JOHN TERRY DEMANDS ENZO MARESCA END ROTATION AFTER "BAD PERFORMANCE
The 3-1 loss to Leeds was a major setback for Chelsea. John Terry urged manager Maresca to stop rotating players and demand more "fight" from the squad.
According to club legend John Terry, Chelsea's disappointing loss to Leeds United could hurt their chances in the Premier League title race. The Blues icon expressed frustration with his former team's lack of experience after their damaging 3-1 defeat, which leaves them nine points behind leaders Arsenal. It’s a stark contrast to their previous 1-1 draw against Arsenal.
Chelsea's Form Dips After Leeds Loss
Last Sunday, Chelsea put up a good fight with 10 men against Arsenal, earning a point. They then travelled to face a struggling Leeds team, just six points behind Arsenal.
While Arsenal managed to beat Brentford, Chelsea unexpectedly lost at Elland Road. At halftime, they were down 2-0 after goals from Jaka Bijol and Ao Tanaka. Pedro Neto scored for the Blues early in the second half, giving them a chance.
Despite Neto's goal, Chelsea couldn't equalise. Tosin Adarabioyo's mistake led to Leeds' third goal, scored by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, sealing Chelsea's defeat.
This loss ended Chelsea's seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions. Fans are disappointed, as they hoped to see their team improve from last season's fourth-place finish.
Terry's Frustration
Terry didn't hide his anger after the game, believing the loss could be a major setback for Chelsea.
Speaking on TikTok, Terry, who won 15 major trophies with Chelsea, including five Premier League titles and one Champions League crown, said, That was a bad performance.
I knew Leeds would be aggressive. The fans would be loud, and it would be tough. You either match that intensity or try to calm the game down. We didn't do that in the first half.
You can't follow up two great performances with that. It won't make you title contenders. It's our inexperience that will cost us. If you can't go to Leeds and know what to expect...
Terry Urges Maresca to Stick with Key Players
Terry, still upset, also felt Chelsea lacked fight. He wants manager Maresca to stop rotating the squad and stick with the players who will give their all every week.
"You need to go there and show fight, match Leeds in every way, and earn the right to play," Terry added. After 15 or 20 minutes, you can start playing football once you've earned it.
Poor set-piece defending and individual mistakes aren't good enough. Maybe the manager should look at the squad and decide rotations aren't the way forward. He needs to pick his best 11-14 players and stick with them.
Maresca Acknowledges Poor Performance
Chelsea's next game is against Bournemouth on Saturday. After that, they face Atalanta in the Champions League on December 9.
Maresca said about the Leeds game: I think they were better than us in every way. They deserved to win.
We can't take anything positive from the game. We need to understand our mistakes and reset. We have another game in 48 hours [against Bournemouth].
After playing so well against Barcelona and Arsenal, you expect a better performance. But things didn't go our way. We changed players, and the level dropped because the players we changed are important.
XAVI OPENLY DECLARES INTEREST IN CHELSEA JOB DURING PERMANENT MANAGER SEARCH
With Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola on the shortlist, explore why Xavi Hernández wants to take over the Chelsea hotseat next.
Xavi has openly said he’d love to manage Chelsea, and now the Blues are hunting for someone to replace Liam Rosenior.
Rosenior got the sack last month after a rough patch just three months into his huge contract that was supposed to last six and a half years. Calum McFarlane is filling in as interim head coach until season’s end, but Chelsea are actively looking for a permanent boss for the 2026/27 campaign.
They're considering some big names. Xabi Alonso’s been mentioned; he’s been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in January. Andoni Iraola, who’s about to leave Bournemouth, is also on the shortlist.
Cesc Fabregas has been linked after his strong run at Como, and Frank Lampard’s in the mix too, fresh off winning the Championship with Coventry and securing promotion.
But Xavi really stands out. He’s already made it clear he’s interested in the Chelsea job. Back in 2019, before his Barcelona return, he said, “I don’t hide it; my goal is to come back to Europe and to Barca. It's my challenge, but I’m enjoying this current project. For me, training a team in Barcelona would be a privilege, the biggest privilege.”
He didn’t just talk about Spain either. “Honestly, who doesn’t love the Premier League? The atmosphere, packed stadiums, everyone says it’s incredible,” Xavi admitted. “If I had to pick, I’d go for a big team: City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, or Tottenham. Klopp, Pochettino, and Unai Emery are doing amazing work there.”
After returning to Barcelona in 2021, Xavi led them to a La Liga title and the Supercopa de España before Hansi Flick took over in 2024. He’s been out of work since.
Now, Chelsea seems seriously interested in the Spaniard. According to The i, the club wants someone who can embed a strong football identity across their teams, something Enzo Maresca started.
Getting Xavi won’t be easy, though. Morocco’s national team reportedly sees him as a top candidate to replace Walid Regragui, and Manchester United is eyeing him too as they weigh options beyond Michael Carrick.
Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso is the bookmakers’ favourite for the Chelsea role, but word is he’d want more control over club decisions if he moves to west London.
COLE PALMER MISSES PENALTY AS CHELSEA SUFFER HISTORIC SIXTH CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE DEFEAT
Chelsea matched a 1912 record with their 6th straight loss, falling 3-1 to Forest as Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice at the Bridge.
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Chelsea hit rock bottom again, losing 3-1 to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge. That’s six Premier League defeats in a row now, something the club hadn’t seen since 1912. Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any worse, Forest showed up with a makeshift lineup and absolutely stunned them. Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice, one barely a minute into the match, and then Igor Jesus put away a penalty, and suddenly Forest was six points clear of the drop zone.
Chelsea hadn’t scored in five games, and it looked like that streak would go on forever. Then, in stoppage time, Joao Pedro finally managed an overhead kick to break the drought. That run was made even more ridiculous earlier when Cole Palmer missed a first-half penalty. Matz Sels, Forest’s backup goalkeeper, saved it.
Honestly, the crowd in the Shed End probably barely recognised their own team. Pereira swapped in seven new outfield players, most of them with almost no league experience; he was clearly thinking about the upcoming Europa League semi-final. But it looked like Chelsea was the stranger out there.
Things only got worse for interim head coach Calum McFarlane. He lost Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho to late injuries, so 18-year-old Jesse Derry had to make his Premier League debut. Then, late in the first half, Derry collided heads with Forest’s Zach Abbott and had to be stretchered off after getting oxygen. It was brutal to watch.
The match itself? Chaos. Less than two minutes in, Chelsea messed up their own throw-in and let Forest stroll through midfield. Dilane Bakwa beat Marc Cucurella with little effort and crossed to Awoniyi, who was completely unmarked and headed it in.
Fifteen minutes later, Chelsea conceded again. Bakwa whipped in another cross; Malo Gusto pulled Awoniyi’s shirt, and VAR handed Forest a penalty. Jesus hammered it right down the middle.
The first half was hopeless, and by the end, serious concern set in after that nasty head clash between Derry and Abbott. Abbott, playing just his second league game, left on his own, but Derry needed serious treatment and was stretchered off.
After a nearly ten-minute stoppage, Palmer’s penalty was stopped by Sels. At halftime, Levi Colwill returned from a major injury he hadn’t played since tearing his ACL in August. He tried to restore order, but nothing changed.
Forest’s third goal came just seven minutes into the second half. Gibbs-White crossed, and Awoniyi tapped in from close range, just managing to stay onside. Chelsea’s keeper, Robert Sanchez, took a knock and left with a bandaged head after colliding with Gibbs-White.
Pedro’s late goal barely counted for anything. The few Chelsea fans left in the stadium cheered, but it was more out of irony than joy.
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