Straight Outta Cobham: The Athletic FC's Chelsea show

Should Chelsea count themselves lucky to not be in Manchester City’s position? Matt Davies-Adams, Sam Parkin and Luke Bosher assemble in a week which has shaken football. We discuss the City scandal , before taking a closer look at the season so far and some of the issues that have plagued Xabi Alonso’s side in the early stages of this campaign. Plus, CFCW get the better of bitter rivals Arsenal -...

Chelsea were well beaten by Brentford on Saturday as the Blues collapsed to a 3-0 defeat in west London. Matt Davies-Adams is joined by The Athletic’s Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey to look back on a miserable afternoon, including another set-piece goal conceded, Chelsea’s problems defending corners, a poor performance from Morgan Rogers and the growing reliance on Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto and Roger...

Todd Boehly’s four-year association with the club has come to an end, with Clearlake Capital taking full control of Chelsea FC. So what does the change mean for the club going forward? Matt Davies-Adams is joined by The Athletic’s Liam Twomey and Sam Parkin to discuss the ownership change before turning their attention to Friday night’s trip to Brentford. We look at the likely formation and team n...

Chelsea throw away another lead as Hull City fight back to earn a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge. Is Xabi Alonso’s side becoming too reliant on outscoring opponents, and how big a problem is the defence? Matt Davies-Adams is joined by The Athletic’s Simon Johnson and Sam Parkin to look back on a frustrating afternoon for Chelsea, including more questions over Malo Gusto, Morgan Rogers’ brilliant star...

Chelsea 6 - 3 Leeds United. Did you think that was going to be the final score when Brendan Aaronsen put Leeds 2-0 up just after the restart? Chelsea did end up thrilling in Leeds comeback, but are they too reliant on Xabi Alonso’s A team? Matt Davies-Adams has got The Athletic’s Sam Parkin and Simon Johnson for company to look back an incredibly entertaining night in the Carabao Cup - and look ah...

It’s another defeat for Chelsea at the Emirates, but did Xabi Alonso’s side show they’re closer to Arsenal’s level than they have been in quite a while? Matt Davies-Adams has got The Athletic’s Liam Twomey and Luke Bosher for company to look back on the 2-1 defeat by the reigning Premier League champions - and look ahead to the visit of Leeds in the third round of the League Cup on Wednesday eveni...

There was late deadline day drama as Enzo Fernandez’s move to Manchester City was finally confirmed - but the arrival of Lamine Camara collapsed in spectacular fashion at the last moment. Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Sam Parkin and Liam Twomey for a look back on the closing of the transfer window - and a look ahead to Sunday’s first huge test of the season as Chelsea make the trip across London...

Chelsea made it back-to-back wins to start the Premier League season in front of a raucous Stamford Bridge - courtesy of a chaotic 4-3 victory over Brighton. Matt Davies-Adams has Simon Johnson and Sam Parkin for company to look back on the incredibly entertaining win for Xabi Alonso’s side - which showed off the Blues’ attacking prowess, but reiterated the need for more solidity at the back. We’v...

Chelsea progressed to the third round of the League Cup courtesy of a 2-0 win over Luton Town. Next up, old friends Brighton in the Premier League! Matt Davies-Adams has got Sam Parkin and Luke Bosher for company following the big news that the Blues have agreed a £7.5m deal to sign Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa. So, is Martinez the player to turn Chelsea into serious contenders? How positive...

Chelsea kicked off their Premier League campaign in style (mostly thanks to a 3-2 victory over Fulham, with Cole Palmer back to his dazzling best but alarm bells ringing again after Robert Sanchez’s errors in goal. Matt Davies-Adams is joined by The Athletic’s Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey for all the fallout from Craven Cottage - plus a look ahead to Thursday’s visit of Luton Town in the second r...

Do Chelsea head into the 2026-27 Premier League season as serious contenders for titles again? Matt Davies-Adams has got The Athletic's Liam Twomey and Luke Bosher alongside him for a look ahead to Monday's trip to Fulham as Xabi Alonso's reign in charge officially begins. Plus - a closer look at the players the Blues are still hoping to shift in the closing stages of the transfer window, some bro...

The new Premier League season begins in a week - and there's a sense of belief back at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea's 3-1 win over Real Sociedad in their final pre-season game. Matt Davies-Adams is joined by The Athletic's Simon Johnson and Luke Bosher for a look back on Xabi Alonso's victorious first game in front of the home fans in SW6. How well equipped are the Blues heading into Monday's gam...

Two weeks to go... Matt Davies Adams is joined by The Athletic's Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey for a look back on Chelsea's pre-season tour exploits following a final two matches in the Far East over the weekend. We dissect the 3-0 win over Milan and the feisty 3-3 draw with Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta'zim - before a wider look at the main learnings for Xabi Alonso in their time on the road...

A ban resolved, three players in and a £10m fine… so a pretty quiet week from a Chelsea point of view. Plenty to discuss for Matt Davies-Adams, Simon Johnson and Sam Parkin as Mikhailo Mudryk is officially back and eligible to play for the Blues again. The 25-year-old’s ban has ended with immediate effect after his doping case was resolved on Friday. Will there still be a place for him in the team...

Pre-season is officially underway and the Straight Outta Cobham team are here to talk about it. Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Cerys Jones and Simon Johnson from Down Under as the Blues start the Xabi Alonso era with a 6-4 win over Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia. A nine minute hattrick from Joao Pedro with lots of strong performances from youngsters. So what did the panel make of it all? An...

Morgan Rogers is going to Chelsea instead of Arsenal and the Straight Outta Cobham team are here to lap it all up. Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey as the Blues set a new British transfer record of £117m to sign the England attacking midfielder from Aston Villa. How have they managed to pull this one off? And just how will Rogers fit into Xabi Alonso’s new look squad?&n...

It’s three years since a Chelsea great passed away which means it’s only right for a Straight Outta Cobham special. Gianluca Vialli joined Chelsea as a player in 1996 and went on to become one of the club’s most significant figures of the pre-Abramovich era. He helped the Blues win the FA Cup in 1997, before taking over as manager the following season and winning both the League Cup and Cup Winner...

Xabi Alonso has made his first official signing as Chelsea manager and Real Madrid have got the Straight Outta Cobham team scratching their heads again. Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Liam Twomey and Cerys Jones to discuss Marco Palestra’s arrival from Atalanta. What might it mean for both Reece James and Malo Gusto? Will Enzo Fernandez still be Palestra’s teammate at the start of the season? Real...

Enzo Maresca is officially the new Manchester City manager and, while the rest of the football community pretends to be shocked, Chelsea release a blistering statement about how disappointed they are in their “former head coach”. Matt Davies-Adams, Cerys Jones and Sam Parkin react to another tumultuous couple of days at Stamford Bridge, and discuss where this all leaves the club now everything is...

It’s part three of the Straight Outta Cobham team’s summer squad review and it’s time to sort out who on earth’s going to be playing in midfield for the Blues next season. Enzo Fernandez is the main name on the lips of Matt Davies-Adams, Simon Johnson and Cerys Jones. Is he off to Real Madrid? And if so, is it going to take all summer to happen? Might a disappointing World Cup for Ecuador be a goo...

Marc Cucurella is on his way to Real Madrid and he’s timed it perfectly just ahead of the Straight Outta Cobham team’s review of Chelsea’s defensive unit. Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Liam Twomey and Sam Parkin to discuss what the Spaniard's exit might mean for the rest of the squad. Is Jorrel Hato the main benefiter at left back? How might Xabi Alonso get the best out of captain Reece James nex...

The summer is here and it’s squad review time for the Straight Outta Cobham team. Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Liam Twomey and Cerys Jones to discuss all things goalkeepers. Has it been the weakest position during the BlueCo era? And how might they go about fixing it? Will Robert Sanchez still be between the sticks next season or is Mike Penders the answer? It’s not going to be either Filip Jorg...

World Cup pending... Matt Davies-Adams has got Liam Twomey and Sam Parkin alongside him for our first podcast of the summer break. And we're taking a deep-dive into the Chelsea FC representation at the 2026 World Cup - with the first game of the tournament kicking off in just a week and a half. Plus, what about some of the high-profile Blues who won't be out in Mexico, Canada or the USA this summe...

Signing off on a sorry season... Matt Davies-Adams has got the whole SOC squad alongside him for a round up of the 2025-26 season for Chelsea Football Club. What are the main takeaways and reflections on this crazy campaign? What does not being in Europe mean from a financial perspective? Who have been the big winners and losers in the squad? And what's top of Xabi Alonso's to-do list heading into...

A dire end to a dire season... Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Simon Johnson and Sam Parkin for a look back on the 2-1 defeat Sunderland - which condemns Chelsea to a 10th-placed finish in the Premier League. The Blues were outplayed and outfought by their hosts - and that added to Wesley Fofana's red card sums up what a poor season it's been. Thankfully all was not lost this weekend - with the U18...