A lot of leagues and competitions take the festive period off but there was no break for players in England, Italy and Portugal over the weekend, while the action at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco resumed on December 26. The Premier League's top two, Arsenal and Manchester City, both picked up hard-fought wins on Saturday but Aston Villa remain very much in the title race after a massive win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Nicolas Jackson’s future is once again under the spotlight after his agent dropped a telling hint about the striker’s next move, with doubts growing over a permanent stay at Bayern Munich. The Senegal international’s loan spell in Germany appears to be nearing its natural end, opening the door to a new destination as interest builds elsewhere in Europe.
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea rebuild has hit another uncomfortable bump after surrendering a dominant position against Aston Villa, and a former Premier League stalwart believes the problem is now clear. With the Blues once again failing to manage a game they controlled, Maresca has been warned he must rein in his midfield leaders if Chelsea are to arrest a worrying slide.
John Terry is set to part with some of the most emotionally charged items of his storied Chelsea career, including the infamous “tear-stained” shirt from the 2008 Champions League final defeat to Manchester United. The former Blues captain will auction the memorabilia at a charity sale, with proceeds supporting causes close to his heart through his foundation.
Chelsea's two January transfer priorities have been revealed as the Blues look to strengthen their squad to bridge the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal. The Premier League started the season on a positive note, but their form took a dip towards the end of the year as they managed to win just one match out of their last five outings in the league, including a loss to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Antonio Rudiger could return to Chelsea as the Real Madrid star is weighing up a Premier League return. Rudiger's current Los Blancos contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 campaign and he has yet to agree to sign on a new extension. The German defender has been tipped with a move away from Santiago Bernabeu next summer as he could also link up with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia.
Unai Emery insists that his Aston Villa side are not Premier League title contenders despite their record-equalling run of 11 straight wins. Villa came from behind to secure a 2-1 win at Chelsea on Saturday night to keep on the coattails of Premier League leaders Arsenal. Joao Pedro had flicked Reece James' corner past Emiliano Martinez to put the Blues ahead on home turf.
Chelsea captain Reece James has revealed who is to blame for Saturday's collapse to Aston Villa, a result that saw the Blues drop out of the the Premier League's top four. The west London side dominated proceedings in the opening 45 minutes and were duly rewarded for their perseverance shortly before the break after James' corner was inadvertently flicked in by Joao Pedro.
Cole Palmer's new girlfriend watched the Chelsea star at Stamford Bridge in their 2-1 loss to Aston Villa. Olivia Holder was at the Blues' home ground on Saturday, in a game where the England international was hooked for the final 20 minutes. This comes days after their incognito date at Winter Wonderland but the Christmas cheer was thin on the ground in west London after this defeat.
Chelsea have launched an internal probe and agreed to cooperate fully with the Premier League after Aston Villa complained that a bottle was thrown towards their bench, with reports suggesting that the projectile was launched from behind the Chelsea dugout. The flashpoint followed the Villains’ dramatic 2-1 comeback win, with CCTV footage now being reviewed to identify the culprit.
John Terry has moved quickly to shut down speculation linking him with a surprise return to frontline management after reports claimed the Chelsea legend was being lined up for the Oxford United job. The former Blues captain has now spoken out publicly, distancing himself from the Championship strugglers and clarifying his current priorities.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca opened up on Cole Palmer's furious reaction to his substitution as the Blues went down 2-1 to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday. Chelsea failed to hold on to their lead from the first half as Ollie Watkins scored a brace to seal the Villans' record-breaking 11th consecutive victory across all competitions in the 2025-26 campaign.
Chelsea are reportedly keeping tabs on James McAtee ahead of the January transfer window, despite the midfielder having become an outcast at Nottingham Forest following his summer move from Manchester City. The former England Under-21 international is being monitored by Blues head coach Enzo Maresca, with the pair having worked together in the past.
Aston Villa equalled a centuries-old club record as Unai Emery’s side came from behind to defeat Chelsea 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday. A second-half double from Ollie Watkins cancelled out Joao Pedro’s opener and inspired the Villans to an 11th consecutive victory in a remarkable feat which has left fans dreaming of big things this season.
Chelsea threw away a commanding position as Aston Villa stretched their winning run to 11 games, thanks to an Ollie Watkins brace in a 2-1 comeback win. Joao Pedro put the Blues into a deserved first-half lead but a wretched second half from Enzo Maresca's side put paid to their faint Premier League title ambitions as Watkins stole the show on Saturday night.
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca will watch Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa from the stands rather than the technical area, serving a one-match touchline suspension after yet another booking for dissent. Yet the Italian is not regretful for his behaviour; instead, he has struck a defiant tone, insisting he is "proud" if his players are mirroring his intensity on the sidelines.
Roman Abramovich has assembled a formidable legal team as a protracted court battle in Jersey continues to block the release of billions of pounds from the sale of Chelsea, funds that were pledged for victims of the war in Ukraine. While the £5.3bn dispute over frozen assets on the island remains unresolved, Abramovich is refusing to bow to mounting political pressure to immediately release the money.
As we head into Christmas, it's time to review the Premier League season so far. Each side has played 17 games out of 38 and we've got a good idea of who will be fighting for what this year. Arsenal boast a two-point lead at the top from Manchester City and a further one from Aston Villa, while Wolves already seem destined for relegation at a Derby-esque pace.
Cole Palmer has been advised not to look too far ahead at Chelsea, with Blues legend Frank Leboeuf telling GOAL that the England international has only enjoyed a “two-year career”. It has been suggested that the talented playmaker could one day attract interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, but he has been told to focus on maximising the potential of both himself and his trophy-hungry colleagues at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has pinpointed why the Blues are unlikely to win the Premier League title this season, as he also reflected on his "worst 48 hours" remarks following the win over Everton on December 13. After the victory over the Toffees, the Italian manager stated he just endured the "worst 48 hours" since he moved to Stamford Bridge in 2024.
Coventry City and Southampton have both been charged by the Football Association (FA) following the unsavoury scenes at the end of their 1-1 draw in the Championship on Saturday afternoon. An ugly melee broke out between both sets of players and club staff, with Sky Blues manager Frank Lampard later apologising for his part in the scuffle at St. Mary’s.
Chelsea have received a huge boost ahead of their crunch Premier League clash with Aston Villa after manager Enzo Maresca confirmed Estevao and Liam Delap are both available for Saturday’s game at Stamford Bridge. The Blues are looking to stretch their three-match unbeaten streak when they lock horns with Unai Emery’s visitors, who have won their last 10 fixtures in all competitions.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has revealed the reason he wouldn't swap Cole Palmer for Morgan Rogers ahead of Aston Villa's Boxing Day clash at Stamford Bridge. Unai Emery's side make the trip to the capital in a bid to extend their winning run to eight matches following their 2-1 victory over Manchester United at Villa Park last weekend, a result that keeps the Villans in the title race.
Enzo Maresca has responded to transfer speculation linking Chelsea with a move for Antoine Semenyo. The Bournemouth ace is being courted by a number of Premier League sides ahead of the January transfer window with the Ghana star's fine form for the Cherries a key reason behind interest in his services from a number of the division's big hitters this winter.
Mikel Arteta admitted it was "emotionally tough" to process Crystal Palace’s stoppage-time equaliser, before Arsenal steadied themselves to edge through on penalties in a breathless Carabao Cup quarter-final at the Emirates Stadium. After 90 minutes the game finished level at 1-1, but the Gunners held their nerve to win the shootout 8-7, with Kepa Arrizabalaga emerging as the decisive figure.
Chelsea
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.png?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.png?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
