A week of self-inflicted scrutiny over his relationship with the club’s upper management continued to simmer after Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca publicly highlighted the worth of experienced players, calling that influence “invaluable.” What began with a question about Malo Gusto’s form snowballed into a cryptic swipe at the “worst 48 hours” of his Chelsea tenure after he said he had faced a lack of support from “many people.” Those comments were left unexplained and were further inflamed by reports that Manchester City consider Maresca to be a suitable replacement for Pep Guardiola, though the manager played down those rumours.

“When you have 20 and 21-year-olds and a player who is 30 or 31, and he starts to say something to them, it’s invaluable. But it’s the strategy of the club,” Maresca lamented to TNT Sports before his young starting XI shipped two first-half goals. On the weekend the Blues fielded Robert Sánchez, 28, as their oldest player on the pitch. Tosin Adarabioyo, who turned 28 in September, is the oldest member of Maresca’s Premier League squad, which contains 12 players aged 21 or under.

Chelsea again boast the youngest squad in the Premier League, with an average age of 24.7 this season. In 2021–22, before the current ownership, the club ranked 15th in that metric with an average age of 27.4. Maresca described the current profile as the product of a deliberate transfer strategy focused on youth. Chelsea have not spent money on a player over the age of 25 since co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley joined the club in 2022.

“It’s not fair to paint Maresca as distrustful of youth,” he insisted himself. “I love the squad, I love young players,” he said earlier this week. Still, he repeated that his remit is limited. “I just focus on what I can control—pitch-side,” he clarified, “knowing that there is always noise you need to manage.” After a poor first half and a stronger second-half performance he added: “My message at the end of the game is, for sure in the first half we could do better, but the character they showed in the second half should make them proud,” he told assembled media. On the recent turmoil he concluded: “My last week has not been complicated. It has been good,” he claimed.

Saturday’s lunchtime meeting between Newcastle United and Chelsea produced a high-energy, two‑halves encounter and a refereeing debate that dominated the postmatch discussion. Chelsea were blunt in the first half and could have been substantially behind at the interval, while a second-half Reece James free-kick brought the visitors back into the game. Aaron Ramsdale may feel he could have done more to keep that set-piece out.

The key controversy followed a heavy collision between Gordon and Trevoh Chalobah. Referee Andy Madley waved play on and VAR Peter Bankes reviewed the incident after an earlier semi-automated offside problem had already led to scrutiny of Woltemade’s goal. Supporters in the Gallowgate End and commentators on the TNT Sports coverage were vociferous; Ally McCoist described the challenge as “stonewall.” Joe Cole said Chalobah had been overly forceful and that it was a penalty.

VAR’s assessment was later summarised on the Premier League Match Centre’s X account: “The referee’s call of no penalty to Newcastle was checked and confirmed by VAR—with the contact from Chalobah on Gordon deemed to be side-to-side in a shielding action and the ball within playing distance.” Former referee Darren Cann echoed the view that the incident was open to interpretation. “At normal speed I can understand why the referee didn’t award a penalty. Chalobah certainly takes a risk in making such a challenge because there’s clear contact with Gordon,” he told BBC Sport. “So the decision was right to be reviewed by VAR, who came to the conclusion that a clear and obvious error had not been made and stayed with the on-field decision of no penalty. I do think that had a penalty been given, I believe the VAR would have stuck with that decision too. So this comes down to ‘referee’s call.’”

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe told TNT Sports: “In my opinion, yes. I think it’s a clear penalty, I think anywhere else on the pitch that’s a free-kick, the player’s gone into Anthony aggressively, too aggressively in my opinion. I think it’s a stonewall. No, because it’s not [side by side shielding]. I think the defender’s only look is Anthony and not the ball, I think it’s too aggressive.”

Ten minutes after the incident João Pedro levelled for Chelsea with his fifth Premier League goal of the season and the match finished 1-1. The decision on the Chalobah challenge remained the defining talking point from a lively midday fixture on Tyneside.

Chelsea have submitted an initial proposal for Saint-Étienne forward Djylian N’Guessan as the French side move to sell amid a contract dispute. N’Guessan, who was expected to be a regular starter in Ligue 2 this season, has made only one appearance while negotiations over his future continue. He is out of contract in 2027 and, according to L’Équipe, is refusing to sign an extension.

Saint-Étienne have made the player available in order to avoid losing him for free. The report states Chelsea’s opening approach was for a deal worth €8 million (£7 million, $9.4 million). That offer was rejected, with the French club said to be holding out for closer to €12.5 million. It is not yet clear whether Chelsea will return with an improved bid. Arsenal and Brentford are also named admirers, and Saint-Étienne are understood to hope of provoking a Premier League bidding contest.

Chelsea’s owners, BlueCo, who also own Strasbourg, have signalled a willingness to invest in young prospects. That transfer policy has not always satisfied the full fanbase.

A wider concern at Chelsea has been the perceived lack of experience in Enzo Maresca’s squad. With Raheem Sterling exiled, the oldest regular in the group is 28-year-old centre back Tosin Adarabioyo, who is one of only seven squad members above 25.

Former captain John Terry has publicly urged Chelsea to add experience in January by reuniting with Thiago Silva. First reported by Globo Esporte, Silva is said to be seeking a winter move away from Fluminense to return to Europe; his family remained in London after his 2024 departure and his sons, Isago and Iago, are in the Blues’ academy. Terry said on TikTok:

“Thiago Silva is available,” Terry highlighted on TikTok. “Now, listen to me, a man with great experience, a man with a great relationship with our football club.

“His two kids are in our academy, no doubt he’s going to be back in London over here with his family for Christmas. I would love to see this man back at our football club playing alongside these players.

“Now, I’m not saying he has to play every week, but just the experience he can bring, playing alongside someone like that … Probably goes back to my role under Antonio Conte in 2017 when we won the league.

“I didn’t play, but I had a role to play within the group, be that buffer between the players, the manager, the owners, and have that bit of experience where, sometimes, when you’re going through a tough spell or when you’re going through a good spell as well, you know what to say, what to deliver, and he certainly brings that as well.

“So, Thiago Silva back to Chelsea, that would make everyone very, very happy, me included in that, so who knows? I’m just throwing it out there. Thiago, we love you.”

Silva enjoyed four years at Chelsea, making 155 appearances and lifting the Champions League trophy in 2021.