Chelsea

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Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino says he wants to "find the situation" for both Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke to play together in his starting line-up.

Manchester City academy graduate Palmer has been the Blues' stand-out player this season since his arrival in September, scoring 19 goals and making 13 assists in his 37 appearances across all competitions.

Team-mate Madueke, who signed from PSV Eindhoven in January 2023, has had a stuttering start to his life at Stamford Bridge.

The 22-year-old has struggled to get consistent minutes but has played a more prominent role in recent games - scoring last time out in the Premier League against Sheffield United and getting a vital goal late on against Leicester in the FA Cup.

Both Madueke and Palmer favour playing on the right-hand side of the pitch and, asked in his pre-match news conference about fitting them into the team, Pochettino said: "It is about having the space for him [Madueke].

"The club sign Cole Palmer, we already have him [Madueke], we were signing another player that plays in the same position as him. It is all about adaptation and finding the situation that Palmer and him can play together.

"Of course, always the hope is a player with talent like Noni can be consistent playing in the team and starting XI and show his quality. [It is] always about finding balance of the team and when Palmer arrived and was doing really well, sometimes you can't play in the same position with two players.

"He has the talent. I hope he can grow and be an important player for Chelsea."

Manager Mauricio Pochettino has been speaking to the media before Chelsea host Everton in the Premier League on Monday (20:00 BST kick-off).

Here are the main lines from his news conference:

• Ben Chilwell is back in partial team training and could be included on the bench. Axel Disasi and Enzo Fernandez have not trained since draw at Sheffield United match and are being assessed. Raheem Sterling has missed training with an illness.

• On the disappointment of dropping points at Bramall Lane: "I need to be more cautious with my words after the game. It is a fact that we have a young squad but also I need to adapt a different message. We need to be more positive and we need to accept that is the reality. Sometimes I need to be more positive because we have a really good squad and we need to work to support them."

• On the frustration over the number of injuries the Blues have had this season: "It should be fair for us to have a fit squad, to prove that we are a good squad and that we can compete for big things. At the moment it is not fair to judge players."

• But he added: "It's very tough when you don't have the squad fit. We want to increase the competition between them, but that's not an excuse. I don't want to talk about excuses. Now I want to be positive - it’s a good opportunity for the young guys."

• On the difficulties of facing sides fighting relegation: "When we face teams like Manchester City, Manchester United, or Liverpool, the team always shows good quality. The problem for us is to be consistent. When we analyse the team, it is lack of maturity. It is only with time that we can get the right balance."

• Chelsea have conceded at least two goals in their past seven games and Pochettino said: "In the past seven or eight games we didn't lose in the Premier League. The most important thing is to win games. The priority would be to have a clean sheet and not to concede, but at the moment it's about winning games. We need three points."

• On playing more defensively, he added: "If we are only thinking about having a clean sheet, we need to play with the keeper and see if we can score one goal on transition. Chelsea, in my opinion, is about going forward to create chances and score goals."

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences

Here are the key facts and figures before Monday's game between Chelsea and Everton in the Premier League.

• Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 28 Premier League home games against Everton (W15 D13) since a 1-0 loss in November 1994. It is their longest unbeaten home run against a side in their top-flight history.

• Following their 2-0 win at Goodison Park in December, Everton are looking to complete their first league double over Chelsea since 1978-79.

• Chelsea have both scored and conceded at least twice in each of their last seven matches in all competitions. In English football history, no top-flight side has ever done so in eight consecutive games before.

• Everton’s 1-0 win against Burnley last time out ended a 13-game winless run in the Premier League. Each of their last five league wins have been to nil, with the Toffees failing to win any of their last 12 when conceding at least once (D4 L8).

• Cole Palmer has been involved in 25 goals in his last 22 Premier League games, scoring 16 and assisting nine. One more assist would see him become the first Chelsea player to register double figures for both goals and assists in his first Premier League season with the club.

• After a run of 18 Premier League games without a goal, Dominic Calvert-Lewin has scored in his last two appearances, with these strikes earning Everton three points. He last scored in three consecutive league games in August 2021.

Arsenal and Chelsea are closely monitoring Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney, 28, who would cost up to £40m this summer. (Florian Plettenberg), external

Chelsea are targeting Napoli and Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, 25, this summer but the club will focus first on selling players in order to raise funds. (Football Transfers), external

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino and his coaches have been unimpressed by 23-year-old Ukraine forward Mykhailo Mudryk's progress this season and the Blues will be in the market for a new winger this summer. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Chelsea have announced they have reached an agreement to purchase the Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions site.

The 1.9-acre site, which is adjacent to Stamford Bridge, includes a charity's housing and community facilities for vulnerable veterans who have left the armed forces. It will provide the club with more possibilities around potential redevelopment of the stadium.

Chelsea's parent company, BlueCo, have worked with the Stoll charity and closely with the Hammersmith & Fulham Council over the deal. Stoll recently agreed to acquire 128 affordable housing properties in a new housing development within Fulham.

The residents from the Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions will be rehomed either at the new Fulham site or at an existing Stoll site and the charity will retain one block at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's chief operating office Jason Gannon said: "We are delighted to increase our footprint at Stamford Bridge and take a significant step towards ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the club.

"We appreciate the opportunity to work with Stoll throughout a competitive tender process and we are pleased to help ensure those veterans that wish to remain inside the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham will be able to do so."

Hammersmith & Fulham Council deputy leader Ben Coleman added: "When we found out about the plight of the Stoll veterans, I asked Chelsea to pause the sale until Stoll had agreed to make no one homeless and work with the council on finding a suitable site in Fulham that kept the community together.

"I am extremely grateful to Chelsea for agreeing to do so and for the way they have worked with us to find a solution that puts the interest of the vets first."

Stoll chief executive Will Campbell-Wroe maintained the charity's commitment to their residents: "We understand that any transition to a new home will be challenging for many of our residents and we are committed to providing every resident with an enhanced programme of financial, wellbeing and rehousing support - as we have been throughout this process.

"To be clear - no veteran at the Sir Oswald Stoll Mansions will be left without a home."

Chelsea could sell 11 players this summer, including midfielder Conor Gallagher and striker Armando Broja, who is on loan at Fulham. (Football London, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

This Chelsea season has been widely - and accurately - described as a rollercoaster because of the wild and unpredictable twists and turns it has taken.

This week was a perfect example.

The neck-twisting G-force of conceding a last-minute equaliser to 10-man Burnley, then scoring twice in stoppage time to beat Manchester United, then drawing with a rotten Sheffield United would be banned in most countries if it was a fairground ride.

But another notable thing about rollercoasters is that, no matter how high the rise and fall, you always end up right where you started.

And that is where Chelsea are now.

Almost exactly a year after sacking Graham Potter and bringing in an interim coach, some fans are calling for the same action. Potter's path to this point was very different - it was a slow death, with few goals conceded, few scored and eventually all life strangled from the team and the fans.

The experience under Mauricio Pochettino has been very different: goals flying in at both ends, drama in the stands, tensions rising and strongly worded open letters furiously penned on all sides.

Yet for all the sound and fury, nothing has changed. The manager is different, but the problems are the same.

The big squad refresh which promised to solve the dressing-room disharmony has produced nothing but a hole on the balance sheet.

The cries to sack the coach are understandable - just as they were a year ago.

But whatever path the club take, it seems depressingly likely they are back here once again in a year's time.

Will Faulks can be found at Chelsea News, external

Chelsea are trying to get the jump on their rivals and secure a £43m deal for Athletic Bilbao's 21-year-old Spain forward Nico Williams before the transfer window opens. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

BBC Sport's Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.

Conor asked: Do you think Mauricio Pochettino will be sacked or do you think he'll be kept despite clearly missing any European competition of worth?

Phil answered: I think whether Chelsea reach Europe will have a bearing on Pochettino’s future but surely it is time for some stability at Stamford Bridge and to give a good manager a chance to build something with some good young players and a sensible recruitment strategy?

Constantly changing managers has not worked for the current regime so maybe it is time to change tack.

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Chelsea winger Noni Madueke says the team need to "cut" dropping points from winning positions after suffering a late blow against Sheffield United.

The 22-year-old scored what looked to be the winner for the Blues before an added-time equaliser from Oli McBurnie saw them draw against the Premier League's bottom side.

Mauricio Pochettino's team have made a habit of going in front only to lose the lead in recent matches, with Sunday's game the seventh in a row in which they have conceded at least two goals.

It was a missed opportunity for Chelsea in their push for European football and speaking on that frustration, Madueke said: "The way we drop points sometimes... it's in the palm of our hands. I don't know what to say other than there are still games to go and we have to go again and stick together.

"We still have faith we can finish in the places we want to finish in. But we have to cut that [dropping points] out sooner rather than later.

"It was always going to be a difficult game, a different game to Manchester United at home.

"However, I feel like it's a game we should have won and until the end, it looked like we would. But we couldn't quite get over the line, which is disappointing.

"It's the fashion in which we drew the game. Credit to them, they are at the bottom and they are fighting, but we really should have wrapped up the points."

We asked for your thoughts on Sunday's Premier League game between Sheffield United and Chelsea.

Here are some of your responses:

Sheff Utd fans

Andy: Pity we didn’t start the season with the same determination and mindset. Effort was outstanding and I would say we looked the better side, other than Chelsea had better individual players.

Bob: The Blades gave all they had in a determined and exciting performance. This seemed miles away from the humiliating hammerings from the likes of Newcastle and Arsenal. Well done, you Blades - you actually made us fans proud!

Green: Brilliant, fighting performance from the boys. If only we had this all season we might not have gone down. On to Brentford now!

Mandy: Absolutely outstanding. Brilliant team performance. Midfield totally fantastic. Osbourne and Arblaster really stood out. UTB.

Chelsea fans

Nic: Normal service is resumed. Poor substitution decisions by Pochettino and even worse timings. Sunday afternoon stroll again for the five same players. Do management not watch re-runs of the games? Or are they totally oblivious to those same players continuously only giving 50%. When is the wake-up?

Jason: There is no real change from the beginning of the season. A manager who still hasn’t decided on who our best XI are and whose ideas are technically short of the mark. Yes, we have a young side who are still learning, but how many will wait until we have a leader who can successfully show them the way. Roll on the end of the season!

Matt: Really poor. Thursday's match was a waste of time with the three points we got. I also cannot understand how we couldn't see the game out at the end. It pains me to say it, but I think that our season may be over. Pochettino needs to be sacked for how badly we have performed throughout the season. He is too tactically inept - it's unreal.

Sharif: Honestly, beyond a joke now for Chelsea. Manager needs to go, no gameplan and again subs too late. Poch has had a path to some form of European football on a plate twice this season and has bottled it both times.

Watch the best of the action from Sheff Utd v Chelsea on Match of the Day 2 on BBC iPlayer

Image source, PA Media

Chelsea have been "a mess" for much of this season, but ESPN's senior writer Mark Ogden believes there is little chance boss Mauricio Pochettino will be shown the door anytime soon at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues dropped points against relegation-threatened Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Sunday and remain ninth in the table with eight games to go.

Victory in their two games in hand would put them above seventh-placed West Ham and in line for a place in the Europa Conference League next season but that is a long way behind the fireworks at the top of the table.

"Pochettino has probably got another season, or at least the start of the next season," Ogden told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"He only has a year left on his contract so the compensation would not cost a lot, but Chelsea have posted big losses so in an era where clubs need to keep losses small, they cannot afford to pay him off.

"They need to bring money in and are talking about selling homegrown players like Conor Gallagher, Trevoh Chalobah and even Reece James because that would be pure profit."

While those sales might offset the losses, Ogden believes it is a flawed business model that is not working at Stamford Bridge.

"It doesn't work," he said. "It is just making their squad weaker - getting rid of good players with connections to the club and replacing them with players from all over the world who have no idea what they are coming into.

"They have no bond with the club - and it is a mess."

Listen to more on Chelsea from 17'50 on BBC Sounds

Mark Chapman introduces highlights and analysis from Sunday's three Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day 2, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to Sunday's BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra match commentary in full:

Manchester United v Liverpool

Sheffield United v Chelsea

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to Saturday's BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra match commentary in full:

Everton v Burnley

Brighton v Arsenal

Real Madrid are watching River Plate's 16-year-old Argentine midfielder Franco Mastantuono, who is also being monitored by Chelsea and Paris St-Germain. (Fabrizio Romano, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

Image source, Getty Images

Three days after goals in the 10th and 11th minutes of stoppage time earned Chelsea a dramatic last-gasp win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge, it was the Blues on the receiving end of a late sucker-punch on Sunday evening which left their hopes of achieving European football in the balance.

Noni Madueke's excellent goal had put Mauricio Pochettino's side on course to end the weekend within three points of sixth-placed Manchester United, having played one game fewer.

While Oli McBurnie's 93rd-minute equaliser for relegation-threatened Sheffield United has not closed the door on a Europa League place, it leaves Chelsea with plenty of work to do with fixtures against the likes of Brighton, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Tottenham to come.

The Blues are proving the Premier League's entertainers of late, scoring and conceding at least two goals in each of their last seven games.

But they must discover a level of consistency if they are to achieve their objectives over the remaining weeks of the campaign.

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has been speaking Sky Sports following the late draw: "If we analyse after the game, then a draw was fair for both teams. In the Premier League, you need to try to play well and also control games.

"All of the teams in the Premier League are good. Today we conceded in the last few minutes. We feel really bad in the way we conceded, but we need to keep moving.

"We need to be more clinical. The team is scoring a lot of goals but we are conceding too much. We need to find this balance.

"At the moment, we can't get the right balance of scoring goals and conceding less. We are struggling in this thing and it is something we need to improve if we want to be in a different position in the table."

Chelsea's Noni Madueke has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day following the draw: "I am not really bothered it [his goal] didn't turn into a winning goal, but our Achilles heel this season has been cashing in on momentum. We had an amazing result [against Manchester United] and we needed to keep it rolling.

"We should have got the three points today, but we have to keep going.

"It will always be tough to come here in the sense that when Chelsea come to town and, no disrespect, when you are fighting for your life, you feel you have nothing to lose.

"It felt like a game we should have won and, right up until the end, it looked like it.

"There is positives. We are in a semi-final, an unbeaten run, but these are the games we need to grind out. We would have put pressure on the European spots with a win today.

"There still has to be belief we can do it. We need to grind these types of games out and get the three points."

On mood in the changing room: "Silent to be honest. Of course, we should have won the game. The fashion we lost it in [is bad]. The way we drop points sometimes, it was in the palm of our hands.

"There is still games to go. We have to stick together and I have faith we can finish in the places we want to finish in.

"Eight games left is 24 points up for grabs, and we have to get as many as possible."

Here are the key facts and figures following Sunday’s game between Sheffield United and Chelsea in the Premier League.

• Chelsea have drawn three successive away games in the Premier League for the first time since September 2000. Meanwhile, the Blues have conceded 27 away goals in the top-flight this term, their most after 15 away games of a league season since 1990-91 (32 goals).

• Sheffield United have conceded 47 Premier League goals at Bramall Lane this season, the most ever by a home side in a single campaign in the competition. It is the most by an English top-flight club, on home soil, in a season since 1960-61 (Chelsea 48 goals and Newcastle 49 goals).

• Noni Maduke's goal, assisted by Cole Palmer, was the 14th time Chelsea had a Premier League goal both scored and assisted by players aged 22 or younger this season.

• Thiago Silva (39y 198d) became the third-oldest player to score away from home in the Premier League, after Teddy Sheringham (39y 343d) and Dean Windass (39y 235d).

• Sheffield United netted their third ever 90th minute equaliser in a Premier League match, while all three have been scored by Oli McBurnie (also v Manchester United in November 2019 and West Ham United in January 2024).

• Gustavo Hamer has five assists in the Premier League this season, the most by a Sheffield United player across a single campaign in the competition since Dane Whitehouse in 1993-94 (six assists).

Oli McBurnie scored an injury-time equaliser for relegation-threatened Sheffield United as Chelsea's hopes of securing European football suffered a blow.

Mauricio Pochettino's ninth-placed visitors were unable to maintain momentum following their dramatic last-gasp comeback win over Manchester United on Thursday.

Instead, just three days later, they fell victim to a late sucker-punch as McBurnie fired in from close-range in the 93rd minute to earn a point for the Premier League's bottom side.

Noni Madueke's excellent finish midway through the second half - the England youth international cutting inside and curling an excellent finish past Ivo Grbic - had put Chelsea on course for victory.

The Blues took an 11th-minute lead when Thiago Silva was allowed to side-foot in Conor Gallagher's corner unchallenged, but Jayden Bogle beat Djordje Petrovic at his near post to bring the Blades level.

The increasing belief in Chris Wilder's players was evident as the Bramall Lane crowd rallied behind their side - and they were rewarded for their persistence by a moment of celebration in an otherwise difficult season.

Sheffield United remain bottom of the table, nine points adrift of safety with 21 points still to fight for.

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