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New York Times
20-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Chelsea's away form has cost them lately. Now they must deliver when it matters most
Just two wins. That is all Chelsea need to almost certainly guarantee Champions League football for next season via a top-five finish in the Premier League and get their hands on the first men's trophy of the Todd Boehly-Clearlake era by beating Real Betis in the Conference League final. It does not sound too bad, does it? Surely, head coach Enzo Maresca would have taken this scenario at the beginning of the campaign. But there is one significant hurdle they must overcome — their terrible form away from Stamford Bridge. Advertisement Whether the 2024-25 season will be regarded as a success or a bit of a disappointment comes down to whether Chelsea can get the result they need in the league at Nottingham Forest on Sunday (there is a possibility a draw, or less likely a defeat, will be enough too) before facing Real Betis for the chance to 'win it all' in Wroclaw only three days later. Fine lines. After beating Manchester United 1-0 on Friday night to move up to fourth, Chelsea should be feeling confident about such a task. But there is also a good reason they might not be. There has been a dramatic turnaround since The Athletic wrote this piece in January that highlighted how home results were Chelsea's issue. Back then, Maresca's side sat 10th in the Premier League for points earned at Stamford Bridge but an impressive third for performances on the road. However, things have changed dramatically. Let's begin with their form at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea are unbeaten in the league since the turn of the year. This has seen them climb up to second in the overall 'home' table. All stats in this article are correct from before Brighton and Liverpool's game on Monday. After picking up 15 points from their opening nine fixtures at Stamford Bridge, they collected 26 from the next 10. Granted, the only team in the top 10 they have faced during this fine run were Liverpool and you could argue the champions were not at full strength after clinching the title the week before. However, these games had to be won and Maresca's men have largely done so. Chelsea will perhaps still come to rue the 2-2 draws with Bournemouth and, especially, Ipswich Town that prevented them from getting a maximum 30 points. But the real source of regret is how poor Chelsea have been on their travels for the past five months. Since winning at Tottenham Hotspur on December 8, their away record in England's top division reads: Played 10, Won 1, Drawn 3, Lost 6. That is a measly six points from a possible 30. Yes, this includes defeats at top-six clubs Manchester City, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Newcastle United, but vital points have also been dropped at three bottom-half sides (Crystal Palace, Everton, Ipswich). Obviously, this has had a huge impact on where they rank in the 'away' table. As you can see here, they have gone from third (when The Athletic last covered this topic in January) to 11th and could fall another spot if things do not go their way at Nottingham Forest and Brentford get a better result at Wolverhampton Wanderers. All of their rivals for the Champions League positions have a superior record. Chelsea also have the ignominy of being the only team that Ipswich have defeated at home (2-0 on December 30). It took two late goals at Fulham last month for Chelsea to get their only league away win of 2025. Their near neighbours are the highest-placed team (10th) Chelsea have beaten away this season, something to bear in mind given Nottingham Forest are seventh. Advertisement Keeping just four clean sheets on their travels in the league this season has not helped, especially as they have found it increasingly hard to score at the other end. Chelsea began with 23 goals in eight away matches. But just look at this table showing the number of away goals in 2025. Incredibly, Chelsea are bottom, even below relegated trio Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester City. This hardly inspires confidence going to the City Ground, given they are unlikely to have any recognised striker available. Nicolas Jackson is suspended, Marc Guiu is working his way back toward match fitness after three months out with an abductor problem and Christopher Nkunku has missed the last five league games through injury. Chelsea fans looking for a source of encouragement from their rivals might want to note how Nottingham Forest have won only 50 per cent of their home fixtures and picked up just one point from their last three games on their own patch. Aston Villa, who play at Manchester United on the final day, have lost eight times away from Villa Park. Maresca has struggled to explain his team's away struggles, acknowledging they have to put right. He told reporters in April: 'We started the season winning many games away and we struggled at home. Now it is the other way. To get top four or top five, fight for the title, you need the right balance.' In fairness, this has been a weakness since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium took over. This can be partly put down to the inevitable teething problems after making mass changes to the squad and building a group of players predominantly under the age of 25. They do have the youngest squad in the Premier League after all, so mistakes will happen. A lack of experience and leaders has been a question regularly aimed at Maresca and his immediate predecessor (Mauricio Pochettino in 2023-24). Advertisement It is pretty damning that the last occasion they beat a team away from Stamford Bridge that went on to finish in the top four was Tottenham in September 2021. May of that year also marked the last occasion they collected all three points against the side that would be crowned champions in the same season (Manchester City). Just to add a bit of perspective to how the current generation compare to when Chelsea were winning the Premier League on a fairly regular basis (five times from 2005 to 2017), their lowest return away from home in those five campaigns was 34 points in 2009-10 and the highest was 48 in 2004-05. Now, given the crux of this piece has centred on the Premier League, it could be seen as just being solely related to the Nottingham Forest game. It is true that the Conference League has seen much better results for Chelsea outside of England. After losing 2-1 to Servette in the qualifying round (but progressing 3-2 on aggregate), Chelsea have won every away game in the competition proper (six games, with an aggregate scoreline of 18-4). But that statistic is more of a reflection of the quality of opposition they have faced so far. Real Betis, who are a credible sixth in La Liga, will provide their first serious challenge in the tournament and the fixture is taking place more than 700 miles from the comforts of Stamford Bridge. And while this piece is dominated by league form, another source where away form applies is the fact their hopes in both domestic cups were ended on the road at Newcastle (Carabao Cup) and Brighton (FA Cup). This is not to say Chelsea cannot come out on top in both fixtures and have a lot to celebrate. But to do so, they are going to have to buck the trend they have set in 2025.
New York Times
24-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Is Chelsea's home atmosphere part of their problem? ‘If you see the team pass sideways for half an hour…'
Remember when facing Chelsea at Stamford Bridge used to be an intimidating prospect? Former head coach Jose Mourinho once went 77 games unbeaten there (over two spells in charge 2004-7, 2013-14) Their five Premier League title wins (2005, 2006, 2010, 2015, 2017) saw a remarkable return of 81 victories and just three defeats in 95 home fixtures. Advertisement That all took place during the Roman Abramovich era. Since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium took over in 2022, the figures have been far more underwhelming. Chelsea have won just 23 out of their 50 league matches at Stamford Bridge and lost on 12 occasions. There are many factors as to why and, of course, the quality of players has to be considered among them. But is the atmosphere part of the problem? You certainly tend to hear more groans than cheers at matches these days, and an indication of the current mood among some fans is that a protest against the owners has been called to take place outside the ground ahead of the Southampton game on Tuesday night. Stevie Ball, who has been going to watch Chelsea since 1980, is one of those who has helped try to organise it. He tells The Athletic: 'People are not happy about the way the club is being run and they do not feel like they are being listened to, despite groups like the Fan Advisory Board being set up. This is an opportunity to let them know how we are feeling. I know there are some fans planning to fly in from Europe just to take part.' There are question marks over how many will attend, given it is a midweek match and a lot of fans have to come straight from work to make kick-off. But what shouldn't be in doubt is that the topic of improving noise levels at Stamford Bridge is something the club discuss internally and with fan groups. Minutes published on the official website from the last Fans Forum meeting, held with club representatives in November, said: 'We have an atmosphere group that will meet quarterly to review music, banners and the look of the ground. We have asked players for their input as one of the aims is to inspire them. The Club said we have a singing area which started a few years ago but a lot of those who moved there, to the Shed Upper as a block, didn't sing.' At the last home game, against West Ham United, Chelsea hired a DJ to perform in front of a stand. The reception was mixed, to put it politely — although, at least it was an acknowledgement that something needs to be done and that the club is willing to experiment. A post shared by From The Shed End (@fromtheshedend) An easy conclusion about why things feel sombre these days is the departure of a very popular owner in Abramovich and the arrival of a consortium who have yet to oversee any silverware. That is quite a thing to adjust to after 19 major trophies in as many years. Tim Rolls, who is a season ticket holder of over 30 years, explains: 'There is not the same empathy between the supporters and the owners. For starters, when they took over we heard a lot about them doing this and that, about either redeveloping or building a new stadium. But here we are three years later and we have heard nothing about it. This doesn't affect the atmosphere now as such, but it affects the mood towards them. Advertisement 'It feels like they want more high-spending supporters in than the passionate fan — that does impact the atmosphere. The people that sit around me are mainly blokes in their fifties and sixties. They are pretty disillusioned with the ownership and don't think it is going to get any better. They feel like they're not wanted, that if the club could get rid of season-ticket holders and do some kind of ballot or auction for tickets instead, they would. 'It seems like a case of the more people who go to just two or three games, spend money in the Megastore, spend money on food and drink, the better. Most season-ticket holders don't do that. They turn up 10 minutes before kick-off and leave at the end of the game. Many won't have been in the Megastore for 15 years, they don't buy replica shirts. 'At European and domestic cup games, the atmosphere is often better because season-ticket holders often don't go and that leads to more members and younger people going. It is better in all parts of the ground. They are excited to be there, it is an event for them. But the fanbase has changed generally, though. People expect success now. They want it today, not a project that is going to take years to come good.' The misgivings fans share toward the hierarchy on this topic were not helped by the revelation earlier this month that co-owner Todd Boehly is a director of ticket exchange site Vivid Seats which allows the resale of Premier League match tickets for thousands of pounds above face value. A statement released by the Chelsea Supporters Trust called it 'a breach of trust' and at the same time also provided results from a poll of their members which showed they had no faith in the club's handling of ticket touting. Then there is the creation of The Dugout club, a hospitality package for the wealthier fans of the game. Spectators get to sit just behind the technical area where the two head coaches, staff and players are. Prices vary but a single ticket for the glamour home games against Liverpool and Manchester United at the end of this season cost £12,500. Advertisement Chelsea can argue that they need to make up the shortfall from the hospitality sector due to having a smaller capacity than many of their Premier League rivals. It is only the ninth-biggest ground in the top division now and Deloitte's Football Money League showed Chelsea made just €93m (£77m, $97.3m) from matchday revenue for the 2023-24 season. Arsenal (€153m), Manchester United (€152m), Liverpool (€132m) and Tottenham Hotspur (€123m) made a lot more. David Chidgey has had a season ticket for over 20 years and while having concerns about what's going on with ticketing, he believes there are other factors at work. 'It's way more nuanced than just saying it's all the owners' fault and that it's been a problem only recently,' he says. 'I've been talking about this being an issue at Chelsea for the past 20 years and it's happening at all the other big clubs too. 'The traditional support have been priced out over a long period. Plus it is hard for all the noisy ones to be together. If you are the only one who wants to make a racket in the seat you're in, it's difficult to create an atmosphere. 'The average age of a Chelsea season-ticket holder is around 59. People of that age are not going to have the verve or the vigour to make a lot of noise. Chelsea's away support is one of the best, but everyone is together, everyone is singing and more inclined to join in. 'It (the flat atmosphere) is undoubtedly a factor in Chelsea's home form. Since the consortium took over, it has been miserable on and off the pitch. A lot of supporters feel that the amount of transfer business they have done is unnecessary, that the plan to just buy youth is completely flawed. You need experience to compete for the Premier League, but they've said, 'No, we will have a load of kids'. There is a sense this is a massive 'shooting ourselves in the foot' exercise. 'Selling academy players like Conor Gallagher, someone fans identify with, is a factor. The frustration a lot of us feel is that they're not building a squad to win titles, they're just trading players. 'In saying that, when we started winning regularly before Christmas to go second in the table, people forgot about it. The minute we started losing once more, everyone got upset with what was going on again. It is an unhappy fanbase, but we are fickle too. 'It's also the style of football Enzo Maresca plays. If the team was bombing forward, firing shots in all the time, then you get excited, you get more vocal. But if you see the team pass sideways for half an hour, you don't get engaged.' Rolls agrees that Maresca is part of the problem: 'The manager didn't help by saying we weren't good enough to compete for the title when things were going well. It has all gone wrong since then. I am not sure the coach has their full support. We had world-class managers before in Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti. No one feels we have one now.' Advertisement Chelsea have conducted a study into other clubs who set up a specific singing section. The report came back that it did improve matters but is complicated to set up because it involves asking season-ticket holders to move seats, which many will be reluctant to do. Supporter-led atmosphere group We Are The Shed has done more than most to get more of a buzz going. They lobby for donations which go to various displays and banners in the Matthew Harding End just before a match begins. Their work dates back to Abramovich's reign, so was something they felt needed addressing then too. GO DEEPER Special report: What Roman Abramovich did next A spokesperson for the group, who didn't want to be named, said: 'We are always working closely with the club to implement certain plans and have a few projects in the pipeline we hope will be the start of something much bigger in terms of the impact it has on the atmosphere at the Bridge. 'We've not always had an easy relationship with the club when it comes to implementing our ideas. Sometimes it feels like the topic of 'atmosphere' gets brought up in a board meeting and the reaction of the club down the years was simply to start a focus group, which ultimately goes nowhere. This happened under Roman too. 'One example we typically reference to the club is that, 11 years ago, we suggested a bin for supporters to collect flags from when they entered the Shed and then return them on their way out. This idea was shot down several times. Fast-forward to a few years back when we received an email asking if we had considered 'honesty flags' like they do at Newcastle. We've also been pushing for a winch system for the last four years, something the club are looking into more seriously, now that others are beginning to use it. 'The club do seem to be taking it seriously again at the moment, and these projects we are working on will have a big impact if followed through with, which won't happen without club buy-in. This is something we hope continues.' Maresca and his players certainly need all the backing they can get. They have dropped to seventh in the table after a run of nine points from their last 10 games. Advertisement Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday ahead of the 2-1 loss away to Aston Villa, Maresca said: 'It's something in the changing room we've mentioned many times, especially after the game when we play at home, that when you can feel the fans pushing behind, it is a nice feeling.' It is a complicated topic but Maresca can do his part too by getting the team to win on a regular basis again.
New York Times
06-02-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Chelsea's transfer window reviewed: Squad players leave but judgement will have to wait
Barely a day went by during the transfer window without Chelsea's name being mentioned. The Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium took a contrasting approach to their first two mid-season markets. There was the lavish spend of January 2023, which saw six players recruited — including the high-profile acquisitions of Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Murdyk for more than £170million ($213m at current rates) — but last year, the chequebook remained closed, with only Cesare Casadei's premature return from a loan at Leicester City adding to the senior squad. So, what would Chelsea would do this time? Ultimately, it was more like the second winter window than the first. This is The Athletic's take on the deals that did happen — and the ones that didn't… Only time will tell — the decisions made since the turn of the year will be judged at the end of the season. By concentrating more on shipping out players than bringing them in, Chelsea have exposed themselves to injuries slightly — but the squad was bloated and keeping unsettled personnel can hurt morale in the camp. It is always a difficult balance to strike. Advertisement Chelsea's messaging has remained consistent. They wanted a winger and a striker but were not going to break the bank to do it, especially with few teams wanting to sell their best assets. Enquiries were made for Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho but nothing went further than that. If the right deal for the right price could be done, Chelsea would act. If not, it was all about making some headway for summer moves and the club believe they have done this. Recalling Trevoh Chalobah from his loan at Crystal Palace following hamstring injuries to Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile provides good cover — he will need no time to settle in. Mamadou Sarr and Mathis Amougou are two talented 19-year-olds signed with the future in mind. The same could be said for Aaron Anselmino — another 19-year-old, he was signed from Boca Juniors last summer but only got added to the setup last month, having been initially loaned back. Apart from Casadei, Chelsea failed to agree any permanent departures. Five first-team players left on loan but the club still see it positively. Renato Veiga, Carney Chukwuemeka, Axel Disasi and Joao Felix have joined clubs playing in the Champions League, with Ben Chilwell leaving for Palace. The hope is they either return to Chelsea's squad as improved players or secure a permanent transfer elsewhere, providing income to be reinvested into other targets. Chelsea have been through so much change over the last three years that a more subdued window may not be such a bad thing. Chelsea came out in the black. They earned more from Casadei's sale to Torino (€15million; £12.5m; $15.6m) than they paid sister club Strasbourg for Sarr (€14m). The club have earned around £15m in loan fees, which comfortably meets the cost of Amougou's purchase for £12.5m. The wage bill has been reduced and more revenue will be generated when lucrative sell-on clauses are triggered. In terms of making a massive difference now, no — but having Chalobah back in central defence is a step up from Disasi, who had struggled since moving to Stamford Bridge in 2023. Head coach Maresca did not want Casadei or Veiga to leave but they made it clear to him that they wanted more regular first-team football. Veiga was a useful squad player given he can play at centre-back, left-back and midfield. He could be missed when the Conference League resumes in March and the schedule becomes more intense. Chelsea's continued pursuit of a winger and striker speaks volumes. Nicolas Jackson is on his longest scoring drought at the club (eight games) and Mudryk's suspension for failing a doping test means inexperienced 19-year-old Tyrique George is being asked to step up. There are other reasons to be concerned. Romeo Lavia's fitness issues have left them light in midfield and they are reliant on Moises Caicedo staying injury-free. Goalkeepers Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen have yet to win over the crowd but it is worth bearing in mind Chelsea have already got a very talented youngster, 19-year-old Mike Penders, coming from Genk in the summer. Chelsea's squad has lost some of its depth, so you could argue they are a bit weaker. On the other hand, Maresca does not have to manage as many fragile egos, so his job might have become a bit easier. A lot is resting on Cole Palmer's shoulders but he has coped with that pretty well over the past 18 months. As long as he keeps producing the goods in attack, Chelsea should remain optimistic about finishing in the Champions League qualification places and winning the FA Cup or Conference League. Yes. Qualifying for the Champions League will help give them more but Chelsea's business model has used sales to generate a huge amount of funds in the past and the next close season will be no different. A winger and a striker. (4-2-3-1) — Filip Jorgensen; Reece James, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Marc Cucurella; Romeo Lavia, Moises Caicedo; Pedro Neto, Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho; Nicolas Jackson. In Mamadou Sarr (€14million from Strasbourg, to join in the summer) Mathis Amougou (£12.5m from Saint-Etienne) Aaron Anselmino (recalled from loan at Boca Juniors) Trevoh Chalobah (recalled from loan at Crystal Palace) Out Cesare Casadei (€15m to Torino) Ben Chilwell (loan to Crystal Palace) Renato Veiga (loan to Juventus) Carney Chukwuemeka (loan to Borussia Dortmund) Joao Felix (loan to Milan) Axel Disasi (loan to Aston Villa) (Top photos: Getty Images)
