SOC Extra: Chelsea 5-1 Ajax reaction

Don't they know Chelsea are the ones who get the red cards?!Producer Lucy's got reaction to the 5-1 rout of Ajax at a rainy Stamford Bridge with analysis from the press box provided by Blues reporter Simon Johnson and The Athletic's Senior Data Analyst Mark Carey. 10 changes but no problems for Enzo Maresca's side - who made a little bit of history by becoming the first team to have three teenagers score in a Champions League match.Who stood out in the circumstances? How impressive were the youngsters? And how does this set them up for the visit of Sunderland on Saturday?Matt Davies-Adams will be back on Monday to review that meeting with the Black Cats - and look ahead to the trip to Molineux to face Wolves in the League Cup! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MDA Derby pending...Matt's got a vintage combo of Sam Parkin and Dom Fifield alongside him as we gear up for the return of the Premier League and a trip to Nottingham Forest at Saturday lunchtime.Two weeks on from that dramatic triumph against Liverpool - will the feel-good factor still be in full effect? Or will the international break travel and toil mean this is a tougher assignment than it looks on paper against a Forest side who are winless in seven under Ange Postecoglou? We ponder the usual selection dilemmas, desires to see Estêvão unleashed from the start - and let Matt wallow in the mess it seems the opponents have got themselves into this season. The men may have been away - but there's plenty to catch up on when it comes to CFCW after their surprise draw with Twente in the Champions League and narrow WSL victory over Tottenham over the weekend. Cerys Jones has followed Sonia Bompastor's team closely this season and stops by ahead of the visit of Paris FC on Wednesday night.Plus! A chance to hear from Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup winner Florent Malouda - sharing his learnings and advice for Jamie Gittens after his own slow start to life at Stamford Bridge back in 2007... We'll be back on Monday for all the fallout from the trip to the City Ground and a look ahead to the visit of Ajax in Matchday 3 of the Champions League in midweek!HOST: Matt Davies-AdamsWITH: Dom Fifield, Sam Parkin & Cerys JonesPRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EsteWOW hasn't been used yet, has it?!Matt Davies-Adams is joined by The Athletic's Simon Johnson and Luke Bosher to revel in the glorious 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.Despite initial trepidation when the team sheet dropped before kick-off, we reflect on the hugely impressive defensive performance, yet another Caicedo banger, the importance of this result (and his celebration) for Enzo Maresca and his relationship with the fans - and of course, the lift-off moment for 18-year-old Estevao after his superb 95th minute winner.Elsewhere, CFCW dropped their first points of the season as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Manchester United on Friday night. Plus - which former Blue made a total of 125 appearances across four seasons for the club in the noughties - but just 65 of those appearances came as a starter? We'll take a short hiatus for the international break but be back with you next week for a look ahead to the MDA derby as the Blues prepare for the trip to the City Ground to take on Nottingham Forest!HOST: Matt Davies-AdamsWITH: Luke Bosher and Simon JohnsonPRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Jose show was back in town for one night only...Matt Davies-Adams has got Luke Bosher and a sleep-deprived Liam Twomey back alongside him to reflect on Tuesday night's narrow 1-0 win over Benfica at Stamford Bridge!We touch on the concerns which were mounting after the performance at Lincoln and Saturday's Brighton defeat - before diving into some of the key themes from the victory over Mourinho's men with the help of a Simon Johnson voicenote amidst the thick of the action.Then - Liverpool are in town - fresh off the back of two defeats for Arne Slot's slightly wavering Premier League champions. We rate the Blues' chances and feel strangely optimistic about them coming away with a result?!We touch base with the fortunes of CFCW who've continued their perfect start to the season in the WSL - and shoutout Shim Mheuka for his second hat-trick of the campaign already!We'll be back on Monday when Chelsea have hopefully entered the international break in positive fashion...!Join the Straight Outta Cobham PL Fantasy League! HOST: Matt Davies-AdamsWITH: Luke Bosher and Liam TwomeyPRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 games without a league win at Old Trafford... THIRTEEN!!!Matt Davies-Adams has got Luke Bosher and Simon Johnson along for our post-Man United pity party after the shambolic showing in the torrential Manchester rain on Saturday night.We discuss Enzo's baffling substitutions, the Robert Sanchez experience, whether we need to start worrying about Cole Palmer's groin - and the strange case of Tyrique George...The Blues are off to Sincil Bank on Tuesday night to face League One side Lincoln City in the third round of the League Cup. We look ahead to that game - and the Brighton test which is just around the corner on Saturday afternoon.Elsewhere, CFCW picked up another three points in albeit unconvincing fashion as they made it three wins from three with a 1-0 victory over Leicester City.We'll be back on Monday to look back on Saturday's meeting with Brighton - and preview the return of a certain Jose Mourinho in the Champions League with Benfica coming to town on Tuesday night!HOST: Matt Davies-AdamsWITH: Luke Bosher and Simon JohnsonPRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not *quite* the return to Europe's top table we were looking for...Producer Lucy's got The Athletic's Chelsea reporter Simon Johnson on hand to bring his post-match reaction to the 3-1 defeat by Bayern Munich in Matchday 1 of the 2025-26 Champions League campaign. We hear from Enzo Maresca on how the Blues can 'build something special from this defeat', discuss the huge gulf in experience on this stage but how well the young team acquitted themselves in the circumstances - and look ahead to Saturday's trip to Old Trafford. Very pleased to say that normal service will resume on Monday and Matt and the gang will be back to round up the Blues' fortunes from across the weekend - and look ahead to Lincoln City! Join the Straight Outta Cobham PL Fantasy League! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A draw?! At Brentford?! Never...Matt Davies-Adams has got The Athletic's Simon Johnson and Thom Harris alongside him to look back on the frenetic 2-2 draw with the Bees at the Gtech on Saturday night.We discuss the controversial late equaliser, the eyebrow-raising first half team selection - and whether this shows that Enzo Maresca still has a lot to learn about juggling the Premier League and Europe...Then it's all eyes on Wednesday's trip to Munich, as Chelsea make their Champions League return against old friends Bayern at the Allianz.And there was a hard-fought WSL victory for CFCW at Aston Villa on Sunday - including a goal on her return for Sam Kerr after a whole 20 months out!We'll be back with the first of our UCL round up pods on Thursday morning - and then back on Monday to reflect on the trip to Old Trafford to take on PL banter club Manchester United on Saturday evening.Join the Straight Outta Cobham PL Fantasy League!HOST: Matt Davies-AdamsWITH: Simon Johnson and Thom HarrisPRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let's not get stung by any Bees...Matt Davies-Adams has got Thom Harris and Sam Parkin alongside him as we prepare for the return of the Premier League after it was rudely interrupted by the international break!We begin with some early reflections on the season so far - and some of key tactical moves and talking points which have stood out from Enzo Maresca's side in the opening three games of this campaign.There's a look ahead to Saturday evening's trip down the road to Brentford - where there could be some important squad management to do with a trip to Munich just around the corner...Plus, Chelsea Women's season got off to the perfect start with a 2-1 win over Man City at Stamford Bridge on Friday night!We'll be back on Monday to reflect on the short trip to Brentford, tell you how CFCW got on at Aston Villa - and look ahead to Chelsea’s return to Europe’s top table with the small matter of a trip to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night!Join the Straight Outta Cobham PL Fantasy League!HOST: Matt Davies-AdamsWITH: Thom Harris and Sam ParkinPRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's not physically possible for deadline day to be dull, this is Chelsea lads... Matt Davies-Adams has got a slightly delirious and sleep deprived Simon Johnson and Luke Bosher alongside him to try and sum up all the chaos from another highly eventful transfer window for Chelsea Football Club.We dissect the dramatic Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich deal that almost didn't happen, the ongoing Raheem Sterling predicament as he failed to find a suitable move away, the bizarre situation which saw Tyrique George's proposed move to Fulham fall through - the unexpected return of Ishé Samuels-Smith (!) - AND the goodbye to Champions League winner Ben Chilwell. Plus, our wider reflections on the window as a whole and where this leaves the club going into the season.We've got brief thoughts on the VAR-riddled Fulham victory, an exciting (and very 2012 coded) set of Champions League fixtures - and a look ahead to the start of the brand new WSL which gets underway on Friday night! The Athletic's women's football expert Charlotte Harpur is with us to look ahead to that one - and we hear from England's Euro 2025 hero and broken-legged warrior Lucy Bronze... We’re off now for the international break (boo) but we’ll be back at the back end of next week to round up all that’s gone on since we’ve been off and preview the short trip down the road to take on Brentford at the Gtech on Saturday night. HOST: Matt Davies-Adams WITH: Luke Bosher, Simon Johnson & Charlotte Harpur PRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No Palmer? No problem (on this specific occasion at least...)Matt Davies-Adams have got Simon Johnson and Luke Bosher alongside him to look back on the impressive 5-1 win over a pitiful West Ham at London Stadium on Friday night. We give props to the team for adapting to the late line up change, revel in Estêvão's youthful exuberance and heap some love on comeback kid Trevoh Chalobah.Next up in the never ending run of London derbies - Fulham make the short trip down the road to Stamford Bridge on Saturday lunchtime. We look ahead to that game and ponder the key team selections that Enzo Maresca will have to juggle.There's brief transfer chatter with the devastating news (for Luke at least) that Renato Veiga has officially left. Plus - could Raheem Sterling be on his way to Saturday's opponents? And, it's Simon's first attempt at Blues Clues - how will he get on?!We'll be back at the slightly later time of Tuesday next week to capture all the transfer deadline day chaos, review Saturday’s meeting with Fulham - and settle into the first international break of the season! HOST: Matt Davies-AdamsWITH: Luke Bosher and Simon JohnsonPRODUCER: Lucy Oliva Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.