Chelsea news

A total of five Premier League clubs secured automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City all finishing in the top eight while Newcastle United missed out. The Magpies must now navigate a treacherous play-off round alongside giants Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain after a chaotic final matchday.

Joao Pedro scored two stunning goals as Chelsea beat Napoli 3-2 to seal their progress into the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday. The striker netted one brilliant long-range strike, as well as a cool finish while one-on-one, to add to Enzo Fernandez's early penalty as the Blues won a topsy-turvy encounter against former boss Antonio Conte.

Chelsea have confirmed that Raheem Sterling has left the club by "mutual agreement" as he seeks a new club in January. The Blues' misfit has finally departed Stamford Bridge, with his last competitive appearance for the club coming in May of 2024.

Explore our soccer expert’s Napoli vs Chelsea predictions, pre Wednesday’s 3pm ET Champions League clash (01/28).

Chelsea star Cole Palmer has been billed as a potential successor to Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United amid speculation he could be tempted to join the Red Devils after becoming homesick in London. Fernandes has also been tipped to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season, with clubs in Saudi Arabia still believed to be keen on landing the Portugal international.

Napoli manager Antonio Conte has claimed that he's "transformed" Scott McTominay into a "complete player" since the Scotland international's switch from Manchester United. The midfielder was named Serie A Player of the Year last season after helping fire Napoli to the Scudetto. He's since been joined at the club by former United teammate Rasmus Hojlund, who has also come in for praise from his manager.

Chelsea's players have reportedly been left in the dark by a strange incident that saw a car crash close to the club's Cobham training ground in Surrey. A silver vehicle went off the road and ended up a ditch around a mile away from Chelsea's headquarters. The car is believed to be registered to a footballer but it's not yet known who it belongs to or who was driving when it crashed.

Raheem Sterling is finally set to end his Chelsea nightmare as talks accelerate regarding his departure before the transfer window closes. The £325,000-a-week winger has been exiled from the first team and hasn't played for the club in 100 games. Negotiations are ongoing over a potential sale or a mutual termination of his contract with 18 months left.

Juventus supporters inevitably revelled in getting one over on former boss Antonio Conte on Sunday night, as the Bianconeri swept Napoli aside in Turin. "Antonio Conte, jump with us!" the home fans began chanting in the dying minutes of their team's 3-0 win over the reigning Serie A champions. Unsurprisingly, Conte was in no mood to join in, as his injury-ravaged side suffered a devastating defeat that saw the Partenopei fall to fourth in the table.

Chelsea have issued a statement urging supporters to exercise "extreme caution" while in Naples for Wednesday's Champions League tie against Antonio Conte's side, after two Blues fans were hospitalised following an incident that took place on Tuesday night in the city. Chelsea head into the match aiming to secure a top-eight finish and automatic qualification to the knockout phase of the competition.

How to watch the Champions League match between SSC Napoli and Chelsea, as well as kick-off time and team news

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has again played down suggestions that star player Cole Palmer could leave the club amid speculation of a move to Manchester United. Palmer was a boyhood fan of the Red Devils despite coming through the academy at rivals Manchester City and is now being linked with a switch to Old Trafford.

Antonio Conte has hit back at Diego Costa after the former Chelsea striker launched a scathing personal attack on his character. The Napoli manager dismissed the specific insults regarding his private life but appeared to brand the forward "stupid", revealing that Costa tried to force a move away from Stamford Bridge three times during their title-winning campaign.