2021–22 Chelsea F.C. season

On 11 August 2021, Chelsea started off the season by beating Villarreal to win the 2021 UEFA Super Cup. Hakim Ziyech opened the scoring before Gerard Moreno equalised in the second half; after extra time the score remained 1–1. In the final minute of the match, Thomas Tuchel made the decision to replace goalkeeper Édouard Mendy with Kepa Arrizabalaga. Chelsea went on to win 6–5 on penalties, with Arrizabalaga making the decisive save against Raúl Albiol.[2] Following the match, Thomas Tuchel stated: "We were well-prepared. We had a statistic that Kepa is the best in terms of saving penalties. The analysts showed me the data and then we spoke with the players [explaining] that this can happen in knockout games."[3] It was the second time that Chelsea had won the trophy, the first win being in 1998, and the third time that the club was involved in a penalty shoot-out in the competition.[4]

The following day, Chelsea announced that Romelu Lukaku had re-signed for the club seven years after leaving for a reported club record fee of £97.5 million.[5][6] Although initial offers were turned down by Inter Milan, Chelsea's third offer for Lukaku was accepted. "I only realised that Chelsea was serious at the third offer," Lukaku stated. "It went to €110m, and I knew, this is truly serious." He continued, "If they ask me, why would I say no? Everyone knows what Chelsea means to me."[7]

Chelsea began the Premier League season with two consecutive wins in London derbies, first at home against Crystal Palace and then at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal.[8][9] In the former, Premier League debutant Trevoh Chalobah scored the final goal in a 3–0 win with a low right-footed shot from well outside the penalty area.[8] In the latter, new signing Romelu Lukaku scored the opening goal in a 2–0 win on his second debut for the club.[9]

On 28 August, Chelsea travelled to Anfield to take on Liverpool in a match that was billed as an early test for two title contenders.[10] Kai Havertz opened the scoring off a corner kick with a looping near-post header that spiraled over goalkeeper Alisson.[11] In the first half stoppage time, Reece James was sent off after referee Anthony Taylor consulted the VAR and adjudged that James had used his arm to prevent a goal. Mohammed Salah scored the ensuing penalty despite furious protests from Chelsea players. In the second half, Chelsea defended deeply and compactly and the match finished 1–1.[12]

On 31 August, transfer deadline day, Chelsea signed Saúl from Atlético Madrid on a season-long loan with an option to buy at the end of the season.[13] The future fee is reported to be €40 million.[14] Throughout the transfer window, Chelsea were linked with a move for Sevilla centre-back Jules Koundé, although it never materialized.[15][16] The transfer window also saw several notable departures, including Olivier Giroud, Tammy Abraham, and Kurt Zouma.[17][18][19] Furthermore, Chelsea sold several promising youth academy products, including Marc Guéhi, Tino Livramento, and Ike Ugbo.[20][21][22]

Marcos Alonso was nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award in August, which was eventually given to West Ham's Michail Antonio.[23][24] Thomas Tuchel was also nominated for Premier League Manager of the Month, but it was awarded to Tottenham's Nuno Espírito Santo.[25][26]

Chelsea started September with back-to-back 3–0 wins against Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League and a 1–0 win against Zenit in the Champions League.[27][28][29] After five matchdays in the Premier League, Chelsea and Liverpool coincidentally shared identical records, with Chelsea ahead based on the away goals head-to-head tiebreaker following their meeting on Matchday 3.[30] On 22 September, Chelsea faced Aston Villa again in the EFL Cup, winning 4–3 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.[31] Kepa Arrizabalaga made a decisive save against a spot kick from Marvelous Nakamba, which led him to become Chelsea's most successful goalkeeper at saving penalties during shootouts, passing Petr Čech.[32] Both matches against Aston Villa saw debuts, first in the Premier League for Saúl and in the EFL Cup for Malang Sarr.[27][31]

On 25 September, Chelsea faced off against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. Manchester City dominated possession and employed a high press throughout the match, with Gabriel Jesus scoring the game's only goal in the 53rd minute. The 1–0 defeat was Chelsea's first loss of the season.[33] Following the match, Thomas Tuchel stated "The performance was not complex enough. Overall, simply, we were not at our best level."[34] It was the first time that Chelsea were beaten by Manchester City under Tuchel, with Pep Guardiola winning for the first time after three consecutive defeats in the previous season, including in the Champions League Final.[35]

On 29 September, Chelsea suffered their first Champions League defeat of the season, losing 0–1 to Juventus in Turin. Federico Chiesa scored the game's only goal just after halftime. Although Chelsea enjoyed a majority of possession in the game, Juventus defended deeply and created several chances on the counter-attack.[36] Chelsea ended the month of September with only three goals conceded in six matches. Chelsea's successful defensive performances led to Antonio Rüdiger being nominated for Premier League Player of the Month, though it was eventually awarded to Cristiano Ronaldo.[37][26]

Chelsea began October with a 3–1 win against Southampton. After an early goal from Trevoh Chalobah, James Ward-Prowse equalised from the penalty spot before he was sent off in the 77th minute. Chelsea rallied to win with two late goals from Timo Werner and Ben Chilwell, who scored with a close-range left-footed volley in his first start in the Premier League during the season.[38][39] On 16 October, Chelsea beat Brentford 1–0 in the first iteration of this West London derby in the modern Premier League era. Chilwell scored for the second consecutive game, while Mendy made four crucial saves to preserve a clean sheet.[40] Chelsea played their third Champions League group stage match on 20 October against Malmö, winning 4–0. Jorginho scored two penalties and Andreas Christensen scored his first career goal for Chelsea after 137 appearances. However, both Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner were injured during the match.[41]

On 23 October, Chelsea beat Norwich City 7–0 in the Premier League with Mason Mount scoring his first ever senior hat trick. The 7–0 win was the joint second highest score line in Chelsea's Premier League history.[42] Ben Chilwell scored for the fourth consecutive Premier League match, becoming the first Chelsea player to do so since Eden Hazard.[43] Goals from Callum Hudson-Odoi and Reece James meant that 17 different players had scored for Chelsea in all competitions.[44] On 26 October, Chelsea took on Southampton at home in the EFL Cup round of 16. Kai Havertz and Ché Adams scored the only goals of the game, with Chelsea going on to win 4–3 on penalties.[45] Chelsea ended the month of October with a 3–0 win against Newcastle United at St. James' Park. After a goalless first half, Reece James scored two goals from the far-right corner of the penalty area, the first of which was a left-footed half-volley.[46]

Chelsea ended the month of October with a 1–0 win away against Malmö, with Hakim Ziyech scoring the winner.[47] Ben Chilwell was nominated for Premier League Player of the Month, and Thomas Tuchel was nominated for Premier League Manager of the Month for the second time, eventually going on to win the award.[48][49]

November began with Trevoh Chalobah signing a contract extension through 2026. "It's quite surreal," Chalobah said. "It's a dream for me to sign a new long-term contract for my boyhood club and hopefully the dream continues. It's been an unbelievable start to the season and something I never expected but it just shows that the hard work I've put in and going out on loans has paid off."[50]

On 6 November, Chelsea drew Burnley 1–1, with Kai Havertz scoring the opening goal before Matěj Vydra equalised.[51] It was only the third time of the season that Chelsea dropped points in the Premier League. Entering into the international break, Chelsea were in first place in the Premier League, three points clear of second place Manchester City.[52] Throughout the month of November, Chelsea was reported to be in negotiations with Antonio Rüdiger and Andreas Christensen over new contracts. Speaking about the negotiations, Thomas Tuchel said, "I feel the situation is calm here inside and from here we go." He went on, "You can end up in situations like this but the situations are handled from all sides very carefully, professionally and mature."[53]

Chelsea returned from the international break on 20 November to beat Leicester City 3–0 at the King Power Stadium. N'Golo Kanté scored a long-rage goal from outside of the penalty area against his former club and substitute Christian Pulisic scored after returning from a lengthy ankle injury.[54]

On 24 November, Chelsea took on Juventus in a crucial Champions League group stage match. Heading into Matchday 5, Chelsea were second in Group H, three points behind the Italian side after losing in Turin on Matchday 2. Chelsea needed to win by a margin of two goals or more to move to the top of the group leading into the final matchday due to Juventus' superior goal difference. From the opening whistle, Chelsea employed an extremely attacking approach, with the five defenders playing an extremely high line and the forwards aggressively pressuring the ball in Juventus' half. Trevoh Chalobah scored the game's opener off a corner kick to put Chelsea 1–0 up. Five minutes later, Thiago Silva cleared a shot from former Chelsea player Álvaro Morata off the line with a dramatic overhead kick to preserve the one-goal advantage at the break. In the second half, Chelsea scored two goals in two minutes from Reece James and Callum Hudson-Odoi before Timo Werner made it 4–0 in stoppage time.[55] The win was Chelsea's largest ever in a competitive fixture against Juventus and guaranteed their progression to the knockout rounds of the Champions League.[56]

The following Sunday, Chelsea took on Manchester United, who had recently sacked manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær. Despite having almost two-thirds of the possession, Chelsea could only manage a 1–1 draw. Jorginho's heavy touch allowed Jadon Sancho to score the game's opener, but he later converted a penalty to level the score line.[57] Chelsea began the busy December period with a match against Watford. Players had to leave the pitch for 25 minutes due to a medical incident in the Graham Taylor Stand at Vicarage Road. Paramedics rushed onto the pitch about 12 minutes into the game to treat a supporter, who was taken to a local hospital and later reported to be in stable condition.[58] Chelsea went on to win the game 2–1, courtesy of goals from Mason Mount and Hakim Ziyech.[59]

Chelsea's third competitive defeat of the season came on December 4 as they travelled to the London Stadium to take on West Ham, who sat in fourth place in the Premier League. Chelsea lead twice through goals from Thiago Silva and Mason Mount, but were twice pegged back. In the 87th minute, Arthur Masuaku scored the game's winner with a cross-come-shot that beat Mendy at his near post. The result meant that Chelsea slipped to third in the Premier League, behind Manchester City and Liverpool, relinquishing the top spot for the first time since Matchday 6.[60] Four days later, Chelsea travelled to Saint Petersburg to take on Zenit in the final Champions League group stage match. Going into the final matchday, Chelsea sat atop the group, ahead of Juventus due to their superior head-to-head record. Timo Werner scored an early goal, but by half-time, Zenit had scored twice to give the Russian side the lead. Chelsea battled back in the second half, with Romelu Lukaku equalizing before Werner scored his second in the 85th minute. However, with nearly the last kick of the game, Magomed Ozdoev made it 3–3 with a half-volley from outside the penalty area. Combined with Juventus' win against Malmö, the result meant that Chelsea would progress as runners-up in Group H.[61]

On 11 December, Chelsea were involved in another high-scoring match as they beat Leeds United 3–2 courtesy of two penalties from Jorginho, including one in second half stoppage time.[62] Chelsea were twice drawn against Lille in the Champions League Round of 16, as the results of the initial draw were nullified after technical issues.[63] Five days later, Chelsea returned to action at Stamford Bridge without Timo Werner, Romelu Lukaku, and Mateo Kovačić due to COVID-19 against an injury-struck Everton. Despite almost 80% possession, Chelsea could only manage a 1–1 draw, as Mason Mount's seventh goal of the season was followed by Jarrad Branthwaite's first ever strike in the Premier League.[64] On 22 December, Chelsea played out a scoreless draw at Molineux Stadium against Wolverhampton Wanderers before beating Brentford 2–0 in the EFL Cup quarter-final three days later.[65] Chelsea continued to be missing several key players due to COVID-19; in the match against Brentford, Tuchel handed debuts to academy players Harvey Vale, Jude Soonsup-Bell, and Xavier Simons.[66]

On Boxing Day, Chelsea beat Aston Villa 3–1 courtesy of two penalties from Jorginho and a goal from Romelu Lukaku on his return to the squad.[67] Three days later, Chelsea could only manage a draw against Brighton at Stamford Bridge. Lukaku opened the scoring but Chelsea were pegged back in stoppage time as Danny Welbeck equalised. The result meant that Chelsea had failed to win consecutive home games since October.[68] Following the match, Tuchel admitted that Chelsea's hopes of winning the Premier League title were slim, in part due to the effects of COVID-19 within the squad, stating "How should we compete in a title race? It would be stupid. I simply don’t know what I can expect from my players. Nobody knows it.”[69] Chelsea ended the calendar year in second, eight points behind league leaders Manchester City and one point ahead of Liverpool, who had a game in hand.[70]

On 31 December, Sky Italia released an interview with Romelu Lukaku from earlier in the month in which the striker stated that he was unhappy with his lack of game time at Chelsea and eventually wished to return to former club Inter Milan. "I think the boss has decided to play a different formation but I have to stick at it and get on with it professionally" he stated. "I'm not happy with the situation but it's my job and I mustn't give up." He added, "I hope from the bottom of my heart to go back to Inter and not at the end of my career but when I'm still at a good enough level to win more trophies."[71] In another portion of the interview, Lukaku stated "In my opinion, there are three absolute top teams in football — Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Every player dreams of playing for one of these teams one day. So I thought if I ever had that possibility, I would sign a new contract with Inter and then go there...But it didn't happen, so I told myself that there is only one team where I could possibly see myself — Chelsea."[72] The interview caused widespread anger among Chelsea fans.[73]

Chelsea's first game of the new year came on 2 January at Stamford Bridge. The match saw second-place Chelsea take on third-placed Liverpool, with both teams needing a win to keep pace with league leaders Manchester City. In the press conferences leading up to the match, Tuchel responded to questions about Lukaku's interview by stating "I don't like it because it brings noise that we don't need. It's just not helpful. On the other side, we don't want to make more out of it than it actually is. You know very well how it is - it's very easy to take lines out of context. It's very easy to shorten lines and make headlines, then later realise that it's not so bad and maybe not what he meant." He went on, "But let's be honest that we don't like it."[74] Tuchel announced in the pre-match press conference that he decided to drop Lukaku despite the fact that the Belgian had scored in the in each of the previous two league matches, stating "the thing got too noisy so close to the match, so I decided to protect the preparation of the match, and that's why he's out."[75] Tuchel replaced Lukaku with Kai Havertz playing as a false-nine. The match started at a high pace, with chances on both ends. However, Liverpool scored twice in the opening 26 minutes. Just before halftime, Mateo Kovačić struck a volley from outside the penalty area that rifled into the top corner of the net, halving the deficit. Chelsea attacked frenetically before the interval, and in first-half stoppage time, Christian Pulisic controlled N'Golo Kanté's lofted pass and finished powerfully to level the score line at 2 goals for each side. In the second half, both Édouard Mendy and Caoimhin Kelleher made crucial saves to keep the score level. The match ended 2–2, with both sides losing ground on Manchester City.[76]

On 3 January, Chelsea announced that Thiago Silva had extended his contract until 2023.[77] The following day, Lukaku issued an official apology to Chelsea fans. "I am sorry for the upset I have caused," he stated. "You guys know the connection I have to the club and I totally understand you guys being upset." He went on, "I should have been much clearer in my message. The interview was about saying goodbye to the Inter fans and it wasn't about trying to disrespect the [Chelsea] fans, my teammates, the club and the manager."[78] On 5 January, Chelsea took on Tottenham Hotspur in the League Cup semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge, with Lukaku returning to the starting lineup. Chelsea won the match 2–0, courtesy of a goal from Kai Havertz and a Ben Davies own-goal, which occurred in bizarre fashion after Japhet Tanganga's clearance bounced back off the Welshman's face into the net.[79] The following weekend, Chelsea beat National League side Chesterfield 5–1 in the FA Cup Third Round in a match that saw Lewis Hall make his senior debut.[80] On 12 January, Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspur 1–0 in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, booking a spot at Wembley for the final. Antonio Rüdiger, who still had not signed a contract extension, scored the game's only goal.[81]

On 16 January, Chelsea took on league leaders Manchester City. The Citizens dominated the game for long periods, with Kevin De Bruyne scoring the game's only goal. Chelsea only managed one shot on target during the entire game, and the result saw Manchester City move 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League table.[82] Two days later, Chelsea drew 1–1 with Brighton. The result meant that Chelsea had only won three of their last ten Premier League matches.[83] Following the match, Tuchel spoke about Chelsea's poor league form, saying "We were mentally tired and physically tired."[84]

Chelsea returned to winning ways on 23 January with a 2–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. Hakim Ziyech opened the scoring with a curling left-footed shot from outside of the penalty area that arched into the top corner of the net.[85] The win meant that Chelsea had beaten Tottenham three times in the space of a month—the last Premier League team to achieve this feat was Aston Villa against Blackburn Rovers in January 2010.[86] Ziyech's goal was nominated for Premier League Goal of the Month for January, but it was awarded to Mateo Kovačić for his volley against Liverpool.[87]

Chelsea began February with a 2–1 win after extra time against Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup Fourth Round in a match led by assistant coach Arno Michels due to Tuchel's positive COVID-19 test. Marcos Alonso scored the match-winning goal in extra time and Kepa Arrizabalaga saved a late penalty to avoid a shootout.[88] Chelsea then travelled to the United Arab Emirates for the 2021 Club World Cup. Chelsea faced Saudi side Al-Hilal in the semi-finals at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi in a match they won 1–0 courtesy of a goal from Romelu Lukaku.[89] In the final, Chelsea played Brazilian side Palmeiras who beat Al Ahly in the semi-finals. It was a tight contest, but Lukaku opened the scoring just after the second half began. However, Palmeiras equalised just nine minutes later from the penalty spot after Thiago Silva was penalised for a handball, sending the match into extra time. The score remained level until the 117th minute, when Chelsea were also awarded a penalty for a handball.[90] César Azpilicueta picked up the ball and appeared to be set to take the decisive penalty, but after being mobbed by Palmeiras players, he passed it to Kai Havertz, who scored. After the match, Azpilicueta stated that "it was a tactic because I knew how they are, I knew they were coming for the penalty taker, so I took the ball."[91] Chelsea won the match 2–1, winning the Club World Cup for the first time in their history, thus making them the second English side after Liverpool to win the international treble of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. Thiago Silva was named the tournament's best player, and Chelsea won the Fair Play Award.[92]

Chelsea returned to Premier League action on 19 February beating Crystal Palace 1–0 at Selhurst Park after Hakim Ziyech scored an 89th-minute winner.[93] Three days later, Chelsea hosted their Champions League Round of 16 tie against Lille, winning 2–0 after goals from Kai Havertz, who replaced Lukaku in the starting lineup, and Christian Pulisic.[94] On 26 February, Chelsea released a club statement in which owner Roman Abramovich announced that we was "giving trustees of Chelsea’s charitable Foundation the stewardship and care of Chelsea FC."[95] The move came two days after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and suggestions that the UK government should seize Abramovich's assets for his role in the Russian state.[96][97]

On 27 February, Chelsea played Liverpool in the 2022 EFL Cup Final. The match was played at a quick pace, with both teams creating a number of high-quality chances. Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic both had opportunities to score in the first half, while Édouard Mendy made a series of important saves including one at point-blank range against Sadio Mané. The match went to extra time after Joel Matip's close-range finish was ruled out for a foul. Chelsea also put the ball in the back of the net three times, but all were ruled offside.[98] The final of these goals saw a Romelu Lukaku goal narrowly ruled out for offside, with the Belgian forward's bicep being used to determine the line for offside. Despite many opportunities, neither team could break the deadlock after 120 minutes, so the match went to a penalty shootout. Thomas Tuchel substituted goalkeeper Édouard Mendy for Kepa Arrizabalaga, as he had done in the Super Cup. Chelsea shot second, and after ten rounds of shots every player had scored leaving the two goalkeepers to shoot. Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher dispatched his penalty before Arrizabalaga shot over the crossbar, meaning that Liverpool won the Carabao Cup 11–10 on penalties.[98] It was the longest shootout in EFL Cup Final history.[99] After the game, Trevoh Chalobah openly criticised referee Stuart Attwell for failing to penalise a challenge from Naby Keïta which required stitches.[100]

On 2 March, just hours before Chelsea took on Luton Town in the FA Cup Fifth Round, Roman Abramovich announced that he planned to sell the football club, stating "I have always taken decisions with the Club’s best interest at heart. In the current situation, I have therefore taken the decision to sell the Club, as I believe this is in the best interest of the Club, the fans, the employees, as well as the Club’s sponsors and partners."[101] He also stated his intent to donate all proceeds of the sale to the victims of the war in Ukraine.[101] Chelsea went on to beat Luton Town 3–2 with goals from Saúl, Timo Werner, and Romelu Lukaku.[102] In the following days, numerous reports about interested buyers surfaced including Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss, Los Angeles Dodgers and Lakers shareholder Todd Boehly, Pakistani businessman Javed Afridi, and other unnamed parties.[103][104][105] On 9 March, it was reported that Abramovich had received multiple bids but none matched the £3 billion valuation.[106] However, on 10 March, the British government froze all of Roman Abramovich's assets due to his close personal ties with Vladimir Putin, leaving Chelsea unable to sell tickets or merchandise, buy or sell players, and negotiate contracts.[107][108] The UK government issued Chelsea a license that allowed the club to continue footballing activities, ensuring employees continued to be paid, and that season-ticket holders could continue to attend games.[109] Subsequently, Three UK and Hyundai announced that they were terminating their sponsorship partnerships with Chelsea, which reportedly totaled up to £50 million per year.[110] Sponsor Trivago and kit maker Nike, however, maintained their existing deals with the club.[111][112] On 12 March, Chelsea's company credit cards were frozen, significantly limiting day-to-day spending but still allowing for matchday transportation costs lower than 20,000 per game.[113] It was reported that this left Chelsea unable to buy fuel for the team's bus.[113] Technical director Petr Čech stated, "We have many questions, we don’t have many answers but we are determined to concentrate on things we can control" and noted that the club was running "day-to-day."[114]

Meanwhile, Chelsea continued to fulfil their regular season matches, beating Norwich 3–1 away at Carrow Road and beating Burnley 4–0 at Turf Moor, headlined by a strike from Reece James that was nominated as March Premier League goal of the month.[115][116] The Blues also won 1–0 against Newcastle at Stamford Bridge with a last minute winner from Kai Havertz that was also nominated for Premier League goal of the month.[117][118][116] Prior to their trip to Lille for the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16, Thomas Tuchel noted that there were doubts about whether the team would be able to travel, stating "My last information is we are getting a plane. So we can go by plane and come back by plane. If not, we'll go by train. If not, we'll go by bus. If not, I'll drive a seven-seater. Honestly, I will do it. You can mark my words, I will do to arrive there."[119] He went on, "of course, organization-wise, there are some negotiations going on and talks, but it doesn't influence me. That's what I mean, we have brilliant guys who organize the travel and we have, in every department, such committed people that at the moment things feel pretty normal."[119]

Chelsea's off-the-pitch turmoil continued in the build-up to the FA Cup quarter-final against Middlesbrough, when the UK government rejected Chelsea's request to sell additional away tickets.[120] As a result, Chelsea lodged a request to play the match behind closed doors, which was subsequently withdrawn after an official rebuke from Middlesbrough.[121] Chelsea went on to win the match 2–0 after goals from Romelu Lukaku and Hakim Ziyech.[122]

The deadline for new ownership groups to submit applications was set on March 18 by Raine Group, an American bank overseeing the process of Chelsea's sale.[123] In the following week, the Raine Group narrowed a shortlist to four bidders, eliminating bids led by Nick Candy, Woody Johnson, Saudi Media Group, Aethel Partners, and Centricus.[124][125] The remaining bidders included groups led by the Ricketts family, Todd Boehly, Sir Martin Broughton, and Stephen Pagliuca.[126][127] However, Islamophobic comments from Joe Ricketts surfaced on social media, which led many Chelsea fans to demand that the Ricketts family bid be removed from consideration.[128][129][130] Chelsea Supporters' Trust released a statement on March 25 stating "our concerns about their [the Ricketts family] ability to run an inclusive, successful club on behalf of our diverse supporter base around the world have not been allayed."[131]

Despite off-the-pitch turmoil, Trevoh Chalobah and Kai Havertz were nominated for the Premier League player of the month for March and Thomas Tuchel was nominated as Premier League manager of the month.[132][133]

Chelsea began the month of April with a 4–1 defeat at home to Brentford. Antonio Rüdiger opened the scoring in the 48th minute with a strike from 35 yards. However, Brentford rallied with three goals in ten minutes before scoring a fourth just before the full-time whistle. It was the first time that Brentford had won at Stamford Bridge since 1939.[134] On 6 April, Chelsea took on Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at home. Karim Benzema scored two headers three minutes apart in the first half, putting Chelsea at an early disadvantage. However, Kai Havertz pulled a goal back just before half time to halve the deficit. Just after the break, Benzema completed his hat-trick after he picked off a loose pass by Édouard Mendy. Despite chances late in the match from substitute Romelu Lukaku, Chelsea went on to lose the match 3–1.[135] Before the second leg, Chelsea travelled to St. Mary's Stadium to take on Southampton, where they won 6–0 courtesy of braces from Timo Werner and Mason Mount and goals from Kai Havertz and Marcos Alonso. The result was Chelsea's second largest win of the season.[136] On 12 April, Chelsea travelled to the Santiago Bernabéu to take on Real Madrid. The match began with a high intensity from both sides, but it was Chelsea who scored first with a goal from Mason Mount in the 15th minute. Six minutes after half time, Antonio Rüdiger doubled Chelsea's lead with a powerful header off a corner kick, levelling the score on aggregate at 3–3. Chelsea then had a Marcos Alonso goal disallowed by VAR after he was adjudged to have handled the ball, but in the 75th minute, Timo Werner scored to make it 3–0 on the night and 4–3 on aggregate after dribbling past two Real Madrid defenders and calmly scoring past Thibaut Courtois. However, in the 80th minute, Real Madrid levelled on aggregate after Luka Modrić picked out Rodrygo. The match went on to extra time, where both sides had chances. However, the final goal of the match was scored by Karim Benzema, who capitalized on a series of defensive errors. The match ended in a 3–2 victory for Chelsea but a 5–4 defeat on aggregate. Following the match, Thomas Tuchel stated "Yes, it always [hurts to lose] but these are the kinds of defeats we can digest, because we left no regrets out there. We played how we wanted to play, we showed the quality and the character that this team has. We deserved to go through. It was not meant to be today, we were simply unlucky."[137]

On 15 April, it was announced that the Ricketts group had withdrawn their bid to takeover Chelsea, stating "The Ricketts-Griffin-Gilbert Group has decided, after careful consideration, not to submit a final bid for Chelsea FC. In the process of finalising their proposal, it became increasingly clear that certain issues could not be addressed given the unusual dynamics around the sales process. We have great admiration for Chelsea and its fans, and we wish the new owners well."[138]

Chelsea returned to winning ways against Crystal Palace in a 2–0 victory at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final to book a spot in the final against Liverpool.[139] They returned to Premier League action with a 4–2 defeat to Arsenal at home on 20 April, with several defensive errors proving costly as the Gunners won at Stamford Bridge for the second consecutive season.[140] The result meant that Chelsea had conceded 11 goals in their last 3 home matches in all competitions, making it their leakiest home defense record in three matches since 1989.[141]

On July 14, Chelsea announced they would visit Championship side Bournemouth on 27 July for a pre-season friendly.[249] Prior to this, they would face Peterborough United in a behind-closed-doors friendly at their Cobham Training Centre.[250]

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