Chelsea

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

Liam Rosenior has been in an unforgiving spotlight, with Chelsea's string of defeats including a heavy Champions League loss to Paris St-Germain, along with a desperately disappointing display in their most recent Premier League game, a 3-0 defeat at Everton.

In the intervening period, Rosenior has had to deal with Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella openly discussing a potential future away from Stamford Bridge.

Rosenior, therefore, will be greatly relieved at the manner in which Chelsea produced a professional performance to deny Port Vale a fairytale Wembley trip and spare him more headaches.

Chelsea's opening goal settled any nerves and tension that might have lingered from recent turbulence, and while Vale were stubborn for a while, once Joao Pedro added the second the game was as good as over.

Even Fernandez appeared in good spirits as he sat all smiles behind the Chelsea bench.

The star of the show for Chelsea was 18-year-old Brazilian Estevao, producing a bag of tricks, usually at high pace, that was too much for Vale to cope with.

He will be crucial as Chelsea chase silverware in the shape of the FA Cup, as well as a place in next season's Champions League through a lofty Premier League finish.

This was as routine as any FA Cup quarter-final could be – and that will have suited Rosenior perfectly.

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior, speaking to BBC Sport: "It's great, it's why you come to this club, you want to win trophies, you want to be in big games and I was really happy with the players. Their attitude was top. We scored seven goals and that came from an energy and intensity which I enjoyed."

On what he said at half-time: "I said play like it's 0-0, we have to be perfect. I thought the players were outstanding in terms of carrying that out."

On Estevao: "There is no ceiling for him. We've missed him. He comes in and just plays, he wants to get on the ball. Wherever he is on the pitch he's a threat."

On winning amid the noise off the pitch: "Football is about football on the pitch. This is a huge club with a lot of scrutiny, a lot of people writing a lot of things. We had a really difficult 10 days but the way we came through is a really good step for the run-in."

Chelsea goalscorer Tosin Adarabioyo, speaking to BBC Sport: "Very good, great to play some nice football and to get another win and clean sheet at Stamford Bridge. It's been a two-week break now since our last games which didn't go so well and we wanted to come back home and put a good result in and that's what we did."

On the conversations going into the game: "It's the FA Cup and anything can happen. We knew it was going to be difficult today if we didn't do our best. They beat a Premier League team in the last round, so we knew we had to put in a performance."

On what reaching the final would mean: "That's the aim, we want to end the season with a trophy. Our aim is to get to the final and win the trophy."

Did you know?

• Chelsea are the first team to score seven or more goals in an FA Cup quarter-final game since Liverpool beat Birmingham City 7-0 in 2005-06.

• Chelsea have reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the 28th time, with only Man Utd (32) and Arsenal (30 before their game against Southampton this evening) reaching the final four of the competition on more occasions.

• Aged 18y 345d, Chelsea's Estevao is the youngest player to both score and assist in an FA Cup game for a Premier League side since Bukayo Saka for Arsenal against Bournemouth in January 2020 (18y 144d).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

What did you make of Chelsea's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Chelsea make three changes from the side beaten so disappointingly at Everton in their last Premier League game.

Enzo Fernandez has been given a two-game ban by the club after outspoken comments suggesting he leave in the summer. Andrey Santos starts in midfield while Estevao Willian is also in the starting line-up. Moises Caicedo drops down the bench.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, Gusto, Fofana, Tosin, Hato, Lavia, Santos, Estevao, Palmer, Joao Pedro.

Subs: Sharman-Lowe, Acheampong, Sarr, Cucurella, Essugo, Caicedo, Garnacho, Kavuma-McQueen, Delap

Port Vale manager Jon Brady makes four changes from the side that lost 4-0 at Wycombe Wanderers as Rhys Walters, Liam Gordon, Ben Waine and Martin Sherif come in for Jordan Shipley, Jaheim Headley, George Hall and Ethon Archer.

Port Vale XI: Gauci, Hall, Gabriel, Garrity, Walter, Ojo, Gordon, Waine, Sherif, John, Humphreys.

Subs: Amos, Stocklet, Archer, Croasdale, Shipley, Campbell, Hal, Magloire, Gray

Ever since Liam Rosenior was appointed in January, there has always been an element of Chelsea fans who don't think Rosenior is the right man to take them forward - but losing their past four games in a row in all competitions has certainly not helped his cause.

Yes, you can say they have been beaten by European champions Paris St-Germain in two of those matches, but I still expected them to get a result at home to Newcastle and then Everton absolutely blew them away.

If Rosenior loses this tie too, then the alarm bells would really be ringing at Stamford Bridge. It is a game where he cannot afford to slip up, but I also feel like he needs a performance to go with the win everyone is expecting.

Wycombe beat Port Vale 4-0 on Saturday so Chelsea surely have to at least match that scoreline before they focus on the league again, with two more crucial home games coming up against Manchester City and Manchester United.

Vale are toiling at the bottom of League One and so far on this cup run I have wrongly predicted they will lose to Fleetwood, Bristol City and Sunderland.

The good news for Vale fans and their manager Jon Brady is that I am going to predict they will lose this time too.

Their aim will be to stay in the game as long as they can and try to nick a goal, but the circumstances mean Rosenior will probably pick a strong team and Chelsea will have too much quality for them.

Sutton's prediction: 4-0

Read the full predictions and have your say

There are three FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, including an all-Premier League clash, and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Manchester City v Liverpool (12:45)

• Chelsea v Port Vale (17:15)

• Southampton v Arsenal (20:00)

Kick-off times BST

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live commentaries on most smart speakers.

Find out more about how to listen to football on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

It could be argued that the international break was a welcome one for Chelsea and their head coach Liam Rosenior. His players travelled to join their respective national teams seeking to forget four straight losses in all competitions.

It's the first time since May 2023 that Chelsea have suffered such a lengthy losing streak and a reset, or at least a refresh, appears necessary.

Back-to-back Premier League defeats by Newcastle and Everton - games where Chelsea failed to score or even impress - were straddled by a humiliating 8-2 aggregate thrashing by Paris St-Germain in the Champions League last 16.

Rosenior's last victory came in this competition at Wrexham and a home quarter-final against League One's bottom side Port Vale should provide the perfect tonic to the club's current malaise.

This quarter-final represents something of a free hit for the Staffordshire side and they have already defeated Premier League opponents Sunderland to reach this stage. However, the occasion will be tempered by the very obvious threat of relegation and by the time they return to EFL action against Rotherham on Tuesday night they could be up to 20 points from safety with eight games remaining.

Chelsea's cup record is also worthy of envy and they've progressed from 64 of their previous 66 FA Cup ties against lower league opposition, only losing to Barnsley at Oakwell in 2008 and Bradford City at home in 2015 during that run.

That's a 97% success rate for the Blues in these fixtures and probability suggests a 28th FA Cup semi-final and a visit to Wembley for Rosenior and his side.

Did you know?

• The gap of 62 league places between Chelsea and Port Vale is the third largest at this stage of the competition since the start of the century. Only Brighton versus League Two Grimsby Town in 2023 (76 places) and Arsenal against National League Lincoln City in 2017 (88 places) had a bigger gulf and both of those ties resulted in a 5-0 victory for the top-flight side

• Chelsea are vying to reach the FA Cup semi-final without facing a top-flight opponent for the fourth time in the competition's current format (from 1925-26). It would be the joint-most of any side, level with Tottenham.

• Joao Pedro has scored seven goals in his past seven FA Cup games. Six of these goals have been since the start of 2023-24, with no player netting more in the competition during that period

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on if manager Liam Rosenior is right to drop Enzo Fernandez. Could this decision have wider ramifications for the rest of Chelsea's season?

Here are some of your comments:

Kazuki: Yes, unfortunately it is a right call. However good he is as a player, his attitude towards his own benefit wouldn't do any good for the club. Chelsea needs a class.

Dell: Definitely wrong to "sanction" Enzo. I doubt if he would have been involved in the Port Vale game anyway. We need all the fit players to be available for the Man City game. Yet again petty politics from petty owners and management who aren't fit to run the club or team.

John: If Fernandez is a toxic presence in the dressing room, then sanctioning him was the right move. Only the coach and players would know.

If not - if his only transgression was speculating about his future - then benching him was a sign of weakness and will backfire. All that discussion will only intensify and go underground.

Daren: Rosenior strikes me as a decent guy, who treats people with respect. Enzo has crossed a line and Rosenior must show that he's the boss or risk losing authority.

David: As vice captain he's a disgrace. What example is he setting to all his team mates and the academy?

John: No, he was right to state his views. The suspension is a sign of a weak coach trying to stay relevant.

Russ: The players will now start not bothering and then Liam will be sacked and then we start again. I love Chelsea but that's how we seem to roll.

Tim: Rosenior should drop himself! Inept and out of his league with our club! He should hand in a transfer request and go asap.

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Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto feels the international break has been "good for us to forget about past mistakes" and they are "all fighting every day" to reach their objectives.

It has been a difficult period for the Blues, having lost four successive matches and winning just once in their past six Premier League games.

However, they return to action in the quarter-final of the FA Cup this weekend at home to Port Vale and sit just one point off fifth-placed Liverpool as they chase down a Champions League spot.

"There are a few moments that will be tough for us, but the only thing that I can say and I would say is to look forward for the rest of the season," Gusto told BBC Sport.

"There is the FA Cup coming up. The Premier League that we still compete for our objective which is top four, the Champions League for the next season. Can't wait to play the rest of the games to achieve our target.

"I think the international break was good for us to forget about the past mistakes that we did in terms of results. So I think the atmosphere is how it is. We just have to change it in our advantage. To be even more together, more than ever. To show our best on the pitch and show that we we're still on the road to compete for the trophies."

After a positive start under new boss Liam Rosenior at the beginning of the year, the team and the head coach have come in for criticism over recent performances and heavy defeats.

Gusto, who has featured in all but three league games this campaign, is still positive about what Rosenior has brought to the club.

"He has a great impact. He's a really good person. We spoke a lot since he joined the club," said the France international.

"We know that it was a bit hard in terms of results, but I'm sure that we will change the balance, and we will show a different face. First of all for us, for what we want to achieve, and for the fans.

"He's really passionate. He really want to to achieve the biggest things for the club. We all want to put Chelsea where it's supposed to be, so we are all fighting every day to do that. That's that's our objective."

After Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior confirmed in his news conference on Friday that "frustrated" Enzo Fernandez will not be included in the squads to be face Port Vale in the FA Cup or Manchester City in the league, we want to know what you make of the decision.

The Blues boss insisted he has "the utmost respect" for the midfielder and what he has achieved, but a "line was crossed" in recent interviews that brought speculation over his future at the club.

So, do you think Rosenior is right to drop Fernandez? Or could this decision have wider ramifications for the rest of Chelsea's season?

Get in touch with your views here

Read more from what Rosenior said about the situation in his news conference below

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior has been speaking to the media before Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final against Port Vale at Stamford Bridge (kick-off 17:15 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Rosenior confirmed Enzo Fernandez has been dropped from the squad to face Port Vale and the following game against Manchester City as a sanction for recent comments made about his future.

• The midfielder raised questions about whether he would still be at the club beyond the summer in an interview after Chelsea's Champions League exit at the hands of Paris St-Germain. He then clarified his focus now was with the Blues, but in a more recent interview he said: "I'd like to live in Spain, I really like Madrid - it reminds me of Buenos Aires," when asked where he would love to live if he were to leave London.

• In response to those, Rosenior said: "It's disappointing for Enzo to speak that way. I have got no bad words to say about him but a line was crossed in terms of our culture and what we want to build."

• He continued: "In terms of the decision, it's not all about me, or the sporting directors, the ownership, the players. We are aligned in every decision that we make. It was a joint decision. The door is not closed on Enzo. It's a sanction. You have to protect the culture, and in terms of that, a line was crossed in the international break."

• The Blues boss also said the situation is "not ideal" and "a lot of this stems from a difficult 10 days in terms of results we have had", with a "huge emotional dump that fell through into the next three games" following the first-leg defeat by PSG.

• He added: "The players were motivated that we could do something really special in the Champions League. The comments from Enzo and Marc Cucurella's interview both stem from that. It actually stems from a good place where they want the club to succeed. But in those moments, we need more emotional stability as a group of players."

• Asked for more on Cucurella, who said during the international break it would be "hard to turn down" former club Barcelona, Rosenior responded: "I had a fantastic conversation with Marc yesterday, half an hour in my office. I've been here for less than three months and I'm enjoying it - even the difficult moments. I've told the players from day one that if they have any issues on how we do things, speak to me or sporting directors."

• He continued: "My disappointment in Marc's interview was where it went to. I think he should've spoken to us first about how he was feeling. I want players to know they can speak openly and honestly for the benefit of the football club. As a football club, we know we need to improve."

• Rosenior did confirm, however, Cucurella was a separate case and he would be available for Saturday.

• The head coach insisted he wants to be fully focussed on the FA Cup quarter-final, but this is not about him winning silverware for his own career but "about the club being successful now and in the long-term".

Listen to full commentary of Chelsea v Port Vale on Saturday at 17:15 BST on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

You can also watch live on the BBC and found out how to follow all of the action here

Follow all of Friday's FA Cup news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Got a question about Chelsea? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Morgan Rogers would be open to leaving Aston Villa this summer, with Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United all in the mix to sign the 23-year-old England midfielder. (Sun), external

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Nizaar Kinsella
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

"If I'd played 50 games at Chelsea, or even 20, I'm not in this position today," Charly Musonda told BBC Sport.

His lack of minutes at Chelsea left him with limited options. A move to Levante in Spain's second division was made with promotion in mind but after the club failed to go up on the final day of the season, Musonda says he was pushed out to save on wages.

"In Spain I left early, in Cyprus I wasn't paid. I had to walk away and leave money behind - still haven't been paid," he said.

Musonda smiles throughout the interview and says he is excited about VS1, a new one-versus-one, combat sport-style football league he is working on from his base in Los Angeles.

"Doing what you believe in - that's happiness. Living with purpose, adventure, things fall where they fall. That mentality comes from my dad. Even when life hit him hard, he always smiled," he said.

Read more from Musonda's BBC interview here

Matt Jones
BBC Sport journalist

Manchester City and Chelsea, even with heavy spending in recent years, are leading the way this season when it comes to the use of academy players.

City have used seven academy players in the Premier League in 2025-26 - more than any other side. Chelsea's graduates, meanwhile, have accumulated the most minutes with 5,673.

Manchester United's tradition continues - their ongoing run of naming at least one home-grown player in a matchday squad dates back to 1937. They have used six this season, although their combined minutes (1,264) are well short of Chelsea and City (5,162).

There are some nuances within the numbers.

Across the Premier League, there are players from top-flight academies now at other teams.

Some players moved clubs during the season and others moved from one academy to another before making a senior appearance, the most notable example being Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea to Liverpool.

Read the full article

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Chelsea posting a pre-tax loss of more than £262m for 2024-25 - the biggest pre-tax loss in Premier League history.

Here are some of your comments:

Peter: It's out of control, a frenzy of vast sums of money on unproven young players. It might have been acceptable if they had been top of the league and still in the Champions League, but they are not and hence it's not acceptable.

Jim: I have been going to watch Chelsea since 1955 and I've seen both ups and downs at the club. Since the takeover I've seen a severe downside and it's my hope that something will be done to reverse this trend.

David: If we were battling for the Premier League and building a new stadium, I'd still be concerned about these losses. But at the moment it looks a disaster. Maybe Clearlake are as clever as they think they are and it'll all work out.

James: My concern is the club as a whole and success on the pitch plays a large part in what happens off it. At the moment, Chelsea seem to be regressing and the comments from certain players do not help. Champions League qualification is vital and although a complex case, the club is never going to increase matchday revenue playing in what is, by Premier League standards, a small stadium.

John: My concern is that we continue wasting money on substandard players that don't improve the team and the lack of desire to win trophies.

Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City are keeping tabs on 27-year-old Barcelona and France defender Jules Kounde. (Mundo Deportivo - in Spanish), external

Inter Milan and Netherlands right-back Denzel Dumfries has been offered to Premier League clubs including Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham. (Teamtalk), external

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