Straight Outta Cobham: The Athletic FC's Chelsea show

Surely they have to beat *this* Man United team?! Matt Davies-Adams, Liam Twomey and Sam Parkin assemble to look ahead to a huge Friday night and Sunday afternoon for Chelsea Football Club. We begin under the lights at Stamford Bridge, where at 20:15 on Friday evening the Blues host a Manchester United side who sit 16th in the table, haven't won a game in the Premier League since the 16th March, haven’t won back-to-back league games all season AND are averaging less than a point a game under manager Ruben Amorim. So - why are we still not 100% sure that Enzo Maresca's side will be able to come away with the win? And who's going to fill the void left behind by Nicholas Jackson? The Athletic's United writer Carl Anka is on hand to give us the inside scoop on the opponents and their struggles. Then it's all about CFCW - looking to wrap up the domestic treble on Sunday afternoon when they take on Manchester United at Wembley. Carl sticks around to help us preview that one too as Sonia Bompastor's side look to sign off from this season in style. And - of course - we finish with a fiendishly tricky quiz... We'll be back on Monday to run the rule over the Manchester United double header in the Premier League and Women's FA Cup Final! HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Liam Twomey, Sam Parkin and Carl Anka PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oh, Nicholas... Matt Davies-Adams is joined by The Athletic's Liam Twomey and Luke Bosher to run the rule over Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Newcastle. There's only one place to start (unfortunately) - we get the post-match thoughts of Simon Johnson from the St. James' Park press box and hear him in conversation with Enzo Maresca following the 36th-minute red card handed out to Nicholas Jackson after his senseless forearm smash on Sven Botman. We touch on the lack of intensity from the very first minute, the tactical naivety of the side which seemed to have been found out by Eddie Howe - and what this means for hopes of securing a top five finish with just Manchester United and Nottingham Forest to come in the Premier League. As is almost always the case, CFCW provided some joy as they wrapped up a historic unbeaten WSL season in their last-gasp 1-0 win over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge! We'll be back at the slightly earlier time of Wednesday to look ahead to Friday night's really, really must-win game against hapless Manchester United at the Bridge - and we'll preview Sunday's Women's FA Cup Final at Wembley. HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Luke Bosher, Liam Twomey and Simon Johnson PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The most low-key semi-final second leg ever?! Matt Davies-Adams has got The Athletic's Simon Johnson and Luke Bosher alongside him to run the rule over Thursday night's 1-0 victory over Djurgården. It's a result that sealed a 5-1 aggregate victory as the Blues cruised into the Conference League final - where they'll face Real Betis in what's surely going to be a far more competitive contest on the 28th of May. We round up events at Stamford Bridge - and the shocking number of away fans in the home stands - before looking ahead to Sunday afternoon's top five showdown at Newcastle United. Plus, Chelsea Women look go complete an undefeated WSL season when they host Liverpool at the Bridge on the final day of the campaign! We'll be back on Monday to look back on all the action across the weekend - with CFCW looking to go unbeaten and CFC looking to take a huge step towards locking in a top five finish. HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Luke Bosher and Simon Johnson PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where would Chelsea be in the table if Romeo Lavia had been fit all season?! Matt Davies-Adams has The Athletic's Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey alongside him to look back on the huge 3-1 victory over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. We talk Cole Palmer's masterful performance, Romeo Lavia's pivotal role which as been sorely missed too often in this campaign - and the tireless work of Moises Caicedo as the three points helped Enzo Maresca's side move a step closer to Champions League football next season. We celebrate the winners at the end of season awards, look ahead to Thursday night's second leg against Djurgården which the Blues take a commanding lead into - and shoutout CFCW who got a guard of honour AND a win at Tottenham for good measure. We'll be back on Friday to hope that the men have put in a better performance than the last Conference League return leg... and look ahead to another massive game with the trip to Brentford on the horizon! HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First came Didier, then came Romelu, then came... Matt Davies-Adams has got Dom Fifield and the returning Super Sammy Parkin alongside him to look back on the comprehensive 4-1 Conference League semi-final first leg victory over Djurgården. Simon Johnson spoke to us at full-time to give a flavour of events on the ground in Sweden. Then our focus shifts back to the Premier League and the visit of Liverpool to Stamford Bridge on Sunday. We might be subjected to a guard of honour - but can Chelsea get the better of the champions and take another huge step towards securing Champions League football next season? There's jubilation for CFCW who wrapped up their sixth straight WSL title on Wednesday night with the 1-0 victory at Manchester United. The Athletic's Megan Feringa is back with her assessment of how big an achievement it is in Sonia Bompastor's first season in charge. We've got a pretty mouthwatering quiz with Sam looking to reclaim his old crown as the most fearsome competitor of all. Plus, we pay our tributes to a man who was the definition of 'Proper Chels' following the incredibly sad news of Paul Lagan's passing. We'll be back on Monday to reflect on the visit of Liverpool and look ahead to the second leg against Djurgården on Thursday night. HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Dom Fifield, Simon Johnson, Megan Feringa and Sam Parkin PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does your Djurgården need watering? Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Simon Johnson and Luke Bosher for your Monday dose of Chelsea chat. We begin with a look back on the 1-0 victory over Everton on Saturday - with Jackson back amongst the goals, Lavia back in the starting line up - and Chelsea looking like they're back in with a realistic chance of a top five finish. Then, it's all eyes on the Conference League semi-final first leg, with the Blues on their way out to Djurgården. And finally, there was disappointment at Stamford Bridge as CFCW suffered another battering at the hands of a relentless Barcelona, beaten 4-1 on the day and 8-2 (yikes) on aggregate. The Athletic's Megan Feringa helps us look ahead to what this means for the rest of the season for Sonia Bompastor's side and how they recover. We'll be back on Friday to reflect on the trip to Sweden and look ahead to the visit of champions Liverpool to Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon. HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Luke Bosher and Simon Johnson PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now is not the time to get stuck in a spot of bother... Matt Davies-Adams has got The Athletic's Chelsea experts Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey alongside him to look ahead to Saturday's visit of the Toffees at Stamford Bridge. On Sunday Chelsea Women try and pull off the unthinkable and overturn a three-goal deficit against Barcelona in their Champions League semi-final second leg. Megan Feringa gives us her take on their chances of turning the tie on its head. Plus, what's being done to create a fiercer and more lively atmosphere at Stamford Bridge? Richard and Alex from We Are The Shed join us to explain the steps being put in place to try and make the Bridge a fortress and bring more colour and noise to the Shed End. We'll be back on Monday to look back on the early kick-off against Everton, hope for a CFCW miracle against Barca and look ahead to Thursday's trip to Djurgården in the Conference League.! HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just returning the favour after Boxing Day... Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Liam Twomey and Luke Bosher to reflect on the unlikely Easter Sunday comeback which saw Chelsea score two late goals to beat Fulham 2-1 at Craven Cottage. We talk half-time tweaks, the outpouring of emotion at full-time from the players and fans - and what this means for the chances of Champions League football next season. Not such good news for CFCW though - who were humbled in a 4-1 defeat at a dominant and ruthless Barcelona in their Champions League semi-final first leg encounter. Plenty of work for Sonia Bompastor's side to do if they're to keep their quadruple hopes alive when they face off again at Stamford Bridge next Sunday. We'll be back on Thursday to look ahead to that game and Saturday's early kick-off against Everton in the Premier League. HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Luke Bosher and Liam Twomey PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Has a team ever reached a European semi-final but been booed off the pitch? Asking for a friend... Matt Davies-Adams, Luke Bosher and Dom Fifield unite BEFORE the Legia game to look ahead to Sunday's visit to Fulham in the Premier League. But don't worry - thanks to the magic of editing we also hear from Simon Johnson in the press box after the hugely demoralising 2-1 defeat by Legia Warsaw in the Conference League which threw up more questions than answers. We look ahead to the small matter of a Champions League semi-final first leg over in Barcelona for CFCW, talk agents fees and veteran strikers and hear from Pat Harding - son of Matthew - who's following in his father's footsteps after becoming chairman of Hassocks FC. HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Luke Bosher, Dom Fifield and Simon Johnson PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is it about Ipswich?! Matt Davies-Adams has got Luke Bosher and Simon Johnson alongside him to mull over the pretty disastrous 2-2 draw with the Tractor Boys at Stamford Bridge. We touch on the fractious relationship between Enzo Maresca and the fans after his pointed post-match comments, the lack of leadership amongst the squad and the costliness of the back-to-back draws with a pretty treacherous run-in to come. Then it's onto Thursday's visit of Legia in the Conference League quarter-final second leg. The Blues take a 3-0 advantage into the tie... surely they can't mess that up!? Plus, there was late drama for CFCW as Aggie Beever-Jones scored a 94th minute winner as Chelsea beat Liverpool 2-1 to book their place in the FA Cup final! We'll be back on Friday to round up the Thursday night's European escapades and look ahead to the tricky trip just down the road to take on Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday. HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Luke Bosher and Simon Johnson PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tyrique George... you love to see it! Matt Davies-Adams has got Jessy Parker Humphreys and Luke Bosher with him to give their verdict as Chelsea cruised to a 3-0 victory over Legia Warszawa over in Poland on Thursday night. We heap praise on academy graduates George and Acheampong for seizing their opportunities - but also ponder why it was such a painfully slow start to the game and whether Enzo Maresca should be more critical of the first half woes which continues to be a plague this side. We've got a look ahead to Sunday's visit of an Ipswich Town side who are on the brink of relegation - but hoping to do the league double over Chelsea! Plus, is this an audition for Liam Delap at Stamford Bridge? We touch base with the women's team - back in action after the international break and with the small matter of an FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool to look ahead to as Sonia Bompastor's side enter a defining month of action. And of course... a quiz! We'll be back on Monday to reflect on the visit of the Tractor Boys and look ahead to the second leg of the Conference League quarter-final tie against Legia. HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Luke Bosher, Jessy Parker Humphreys and Liam Twomey PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What much better things could we have been doing with those two hours of our lives? Matt Davies-Adams, Luke Bosher and Liam Twomey have the unfortunate task of talking about the 0-0 draw at Brentford on Sunday. There was eyebrow raising team selection, an abundance of long kicks, the ongoing Nkunku problem and a sense of one steps forward, two steps back for Enzo Maresca. Then, we look ahead to Thursday's trip to Poland to take on Legia Warszawa in the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarterfinal first leg. Who's making the starting XI?! We'll be back on Friday to find out how the Blues got on, plus look ahead to the visit of Ipswich in the Premier League AND CFCW's FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool. HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Luke Bosher and Liam Twomey PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Poor old Ange... Matt Davies-Adams has got The Athletic's Simon Johnson and Luke Bosher in tow to look back on the fiery and thoroughly deserved 1-0 victory over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night. We talk the triumphant return of Nicholas Jackson, Caicedo's extraordinary engine and the much-improved showing from the Blues, buoyed on by a raucous crowd. Now - can they translate that home form to Sunday's away day at Brentford?! Enzo Maresca's side are hoping to avoid suffering five straight Premier League defeats on the road when they face the Bees. We'll be back on Monday to reflect on the short trip to the Gtech and preview Thursday's Conference League quarterfinal first leg in Poland! HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Luke Bosher and Simon Johnson PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Davies-Adams is joined by Liam Twomey and Luke Bosher to get back up to speed with all things Chelsea Football Club after the international break. We begin with a round up of the latest Blues news since we've been off - including more stadium uncertainty, a new wonderkid and a revoked day off... We've got a special guest, as club legend John Terry speaks to Simon Johnson to commemorate the 20th anniversary of THAT remarkable defence that conceded just 15 goals in 38 Premier League games in their record-breaking first title charge under Jose Mourinho in 2004-2005. Then, Jessy Parker Humphreys does their best to round up a pretty crazy fortnight in the world of CFCW as they booked their place in the semi-finals of the Champions League in dramatic circumstances. On Thursday it's all eyes on the Premier League as Spurs make the short trip across town to Stamford Bridge. We preview that game and it's importance for Enzo Maresca as the run-in to the end of the season begins in earnest. We'll be back on Friday to run the rule over the visit of Tottenham and look ahead to the trip to Brentford! HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Luke Bosher, Liam Twomey and Jessy Parker Humphreys PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the 10th of March, Chelsea Football Club celebrated its 120th anniversary. It’s fair to say from 1905 to 2025 there’s been chaos, controversy, jubilation, heartache, success, failure and everything in between. On this episode, we follow the club into the modern day and discuss the seismic changes that have taken place behind the scenes since the takeover by BlueCo in 2022. Matt Davies-Adams has got Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey alongside him to analyse the current state of the men’s team - which it’s fair to say is going through a bit of a tumultuous time! Then, we’re joined by The Athletic’s Dan Sheldon, who’s recently investigated some of the concerns around the ‘CFC LDN’ rebrand and whether there are wider connotations… We had to finish on a high note, so Jessy Parker Humphreys is with us to explain how despite it all - the women’s team have maintained their standards of excellence (Man City 1st leg aside!) and continued to win trophies while the men’s team have struggled to compete. Chelsea's rich history before 2003 Chelsea's most important match from each decade Back on Monday to look ahead to the return to Premier League action with the small matter of Tottenham coming to Stamford Bridge - plus we'll check in on the fortunes of CFCW! HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Simon Johnson, Liam Twomey, Dan Sheldon and Jessy Parker Humphreys PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the 10th of March, Chelsea Football Club celebrated its 120th anniversary. It’s fair to say from 1905 to 2025 there’s been chaos, controversy, jubilation, heartache, success, failure and everything in between. On this episode, we go back to July 1st, 2003 - and the day the course of the club’s history changed forever when Roman Abramovich became owner. Matt Davies-Adams has got The Athletic’s Dom Fifield and Simon Johnson alongside him to reminisce about the glory days, the José years - and the experience of covering the club during that period. And what was it like to be a fan growing up in that era? Younger fans are often tarred with a glory hunter brush, but Luke Bosher explains what it was like to be introduced to the club when they were serial winners and at the height of their powers. Plus, Liam Twomey’s back to help us finish off our overview of the defining fixtures from each decade, from the 1980s through to the modern day. Chelsea's rich history before 2003 Chelsea's most important match from each decade HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Simon Johnson, Liam Twomey, Luke Bosher & Dom Fifield PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the 10th of March, Chelsea Football Club celebrated its 120th anniversary. It’s fair to say from 1905 to 2025 there’s been chaos, controversy, jubilation, heartache, success, failure and everything in between. On this episode, Matt Davies-Adams is joined by The Athletic’s Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey to delve into the history of the club from its formation in 1905 through to the latter stages of the 20th century. Yes, Chelsea really did exist before 2003! What about some of the club’s forgotten figures? The Chelsea Graves Society was set up by fans, dedicated to tracing the final resting places of former players and significant others associated with the club. Member Andrew Rowley joins to tell us more. Then, we take a decade-by-decade look at some of the defining fixtures which shaped the club - and paved the way for the Chelsea we know and love today. Chelsea's rich history before 2003 Chelsea's most important match from each decade HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An afternoon of complete nothingness... Matt Davies-Adams is joined by The Athletic's Chelsea experts Liam Twomey and Simon Johnson to look back on the drab 1-0 defeat at The Emirates. We delve into the reasons behind the squad being bereft of confidence, the complete lack of ambition in front of goal, and the struggles without Cole Palmer around to save the day. Plus - what's happened to Jadon Sancho's form and will he be heading back to Manchester United? Then it's back to far happier times 24 hours earlier, as Chelsea Women picked up their first piece of silverware under Sonia Bompastor in a hard-fought 2-1 win over Manchester City at a sandpit in Derby. We'll be back on Thursday with the first of a special series of podcasts charting the 120-year history of the club through all the ups, downs, controversy, trophies and chaos in SW6! HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Liam Twomey & Simon Johnson PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That was a fun night of football, said no one... ever... Matt Davies-Adams has got Jessy Parker Humphreys and Simon Johnson in tow for a bumper look at all things Chelsea ahead of a busy few days for the club. We've got England call ups, we've got an extraordinarily underwhelming Conference League victory, we've got a huge game against Arsenal in the Premier League - and we've got a League Cup final where a certain curse needs to be broken (!) Plus, lots of sandwich chat, a word from Sonia Bompastor on her winning mentality - and a quiz. We'll be back on Monday to look back on a pivotal weekend for CFC & CFCW against Arsenal and Man City... HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Simon Johnson and Jessy Parker Humphreys PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not PlayStation football, eh? Matt Davies-Adams, Liam Twomey and Luke Bosher are on duty to look back on the narrow and thoroughly unconvincing 1-0 win over Leicester at Stamford Bridge... which has taken Chelsea back into the Premier League's top four! We reflect on Enzo's fiery post-match press conference comments as he again challenged fans to get behind the team, before turning our attention to the game and the positive impact of Pedro Neto and goalscorer Marc Cucurella - after Cole Palmer's surprise miss from the penalty spot for the first time. Next up, Copenhagen come to town with the Blues looking to maintain their slim advantage in the Conference League round of 16 second leg. How many changes will we see with Arsenal on the horizon? Elsewhere, Chelsea Women had Lauren James to thank (again) as her goal sealed an FA Cup semi-final showdown with Liverpool after their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at Kingsmeadow. We'll be back on Friday - hopefully celebrating safe passage to a European quarter final and looking ahead to Sunday's trip to Arsenal in the Premier League. HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Luke Bosher and Liam Twomey PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.