Straight Outta Cobham: The Athletic FC's Chelsea show

We're going to need more than Good Luck, Babe! Matt Davies-Adams has got two Chappell Roan enthusiasts - Cerys Jones and Simon Johnson - alongside him for a look back at another miserable trip to Merseyside. There's the fallout from the abject 3-0 defeat to Everton. Have the players downed tools? Have they lost respect for Liam Rosenior's methods? And are we in danger of seeing the Blues tumble do...

You 8-2 see it... Matt Davies-Adams enlists Cerys Jones and Liam Twomey for a gory-post mortem of Chelsea's 8-2 aggregate defeat by PSG in the Champions League last 16. Simon Johnson beams in from the Stamford Bridge press box with a pretty damning assessment of what he saw in front of him on a 'horrific night' for everyone associated with the club. Was this result breaking point for Liam Rosenior...

Respectfully... Matt Davies-Adams is joined by the SOC OG's Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey for a look back at events at Stamford Bridge on Saturday as Chelsea's top five hopes were dealt another blow. But we begin with a double dose of bad breaking news to come out of the club on Monday - with Reece James injured and the club handed a suspended one-year ban from signing first-team players and given...

It was all going (kinda) well for 73 minutes... Matt Davies-Adams has got Cerys Jones and Sam Parkin for company for a look back on the 5-2 defeat by PSG on Wednesday night. Liam Twomey was on the ground at the Parc des Princes - and he sends his thoughts on the calamitous end to an otherwise positive performance in Paris. While PSG can put their feet up for the weekend, the Blues have to navigate...

It was certainly a welcome... Matt Davies-Adams has got The Athletic's Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey in tow to look back on the 4-2 (AET) victory over Wrexham in the 5th round of the FA Cup. It certainly wasn't pretty - but we take a closer look at how Rosenior's side eventually got over the line, the silver linings from the laboured performance - and how Garnacho is taking his chance with options...

You can't stay mad at them for long... Matt Davies-Adams has got The Athletic's Liam Twomey and Luke Bosher with him for a look back on Wednesday night's 4-1 win at Aston Villa - to take Chelsea back to 5th in the Premier League table. Simon Johnson sends us his post-match dispatch from the press box - before we discuss the bold decision to drop Robert Sánchez, the continuation of João Pedro's sen...

We've seen this movie far too many times now... Matt Davies-Adams has got Luke Bosher and Simon Johnson in tow to look back on the hugely frustrating and in many ways avoidable 2-1 defeat by Arsenal at The Emirates. We begin with a pretty dismayed Liam Twomey and his thoughts from the press box - before reflecting on Robert Sanchez's disastrous afternoon, the unfortunate gulf in class between Arse...

Ninth time lucky in the Premier League against Arsenal?! Matt Davies-Adams has got Luke Bosher and Sam Parkin for company as we look ahead to the trip across London to take on the league leaders of Sunday afternoon. We discuss the remaining fixture list which the infamous Opta Supercomputer has deemed the hardest in the league - but could it actually work to their advantage? Plus, who's going to c...

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...