Straight Outta Cobham: The Athletic FC's Chelsea show

19 points dropped... NINETEEN POINTS! Matt Davies-Adams is joined by two of The Athletic's finest - Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey - to look back on the shocker of a 1-1 draw with Burnley at Stamford Bridge on Saturday afternoon. We discuss the overall poor level of performance, the defensive substitutions and the mistakes that this team just don't seem to be learning from week in, week out. Elsewh...

Coming to a Dubai nightclub near you soon... Matt Davies-Adams has got Liam Twomey and Cerys Jones with him for a closer look at the Premier League clash with (surely?) Championship-bound Burnley at Stamford Bridge. Why is Cole Palmer so good at taking penalties? What makes Andrey Santos such an important cog in Liam Rosenior's system? And how have Chelsea given up the most xG in the Premier Leagu...

Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Simon Johnson and Luke Bosher for a look back on the 4-0 victory at Hull on Friday night to safely book their place in the 5th round of the FA Cup. We discuss why Pedro Neto perhaps doesn't get the plaudits despite his three goals, another peculiar night for Liam Delap - and the Mamadou Sarr revelation as he impresses on his full debut for the club. Then - with an *a...

Oh Cole, it was harder to miss... Matt Davies-Adams has Luke Bosher and Liam Twomey for company to look back on Tuesday night's 2-2 draw with Leeds and Stamford Bridge. The scoreline certainly doesn't tell the whole story - with the Blues throwing away a two-goal lead in farcical fashion to be held by Daniel Farke's side - and Cole Palmer missing an open goal! Simon Johnson sends in his thoughts f...

We've missed singing 'Palmer again ole, ole'... Matt Davies-Adams is joined by two of The Athletic's finest - Cerys Jones and Simon Johnson - for a Monday dose of SOC off the back of Chelsea's 3-1 win at Wolves on Saturday. On the agenda: Cole Palmer's very welcome return to form, Rosenior's role adjustments - and why they can never quite put together a full, 90-minute performance... Next, can the...

That elusive goal... Matt Davies-Adams has got The Athletic's Luke Bosher and Liam Twomey with him after the Blues were knocked out of the League Cup by Arsenal. Beaten 4-2 on aggregate, 1-0 on the night by a last-gasp Kai Havertz (of course) goal - we take a closer look at yet another tactical set-up, the glaring absence of Reece James - and what the team needs to do to get the best out of Liam D...

At the 57th time of asking... Matt Davies-Adams and Sam Parkin team up to look back on the dramatic 3-2 victory over West Ham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening. We've got a special double-header voice note from the press box on the final whistle as Cerys and Liam try and sum up the chaos that played out in front of them in the dictionary definition of a game of two halves. Can the Blues bottl...

Come on, it was never in doubt (!) Matt Davies-Adams, Liam Twomey and Sam Parkin assemble to revel in the glory of Wednesday night's triumphant 3-2, comeback victory over Napoli to seal safe passage straight through the Champions League last 16. We of course begin in Naples - and the thoughts of Simon Johnson following the topsy turvy evening which saw Liam Rosenior's tinkering eventually pay off!...

To Naples we go... Matt Davies-Adams is joined by The Athletic's Luke Bosher and Simon Johnson to run the rule over Sunday's 3-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. There's love for the sensational Steve-o, a word on João Pedro's recent revival, vintage VAR fodder and the obligatory Caicedo yellow. Then - attention turns to the UCL, and Wednesday night's race for a top eight place as Liam Ro...

In the race for eighth place... Matt Davies-Adams has got The Athletic's Liam Twomey and Cerys Jones alongside him for a recap of the extremely dull but extremely necessary 1-0 victory over Pafos on MD7 of the UCL. We discuss the slog against the Cypriot champions, Liam Delap's ineffectiveness against the low block - and whether we're being too harsh on the team given a win's a win AND they are in...

Not quite sure how that happened but... Matt Davies-Adams has got Sam Parkin and Simon Johnson for company to pass judgement on the beating of the Bees and a look ahead to Pafos. We begin by touching upon the protests which gathered outside the ground before the game, before turning our attention to the events on the pitch - which saw the Blues somehow come away with a 2-0 win over Brentford. Then...

It's been real, Facundo... Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Luke Bosher and Liam Twomey with eyes on Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night and the 3-2 defeat by Arsenal in the League Cup semi-final first leg. Simon Johnson sends his thoughts on the final whistle on a chaotic evening of Carabao football. We discuss the defensive and goalkeeping shortcomings exposed once again, how Rosenior wants this si...

A big win to kick-off the Rosenior reign... Matt Davies-Adams has got Sam Parkin and Simon Johnson alongside him to look back on the 5-1 win at Charlton in the FA Cup on Saturday night. Then it's onto a wholly different challenge - with Arsenal making the short trip to Stamford Bridge in the Carabao Cup Semi-Final First Leg on Wednesday evening. Is the pressure off for the Blues? And what kind of...

Back in October 2025, Liam Rosenior sat down with The Athletic FC Podcast's Ayo Akinwolere and Carl Anka - with RC Strasbourg flying high in Ligue 1. Now Chelsea manager - Rosenior gives an insight into his management style, working in a multi-club ownership model and the importance of representation, diversity and role models. Plus - his approach to coaching and how he gets a big dressing room to...

We are SO back, baby... not a red card in sight... Matt Davies-Adams has got The Athletic's Chelsea experts Cerys Jones and Liam Twomey (!) alongside him for our second show of the week... a second show we'll be bringing you every week going forward! It's a shame we're not with you in happier circumstances - as we have to look back on the 2-1 defeat by Fulham at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night....

Not bad for your first senior game in charge... Matt Davies-Adams has Cerys Jones and Sam Parkin along for the ride as we look back on the hugely creditable 1-1 draw at Manchester City on Sunday evening. Simon's on hand with his reflections on the final whistle from inside the Etihad - as we praise Calum McFarlane's tactical tweaks, the spirit showed by the team to come back into the game - and wh...

Happy New Year... Matt Davies-Adams, Simon Johnson and Luke Bosher assemble for an emergency pod following the news that dropped at lunchtime on Thursday 1st January 2026 - that Chelsea Football Club and Enzo Maresca have parted company. We take a deep dive into the reasons behind the decision and its timing, the mounting questions which will now only grow for the club's hierarchy and their polici...

Well, that wasn't very festive Chelsea. Matt Davies-Adams has got Luke Bosher and Simon Johnson for company as we unpick the collapse in the 2-1 defeat by Aston Villa at the Bridge on Saturday evening. We discuss the failings of the squad building process of the summer, the defensive lapses which yet again came back to bite this team - and whether Enzo Maresca can avoid the pressure mounting to de...

A minor Christmas miracle in the circumstances... Matt Davies-Adams has got Sam Parkin and Cerys Jones alongside him for a look back on the quintessential game of two halves in the 2-2 draw with Newcastle on Saturday lunchtime. We talk the impressive second half comeback after a dicey opening 45 minutes, Reece's spectacular free-kick - and is Garnacho actually any good at football? Aston Villa are...

David Ornstein reports that Chelsea's Enzo Maresca is high on the list to replace Pep Guardiola - with the anticipation of this being his last season at Manchester City. It comes less than a week after Maresca's outburst regarding his 'worst 48 hours' at the club, which came following the 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday. The Athletic FC Podcast assembled to react to the news. Matt Davies-Adams an...

How was your last 48 hours?!! Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Cerys Jones, Luke Bosher and Simon Johnson (through the medium of extensive voice notes) as we look back on a pretty bonkers few days in the life of Chelsea Football Club. We take a deep dive into Enzo Maresca's post-Everton press conference revelations and the subsequent reluctance to elaborate on his angst. We've got a look back on tha...

Non bene... Producer Lucy's joined by The Athletic's Simon Johnson out in Bergamo for some quickfire reaction to the 2-1 defeat by Atalanta - which leaves Chelsea's hopes of a top eight finish in the UCL league phase hanging perilously in the balance. So where did it all go wrong in the second half? What have been the big areas of concern across these that three performances against La Dea, Bourne...

One of the dullest games in recent memory? Matt Davies-Adams has got Luke Bosher and Sam Parkin alongside him with the unenviable task of having to look back on Saturday's drab goalless draw at Bournemouth. Cerys Jones was there and sent her thoughts - and tried to take the positives from the clean sheet! But the misery was compounded by another serious injury to Liam Delap as the curse of the '9'...

It feels like more than just a point...  Matt Davies-Adams has got an OG SOC crew of The Athletic's Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey alongside him to look back on Sunday's 1-1 draw with league leaders Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. The gang reflect on the pretty remarkable point picked up against the Gunners given the first half red card dished out to Moises Caicedo, the maturity showed by Reece Ja...

Yamal who??????? Producer Lucy's joined by Simon Johnson to look back on a great European night under the lights at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea dispatched Spanish champions Barcelona in emphatic fashion, winning 3-0 and in some style on Tuesday evening. What more can we say about Estêvão?! How big was it for Liam Delap to open his account? How good is Marc Cucurella!? And how does this set the team...