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ChelseaSummary
Generated byChelsea's defensive fragility is becoming the defining story of their early season, and Xabi Alonso knows it. A 2-2 draw at home to Hull City last Saturday left the Blues with an unwanted defensive record not seen at the club in over 65 years, and Alonso was blunt in his post-match assessment, admitting his side got what they deserved. The result dropped Chelsea to sixth in the Premier League table with seven points from four games, level with Brighton above them and a point ahead of Friday's opponents Brentford.
The problems run deeper than one result. Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has pointed to the £125 million sale of Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City as a critical transfer error, arguing the club failed to adequately replace him and that the absence of the injured Moises Caicedo has left the defence dangerously exposed. Those structural concerns are now compounded by a fresh injury crisis, with Joao Pedro and two other first-team players missing training this week ahead of the trip to the Gtech Community Stadium.
Off the pitch, Cole Palmer added an unlikely distraction after being banned from Twitch for streaming unreleased EA Sports FC 27 gameplay. It is a minor footnote, but it reflects the slightly chaotic atmosphere building around a club that has genuine quality going forward, as Morgan Rogers demonstrated with another goal against Hull, yet cannot find the defensive consistency to match it.
Chelsea Overview
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Frequently asked questions
Chelsea were founded on March 10, 1905, following Gus Mears' acquisition of the Stamford Bridge in 1904. Several names were put up for consideration: Kensington FC, Stamford Bridge FC, and London FC. However, all these names were rejected and the name Chelsea F.C. was finally selected.
Chelsea are co-owned by an American consortium consisting of Todd Boehly, Mark Walter. Hansjorg Wyss, and Behdad Eghbali-led Clearlake Capital. Boehly, Walter, and Wyss each own a 12.8% stake in the club, while Clearlake Capital are the majority shareholder with a 61.5% stake.
Chelsea's stadium is known as the Stamford Bridge and has been the club's home venue ever since their inception in 1905. Interestingly, the Stamford Bridge was owned by a separate company after businessman Ken Bates bought the club in the 1980s, when they were on the verge of bankruptcy and stuck in the second division. In 1992, however, after a long-fought legal battle and a 'Save The Bridge' campaign from the fans, Chelsea regained ownership of the stadium.
The Stamford Bridge has a capacity of around 40,000.
Chelsea have won an impressive 32 trophies throughout their history, including two Champions League titles and six English top-flight titles.
Chelsea have won the English top flight on six occasions, with their most recent title coming at the end of the 2016-17 season.
Legendary defender Ron Harris holds the record for making the most appearances for Chelsea, featuring for the club in 795 games, ahead of Peter Bonetti and John Terry. The latter two are the only other players along with Harris to make over 700 appearances for the club.
Frank Lampard, arguably the greatest Chelsea player ever, is the club's leading goalscorer of all-time, netting the ball into the net 211 times in 648 games. The fact that he was a midfielder makes the feat all the more impressive.
Didier Drogba, John Terry, Eden Hazard, Claude Makelele, Arjen Robben, Petr Cech, Michael Ballack, and David Luiz are some of the most famous players to have represented Chelsea.
Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti, and Maurizio Sarri are among the biggest managerial names to have been a part of Chelsea's eminent history.
Chelsea are called The Blues, which is a reference to the colour of their kit since the early 20th century.