and if they are impacting his performances, then so be it. It paid dividends too, as it was Felix and the Argentine midfielder who combined for the opening goal. "As I said in the pre-match press conference, I don't think Marc is in his best moment. But at the same time, he's been part of a team that has kept a clean sheet at Anfield, a clean sheet against Fulham. [A perception has taken hold among many Chelsea supporters that Marc Cucurella is a poor player.](https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/potter-cucurella-chelsea-west-ham-26216399) That is simply not the case. In the modern-day game, there is a performance element required for coaching at a club like Chelsea. Ultimately, the Premier League champions didn't want to meet Brighton's asking price but a few weeks later, Chelsea paid up. "It looked like a handball to me," he said in his It is not to everyone's liking and perhaps not what is now expected of a top coach. [Chelsea](https://www.football.london/all-about/chelsea) should have been awarded a penalty in the final minutes of the game at the London Stadium. That the decision wasn't overturned by VAR – or that Pawson wasn't sent to the monitor to review the call – certainly was. [Conor Gallagher](https://www.football.london/all-about/conor-gallagher)'s goalbound effort struck the arm of West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek, who had thrown himself to the ground to make a block.

Chelsea transfer news: Catch all the latest Chelsea headlines including updates on Jude Bellingham snubbing the Blues, David Raya's minimum price tag and a ...

[scouted numerous times ahead of his arrival](https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/transfer-news/chelsea-joao-felix-transfer-broja-25744531#google_vignette). Chelsea supporters have pleaded with Todd Boehly to sign Joao Felix in the summer on a permanent deal following the forward's first-half volley against West Ham. [ The Portugal international has already shown glimpses of his talent](https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/liverpool-sniffing-chelsea-bellingham-transfer-26196204) with much of that on display in his Blues debut against Fulham, which was marred by a second half red card which saw him miss the next three Premier League games. Despite being boosted by the returns of Reece James and Ben Chilwell, injuries still continue to plague Potter's squad with Raheem Sterling suffering a setback in the week. [Chelsea](https://www.football.london/all-about/chelsea) should have been awarded a penalty in the final minutes of the game at the London Stadium. One of the youngsters looked across to the 38-year-old Silva and offered his hand with great enthusiasm to the Chelsea ace. [Conor Gallagher](https://www.football.london/all-about/conor-gallagher)'s goalbound effort struck the arm of West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek, who had thrown himself to the ground to make a block. The Brazilian defender has been the epitome of calm, class and cool in a tumultuous and difficult season. [Enzo Fernandez and Joao Felix were the major signs of things getting better at Stamford Bridge](https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/chelsea-player-ratings-joao-felix-26215401) as they combined to put the Blues in front against the Hammers. Immediately it was clear to see his impact had been missed with jinking runs and clever passes causing the Hammers a number of problems in the early stages. [Graham Potter watched on as his side were held at the London Stadium by West Ham](https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/west-ham-vs-chelsea-live-26205837), but the Blues' first half display will certainly build confidence at Chelsea. Thiago Silva has hit out at Craig Pawson's decision not to award Chelsea a penalty in the last minute of their Premier League clash against West Ham on Saturday.

LONDON - Chelsea coach Graham Potter said his side were unlucky not to be awarded a late penalty in their 1-1 draw at West Ham when substitute Conor ...

“Chelsea were much better in the first half,” he said. Moyes said he was relieved the Hammers had not been buried in the game’s opening spell when VAR ruled out two Chelsea goals for offside. Potter said he was delighted with Chelsea’s early dominance at the London Stadium on Saturday after they struggled to assert themselves last week in a 0-0 draw at home to Fulham.

VAR's killing Graham Potter! Chelsea winners, losers & ratings as Joao Felix & Enzo Fernandez shine amid controversial penalty call. Krishan Davis. | 11 Feb ...

VAR ensured there was some late drama at the end of a turgid second period. The closest they came to restoring their lead was when Michail Antonio flicked a corner inches wide of his own post. Mykhailo Mudryk recovered possession deep in West Ham territory before Enzo Fernandez clipped in a cross and Felix found space in the box to produce an expert side-foot volley.

LONDON : Chelsea coach Graham Potter said his new-look team was making progress in their expensive rebuilding programme, despite a latest failure to win on ...

"I didn't know Tomas could get down that easily and save like that." Advertisement

Chelsea transfer news: The Blues set for Mason Mount contract showdown as stalemate continues in long-term stand-off.

](https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/transfer-news/todd-boehly-chelsea-transfer-contract-25999564)In one year he can negotiate a free move away. [the Telegraph](https://twitter.com/mcgrathmike) now write that some at the club are starting to resign themselves to losing him. [The issue is that now the longer it goes on the tougher it gets.](https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/transfer-news/mason-mount-transfer-liverpool-chelsea-26037683) [Mount is a target for Liverpool and Chelsea's position only weakens from this moment on. ](https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/transfer-news/liverpool-sniffing-chelsea-bellingham-transfer-26194451)The 24-year-old is going through his worst patch of form since making his debut three seasons ago. It has coincided with his form declining and, whereby James has gone on to hit some of his highest levels yet this season, Mount has dropped. Be that in the summer or in 2024 when his contract ends, [the pressure on both ends to find an agreement is well and truly ramping up.](https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/transfer-news/chelsea-joao-felix-mount-transfer-25955482) Breaking this for Mount may not bode well. This is unsurprisingly unlikely to help make any negotiations smooth. It makes any type of demand tough to justify. With just two wins in 13 games, there are questions and fingers being pointed pretty much everywhere. [It is with this in mind that he enters the final 18 months of his contract.](https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/transfer-news/chelsea-mason-mount-contract-talks-26160748) [Rio Ferdinand and Joe Cole agree on major penalty incident in West Ham vs Chelsea clash](https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/ferdinand-cole-west-ham-chelsea-26215849) [Mount in particular is an increasingly divisive figure.

Turning a group of stars into a cohesive team is like gluing the Millennium Falcon together while hurtling through hyperspace.

A 1-1 half-time scoreline felt like the high point of the game. But there was still an energy here, a chemistry between the parts that will intrigue Chelsea’s supporters while they wait for the glorious future – so, so many glorious futures – to germinate. There is still something entertaining in the basic spectacle of Potter, the process man, trying to solve this. There was another lovely moment as Reece James played a precision forward pass for Félix to run on to and produce the most delicious floaty dink over Lukasz Fabianski, a moment of synergy, movement, timing, imagination, slightly undermined by the fact that it was offside. The London Stadium was a boisterous place at kick-off, gripped also with a note of curiosity. Never mind the brittleness in a With less than a minute gone João Félix and Mykhaylo Mudryk combined 40 yards from goal, romping forward side by side, a sudden flare of boyishly handsome energy that almost burst the defensive line. It is unrealistic to expect Chelsea’s swirl of starry players, a model that is unprecedented in English football, to click into a functioning shape straight away. He made the opening goal with some help from Mudryk, who lunged to win the ball back from Jarrod Bowen. A holiday. A caravan. Welcome to the new world.

Chelsea news: The latest on the Blues' attempts to extend Mason Mount's stay at Stamford Bridge.

Liverpool are looking to add their own midfielders in the summer and could turn to Mount. James and Broja have both penned deals beyond 2028 and the host of new signings are signed up to contracts keeping them at SW6 for even longer than that. In the run to the 2021 triumph, he scored in the quarter-finals and the semi-finals. He has a Carabao Cup runners-up medal as well, the 24-year-old has been a champion of the world. Here, football.london rounds up the latest on his contract and what is to come for Mount. The Blues' attacking fulcrum of the 2021/22 season has a future far from certain despite his list of achievements in his still young career.

Todd Boehly has been told why he must replace Kai Havertz with Harry Kane or Erling Haaland in the summer transfer window.

[Every word Graham Potter said on VAR, Tomas Soucek, Chelsea adjustments, Reece James, Joao Felix](https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/chelsea-graham-potter-soucek-var-26216087) [Chelsea player ratings as Joao Felix provides classy reminder and Enzo Fernandez produces](https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/chelsea-player-ratings-joao-felix-26215401) [How much did Chelsea spend in January? It would probably be easier for him to move to a club outside of London." "He’s a legend at Tottenham, so would he want to ruin his status by moving to another team in London? Speaking on [talkSPORT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwCVs1yFaO0), Agbonlahor said: "[Chelsea are] missing a ruthless striker. "Put Harry Kane in that team, put [Erling] Haaland in that team, imagine the chances they'd score. Making a move from Tottenham to Chelsea is a big call but I can't really see him ending up there if I’m being honest.

Sportsmail found Petr Cech, too. He was hiding behind great big body armour and a Chelmsford Chieftains shirt, the No 39 on his back.

With wife Martina and kids Adela and Damian, he went on his first winter holiday in 25 years – to the Maldives. Cech pauses and I suggest 18, because that's the age of the Chieftains' other goaltender, Luca Tessadri, who is a fan-favourite here and currently first-choice. The next session is starting on the ice beneath us. While it might make Cech feel old to think that Tessadri was born midway through the 2004-05 season – the first of Chelsea's four Premier League title-winning campaigns with his help – he is happy to support his teenage team-mate. But you see the fans make it great here, as you could feel.' After a shower and change, Cech retreats to a balcony overlooking the ice for a chat. 'Then in 2013, I went to watch a game at Guildford. Maybe it would be a great addition to my routine.' 'When I was a kid, I wanted to be an ice hockey player,' Cech says. This is the first time Cech has spoken since leaving Chelsea as a technical director in June 2022 following Todd Boehly's takeover. From the age of six, Cech would cut out clippings from Stadion magazine, filling a fat scrapbook with articles about his favourite goalies, including Hasek. We're used to seeing Cech in a helmet but not like this.

Graham Potter still has a number of injuries to manage ahead of Chelsea's Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund.

Broja is expected to be out for at least the remainder of the season after learning that he needs surgery to fix a ruptured cruciate ligament in his right knee, football.london understands. The Albania international had no history of knee injuries and his injury is a major blow with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out of form. [Every word Graham Potter said on VAR, Tomas Soucek, Chelsea adjustments, Reece James, Joao Felix](https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/chelsea-graham-potter-soucek-var-26216087) [Chelsea player ratings as Joao Felix provides classy reminder and Enzo Fernandez produces](https://www.football.london/chelsea-fc/news/chelsea-player-ratings-joao-felix-26215401) [How much did Chelsea spend in January? The Senegalese shot-stopper was not in the squad to face West Ham. The Chelsea loanee has impressed, forcing his way into the first-team after a slow start to his career at Stamford Bridge. It’s the top of his quad and that is a blow for us. He is not yet training with his teammates, however, but that is understood to not be too far away from doing so. However, he missed out at the London Stadium after unfortunately sustaining a knock in training this week. Having missed most of the season so far, former Leicester man Wesley Fofana's influence at the back has been somewhat felt in his absence. Raheem Sterling was expected to return some time this month but he picked up a knock in training, extending his absence. Mateo Kovacic was spotted taking part in Chelsea training ahead of their clash against the Hammers at the London Stadium. Kante has suffered an injury-ridden campaign thus far but the midfielder has finally returned to the pitches at Cobham, albeit training alone.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek has given his verdict on Chelsea's 1-1 draw with West Ham United and the midfielder admitted he was left "shocked" as he thought the ...

"The quicker we can get these boys to settle in and gel, the quicker we can start performing better. "We need to embrace it; it's happened for the better. It looks like one of those where if it was given I don't think it would be overturned but it hasn't been given, so I don't know." [Speaking to Chelsea's official website](https://www.chelseafc.com/en/news/article/loftus-cheek-disappointed-but-determined-for-better), Loftus-Cheek said: "We’re all shocked about what we thought was a handball in the closing minutes. However, despite VAR taking a look at the incident, it was not deemed to be a foul and the game finished 1-1. "It hasn't been given so there's nothing for me to say.