Chelsea Q&A: Send in your questionspublished at 12:21 BST 25 September
12:21 BST 25 September
Xabi Alonso's inaugural season at Chelsea is under way, with the Blues picking up seven points from the opening five games of the 2026-27 Premier League season.
And with the international break in full flow, what better time than to ask BBC Sport's Chelsea reporter your burning questions.
They could be on the squad, injury concerns, Alonso's tactics, the boardroom or a topic of your choice.
Nizaar Kinsella will be on hand to answer a selection next week.
'A bright start but some worrying signs'published at 12:34 BST 24 September
12:34 BST 24 September
Image source, Getty Images
We asked you to rate Chelsea's start to the Premier League season and tell us what Xabi Alonso should be focusing on during the extended international break.
Here are some of your comments:
Trevor: We have undeniable talent up front, but we lack an enforcer in midfield and a clue in the backline. I haven't seen much evidence of the set-piece coaching when it comes to defending corners. Blocking tall guys with small guys and zonal marking isn't working, which begs the question: why are John Terry and Thiago Silva working with the kids when the first team badly needs them?
Russell: The defence at Chelsea is all over the place. Fofana is not good enough, Colwill seems to be out of place all the time. The communications from defence to midfield is zero. Opposition set-pieces and corners are always a threat, with the Chelsea players looking nervous each time a ball is crossed across the box.
Joe: A bright start but some worrying signs. Pundits will love us as the games are always going to be fun. However, dropping silly points this early is not a good sign. Defence takes time to build a relationship and we don't have that.
Ron: We do not have a quality back-up to both Caicedo and Joao Pedro. That was clear to see in the Brentford game. We are also short of a top-class centre-back who can marshal his defence like JT once did. Players like Achempong and Colwill will improve dramatically playing next to a JT-like centre-back. Only then will we be able to compete at the top.
Marty: If we had lost the games we've lost this season with Rosenior in charge, I'd be much more annoyed. I really like Alonso. I like that he's buying into Chelsea and I like that he's asserting dominance. Get us a top midfielder and defender in January and we'll be OK.
Chris: Other than a brilliant front three, we seem poorly coached. Movement, passing, pressing, set-pieces etc. We seem at best confused. Most of the clubs above have less talented individuals but are far better teams.
Gossip: Chelsea narrow midfield targets to Scott and Whartonpublished at 08:47 BST 24 September
08:47 BST 24 September
Bournemouth's Alex Scott, 23, and Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, 22, are Chelsea's primary midfield targets, with the Blues no longer interested in Monaco's 22-year-old Senegal international Lamine Camara. (CaughtOffside), external
How do you feel about Chelsea's start to the season?published at 15:59 BST 23 September
15:59 BST 23 September
As we enter the season's first international break, we want to hear your thoughts on the opening five games of the Premier League.
It's been a campaign of fluctuating fortunes for Chelsea and new boss Xabi Alonso so far, with exciting attacking prowess coupled with feeble defending that has led to dropped points.
Two wins, two losses and a draw leaves the Blues mid-table after spending nearly £350m in the summer on 11 new players.
Alonso does not have European football to balance this season, so unless there are good runs in domestic cups, he will not have to rotate his squad too much.
How do you rate Chelsea's start to the season and why? And what should Alonso be focusing on during the extended break?
However Onuoha believes any outside noise should not concern the two managers.
"With Ruben Amorim, I remember people saying they didn't want him to go because they just wanted a level of stability but by the end, Amorim was sabotaging himself - he was so, so poor," Onuoha told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.
"But here's Michael Carrick now, who has got the same issues but he is managing the fan base, the board and the media a lot better. I can't speak on behalf of Manchester United fans, but it doesn't feel as hostile against him from the fan base.
"Maybe it's not hostile against Xabi Alonso because I think the fans wanted an adult in the room and they feel like they've got one - but they've still got the ownership they don't necessarily love.
"But I don't feel sympathy overall because managers stepping into these jobs, they understand for the most part what's going to happen because it's happened before.
"It's such a results-driven business that the reason they even have a job is because the other person probably got moved on. But the only way for those sides to have time with that coach is to get positive results."
Gossip: Chelsea scout Gambian wonderkidpublished at 07:20 BST 23 September
07:20 BST 23 September
Chelsea are tracking highly-rated 15-year-old Gambian midfielder Adama Jeng, with Bayern Munich, Benfica, Sporting and Paris FC also interested in the Samger FC youngster. (Mail plus - subscription required), external
Aston Villa attacking midfielder Alejandro Garnacho is being monitored by clubs in La Liga after struggling to make an impression at Villa Park following his summer loan switch from Chelsea. (Mail plus - subscription required), external
'I focus on what I can control' - Estevao on limited chancespublished at 18:51 BST 22 September
18:51 BST 22 September
Image source, Getty Images
Chelsea winger Estevao says he can only "focus on what I can control" in response to his limited game time under new manager Xabi Alonso.
The 19-year-old Brazil forward arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer and quickly became a fan favourite, scoring eight goals in 36 appearances including a late winner against Liverpool and a fine individual effort against Barcelona in the Champions League.
However, his season was cut short with a hamstring injury that also ruled him out of this summer's World Cup and he has been used sparingly by Alonso.
Estevao has made just four substitute appearances in the Premier League - totalling just 23 minutes - with his only two starts in the Carabao Cup, as Alonso favours a forward line of Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and Morgan Rogers.
"I think every coach has their own way of playing," Estevao told a press conference while on international duty with Brazil.
"Of course, we work every day, I give my best every day and that's what I do.
"We have quality players at Chelsea, so what I do is focus on what I can control. I try to give my best in training, when I get an opportunity I try to give my best. It goes day after day."
Chelsea regard the winger as 'untouchable' and central to the long-term planning of Alonso and the club's leadership team.
On making the most of his opportunities, Estevao added: "I try to seize every opportunity I have, I try to control everything I can. I leave it in God's hands and I trust myself a lot too."
Is this Chelsea's next great centre-back?published at 16:54 BST 22 September
16:54 BST 22 September
Nizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Subuloye has captained Chelsea's Under-21s in his four appearances so far this season
The latest centre-back to roll off the Cobham production line is Tayo Subuloye.
Levi Colwill and Josh Acheampong are in Xabi Alonso's first-team squad while Marc Guehi, Fikayo Tomori and Trevoh Chalobah are among the former Chelsea academy products to be excelling elsewhere.
Now Subuloye, 18, is knocking on the door of the first team, having trained in Alonso's group before the 3-0 defeat to Brentford.
Subuloye featured heavily in a pre-season tour of Australia and Asia, getting 179 minutes of game time.
The 6ft 5in defender played in front of 80,000 fans against Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney and completed 90 minutes in Malaysia in a fiercely contested 3-3 draw with local champions Johor Darul Ta'zim.
It was his reward for captaining Chelsea's Under-18s to the southern and national titles, while also featuring for the title-winning Under-21s after becoming captain of the club's senior academy age group at the start of the 2026-27 season.
The Sussex native began his football journey by playing at youth level for non-league side Eastbourne Borough, alongside elite academy All Stars.
He attracted interest from academies including Chelsea, Arsenal and Fulham, but opted for a more local move to Brighton at Under-10 level.
Two years later, at Under-12 level, Chelsea showed interest again and Subuloye decided to make the switch.
He started out as a midfielder but Chelsea converted him into a defender - and that sort of versatility is often associated with the successful graduates of the club's academy.
During pre-season, the vocal youngster played across the back line.
An England youth international, he is also eligible to represent Nigeria through his parentage. Academy staff have also been impressed by his work off the pitch, with the defender achieving an A* in business studies alongside a successful season.
In a recent club interview, Subuloye said of his involvement with the first team: "It was good exposure for me - because that's where I ultimately want to be."
Under contract until 2030, Subuloye has internal backing as he targets his competitive Chelsea debut, following on from fellow academy graduates Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli and Reggie Walsh, who also heavily featured in pre-season.
It could well be that this season a loan move helps him make the step to Chelsea's first team, as it did with Colwill, Chalobah and Tomori before him.
Blues need 'some leaders in the Terry mould'published at 16:07 BST 22 September
16:07 BST 22 September
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on whether Chelsea are too easy to play against - and if so, who should be starting instead for the Blues.
Here are some of your comments:
Mathew: Chelsea have the attacking power, but they don't have the defending power. It is still leaky and I strongly believe Chelsea need an experienced defender to lead. I am pleased that they brought in Emiliano Martinez, but to have clean sheets the defence needs improving. The attackers need to help the defence too. Once everyone is working together, everything will click. I believe in Xabi Alonso, I truly think he will win trophies, but the board needs to see that players are still needed.
Gillian: We certainly need improvements in defence. I'd like to see Josh Acheampong in the line-up as he seems to be more clued-up than some. Also, I would like to see more of Estevao, or I can see him leaving.
Osman: I still believe Maxence Lacroix isn't that good. When you start buying players from small clubs you end up with a comical defence.
Vinny: As much as I like to see youth players like Levi Colwill coming through, sadly he has never shown any consistency and always looks to have a couple of mistakes in him per match. Wesley Fofana, Jorrel Hato, Malo Gusto and Romeo Latvia are too inconsistent/injury prone and have had enough opportunities to make positions their own without impressing. We need a proper left-footed centre-back, two holding midfielders, a new right-back and some leaders in the John Terry mould before we'll be back challenging.
James: Chelsea are too easy to play against from a defensive aspect. We know the strength in attack, but that gets cancelled out by those at the back. Whilst the blame can't solely be placed on Martinez, I thought he was going to be an upgrade on Robert Sanchez - but so far this hasn't been the case. That said, those in front of him have not helped the cause. This makes selling Trevoh Chalobah all the more puzzling.
Summer spending put Alonso in 'impossible position'published at 12:09 BST 22 September
12:09 BST 22 September
Media caption,
Chelsea's Xabi Alonso as well as Roberto de Zerbi of Tottenham are in an "impossible position" this season, believes The Observer's Rory Smith.
The managers took charge of their clubs in the spring and oversaw a lot of activity in the transfer window, with Chelsea and Spurs ending the summer as the second and third-highest spenders respectively.
Smith says the changes to their squads is why Alonso and De Zerbi need time to build coherence in their sides.
"We're kind of asking them to do something impossible," Smith told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.
"The Premier League spends July and August pumping three-and-a-half billion pounds around Europe to buy all of these players and then on 1 September it's like 'right, we want to see coherent football teams immediately'. It doesn't work like that.
"Football's about connections and relationships and understanding and the reason none of those teams have any is because they're constantly full of new players. It seems really obvious.
"It strikes me the managers are in an impossible position because as soon as the results don't come, the easy thing to do is sack them, but the real problem is we're asking them to build coherent sides instantly out of all of these random resources."
Garner and Gibbs-White called up after five withdrawals from England squadpublished at 15:00 BST 21 September
15:00 BST 21 September
Chelsea forward Cole Palmer, Manchester United duo Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice and Newcastle defender Tino Livramento have pulled out of England's squad for forthcoming Nations League matches.
Everton midfielder James Garner and Nottingham Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White have been called up by manager Thomas Tuchel and will join the squad on Tuesday.
Tuchel said on Friday that 26-year-old Gibbs-White, who has six international caps, was close to being included in the initial squad.
Palmer had been recalled by Tuchel after being controversially left out of England's World Cup squad, but has withdrawn with a minor injury.
Mainoo and Rashford were assessed by their club after being taken off in the closing stages of Sunday's 1-1 draw at Fulham.
Rice, who played the full game for Arsenal in their 3-0 defeat by Brighton, will also be unavailable to Tuchel, along with Livramento, who has been limited to three substitute appearances for Newcastl this season.
Like Gibbs-White, Garner - who made both his two senior England appearances in March - comes in after not being selected for the 2026 World Cup.
Gossip: Chelsea join race for Man Utd's Gabrielpublished at 07:03 BST 21 September
07:03 BST 21 September
Chelsea are competing to sign 15-year-old Manchester United forward JJ Gabriel, who wants to leave Old Trafford and has been linked with a move to Real MadridandBarcelona.
Brentford 3-0 Chelsea - the fans' verdictpublished at 12:59 BST 19 September
12:59 BST 19 September
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We asked for your thoughts after Friday's Premier League game between Brentford and Chelsea.
Here are some of your comments:
Brentford fans
Campbell: Fantastic win; Damsgaard outstanding, Keane Lewis-Potter was also very good. Took on and beat Chelsea in midfield and never reverted to a low block; a clear sign of the development of the team under Andrews.
Vivek: Brilliant game from the Bees. I think that we had conviction and shut down Chelsea really well and when we did, we found gaps and space for counters which is a strong point for us. Brilliant game and evening if you're a Brentford fan and I hope we see more.
Conor: Wow, wow, wow, just wow!! What a beautiful game of football. Schade on form is massive to see, Thiago's first league goal, incredible and Carvalho. Who says Brentford are the only team yet to get to Europe? The season is only getting started. My blood pressure has shot through the roof.
Sampson: Absolutely incredible performance last night. A deserved win, with most players having a great game, especially Damsgaard, Schade and Schuster. Bring on Villa!
Chelsea fans
Richard: All I have heard of the last three years is about the process, fed up with it tbh. When is this going to be sorted? We need to be braver going forward, and not be bullied like we were in the second half. I couldn't believe that second-half performance, so many players weren't at it. We had a decent first half to be fair. It needs to be sorted, and that's down to the management to get it right - no more excuses.
Alan: This was just about the worst match I've seen this season. The defence was a total unorganised mess with no leader. Lacroix was hopeless and Colwill ran circles round himself. As for Martinez, you can see why he was cheap to buy. Henderson played well for his first game back after injury, but where was James? It was a poor night for Palmer. He will need to be better than this to keep his England place. If we are going to win anything, a major sort out at the back is needed.
David: Chelsea were shown on the night the difference between a team of players that play with heart and a desire to win and a team of so-called skilful individuals who were second best and bullied off every ball. We are easy to beat.
Ash: So poor and zero cutting edge. The fact we are playing old men showed and these should be subs, not starters. Alonso needs to get a grip on the defence as they are easily the worst in the Premier League. The break actually helps somewhat as something needs to change and they can work on it.
Lack of cutting edge caused a defensive collapsepublished at 11:19 BST 19 September
11:19 BST 19 September
Nizaar Kinsella Chelsea reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Chelsea signed a striker from Brighton for the second successive summer, bringing in Danny Welbeck to reunite him with Joao Pedro and provide support in attack.
Welbeck, 35, was tidy in possession but, with little service, managed only 17 touches before being substituted in the 71st minute.
Unlike Joao Pedro, who is capable of creating chances for himself, Welbeck found it difficult to influence the game in the same way.
Joao Pedro came into the weekend with the most goal involvements in the Premier League, having scored three and provided three assists in four appearances this season.
His impact extends beyond goals and assists, with the Brazilian linking well with Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers. Against Brentford, however, Rogers arguably produced his quietest performance since arriving from Aston Villa in the summer.
Before Brentford's opener, it was a closely contested match that appeared likely to be decided by the first goal. Chelsea, however, made victory a certainty for the hosts with a dramatic collapse.
Xabi Alonso has not managed to cure Chelsea's set-piece weaknesses. They have conceded 23 goals from set-pieces since the start of last season - no Premier League side has let in more. And Anthony's simple header from a corner took this season's total to five.
Asked about Chelsea's defending from set-pieces, stand-in captain Levi Colwill told Sky Sports: "Not good enough. At times we have been bullied in the box and we definitely need to improve.
"We have full trust in our set-piece coach and are still adjusting to new ideas, but we need to improve as a team."
Like many of his predecessors, Alonso has been attempting to instil a stronger competitive edge within his squad and improve the mentality of his players.
That issue has often been linked to the relatively young age profile of the squad, but Chelsea fielded their oldest starting XI since May 2023. Jordan Henderson, in making his debut on Friday, lined up alongside fellow over-30s Welbeck and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
"I would say that we have dropped our consistency and our competitive mentality in the second half. We know that small details can be decisive," Alonso said after Brentford added two late goals.
It is also fair to say Alonso is still experimenting with systems and personnel, and has yet to settle on a style of play that gives his side control throughout a match.
"It's not about looking for excuses," the Spaniard told Sky Sports. "We need to look at each other and know that we have to work and improve because there is still a long way to go."
After the initial excitement - and victories - provided by Alonso's attacking football, Chelsea head into the international break with serious questions to answer.
Brentford 3-0 Chelsea: How the players ratedpublished at 23:11 BST 18 September
23:11 BST 18 September
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Chelsea starting XI:
Emiliano Martinez: The Argentine did not face any clear chances or difficult set-pieces in the first half. There was little he could do about Brentford's opener. 6
Wesley Fofana: The Frenchman was a physical presence at the back and dealt well enough with Brentford's long balls but was taken off for Josh Acheampong in the 72nd minute. 6
Maxence Lacroix: He coped well with Igor Thiago for most of the match, winning the majority of his duels, but he gave the ball away for Brentford's second goal and he missed a clear chance in the dying moments. 4
Levi Colwill: A quiet match by his high standards after being left out of the England squad. 6
Pedro Neto: His well-struck effort was saved in the 10th minute. He was lively throughout, linking up well in attack and stretching Brentford with his pace. 6
Jordan Henderson: There were no signs of rust. After receiving some early boos, he settled into the game and looked a vocal leader on the pitch. He also put some good corners into the box. 7
Valentin Barco: On his first Premier League start, the Argentine impressed defensively and was more ambitious with his passing than Henderson. 6
Pep Chavarria: Produced some dangerous crosses and was tidy in possession. A largely positive display despite one piece of naive defending in the first half that led to a free-kick. 7
Cole Palmer: Undoubtedly Chelsea's best player on the night, with much of their attacking play going through him. However, he was unable to produce the decisive moment he craved, with a free-kick comfortably saved and few other clear opportunities. He also worked hard defensively. 7
Danny Welbeck: On his first Premier League start for Chelsea, the 35-year-old created a chance for Neto but did not do enough to compensate for the absence of injured striker Joao Pedro. His 72nd minute withdrawal said a lot. 5
Morgan Rogers: Had a dangerous effort blocked in the penalty area just before half-time. The club-record £117m signing could also have done more to win the header at the back post for Brentford's opener. He ended the match playing up front as a striker. 5
Chelsea substitutes:
Josh Acheampong (on 72, Fofana): It was unclear why Acheampong came on when he did and, as a young defender, didn't make much impact in these circumstances. 6
Geovany Quenda (on 72, Welbeck): Impressively got on the ball often and tried to make something happen for Chelsea but without any results. 6
Estevao Willian (on 87, Neto): N/A
Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli (on 87, Barco): N/A
Subs not used: Penders, Gusto, Hato, Lavia, Gittens
Brentford 3-0 Chelsea: What Alonso and Colwill saidpublished at 23:01 BST 18 September
23:01 BST 18 September
Media caption,
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso speaking to MOTD: "Everything was disappointing especially the result but we can do better. We must do better. 45 minutes we were competing well, but in the second half we dropped, and conceded the three goals. You need to be very focused, and once you concede from set-pieces, it gives them an advantage and control because once you concede the second goal it becomes much harder and we lost a little bit of our discipline when we were close to the box. We have to correct, it was our mistakes."
On Chelsea not creating opportunities: "First half we were around but not creating big chances. We missed the last pass, the last dribble to get shots in clear positions, but that's one part. The other part is when you need to hold, when you need to be tight, [the opponent] is trying to attack you and you need to know how to defend and stick together. Win duels and be consistent in that part."
On if defensive improvements needed after the international break: "It's everything but for sure individual and collective details will have to be better, but it's not only defensively, with the ball there are parts where we need to do better."
On the break: "It is what it is. Now we will have time with some players, but we can't change that."
Chelsea defender Levi Colwill speaking to Sky Sports: "It was tough. Firstly conceding a set piece was not the best, we tried to push and maybe overexposed ourselves, played some passes we shouldn't and they hit us on the counter, and got the second goal and the third goal hit home and hurt. Second half we weren't good enough and we have a lot to work on in the international break."
On five goals conceded from set pieces: "Not been good enough. At times we have been bullied in the box, we need to definitely improve with that. We have got all trust in our set piece coach and still adjusting to new things. We do need to improve as a team.
"I don't think spirit went down. It hurt and we tried to push for equaliser and we got hit on the counter attack. I don't think our spirit dropped.
"We still need to improve a lot. We can't rely on our front three to pull us out of danger. The rest of us have to help as much as possible. We definitely have a lot of room to improve."
Did you know?
Chelsea's Xabi Alonso is only the sixth manager to see his side concede 2+ goals in each of his first five games as a Premier League manager, after Mick McCarthy, Sammy Lee, Terry Connor, Slavisa Jokanovic, and Scott Parker.
Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli became the first player born in 2010 to play in the Premier League, while he was also the first 16-year-old to play for Chelsea in the competition.
Chelsea have now lost more Premier League matches in 2026 than they did in the entirety of 2025.
