Chelsea
How VAR Has Reshaped the 2025/26 Premier League Table
VAR has altered points in the 2025/26 table, helping some clubs while penalising others unfairly…
Video assistant referees remain divisive across the Premier League, summed up in one line from Burnley’s Kyle Walker: “I like it when it helps us out, and I don’t like it when it doesn’t help us out.” That pragmatic view captures why VAR has produced wildly different outcomes for clubs with less than a fifth of the campaign to play.
The league’s top five and bottom three would be unchanged if every VAR-reviewed goal were ignored, but points totals shift in notable ways. Arsenal’s nine-point lead over Manchester City would shrink to seven in a VAR-less world, “giving Pep Guardiola’s side the chance to move just one behind the Gunners were they to win their game in hand and the meeting between the two teams at the Etihad in April.” Arsenal benefited from VAR on two occasions this season: Viktor Gyökeres was awarded a penalty in the December win at Everton, a match the Premier League later agreed should also have included an Everton spot kick, and VAR confirmed Piero Hincapié was onside for Wolves’ second in a 2–2 draw in February.
Erling Haaland has defended the system: “I think VAR has helped me even more because you get the decision, it’s as simple as that,” and VAR helped Haaland win a penalty after Diego Gómez’s foul in a 1–1 draw with Brighton.
Manchester United are the curious case whose points remain unchanged on aggregate, the result of two decisions canceling each other out. Fulham’s Samu Chukwueze had a strike ruled out for offside at Old Trafford while United led 2–0, then Benjamin Šeško’s stoppage-time winner settled the game. Later, Casemiro had an effort ruled out against West Ham that might have altered conclusions in a VAR-free scenario.
Liverpool would be three points better off without VAR, while Chelsea have gained five points from video interventions, largely in the season’s opening weeks. “We have been very affected by refereeing decisions,” Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola lamented after two matches with Chelsea featured overturned decisions. Brighton would climb from 10th to sixth without VAR, denied three wins and seven points, including a November penalty that was overturned and several retroactive spot kicks awarded to their opponents. Danny Welbeck even described the toll of narrow offside calls after a goal was disallowed and said it affected how he celebrated a later strike.
Chelsea
Chelsea posts record $350m pre-tax loss as agent payments top Premier League list
2025: Chelsea posted a $350 million pre-tax loss and paid player agents $86.6 million. Via BBC Sport
Chelsea has declared a $350 million pre-tax loss for the 2024-25 year, the largest single loss reported by any Premier League club since the competition began in 1992. The figure, announced as the club closed the 2024-25 campaign, sits above previous high losses recorded by other top-flight teams and follows reporting that Chelsea paid player agents more than any other Premier League club.
The club reported revenue of $654.8 million, the second-highest in the club’s history, but outgoings outstripped income by a considerable margin. The $350 million loss is listed at the top of a ranking that includes Manchester City’s $263 million loss in 2011 and several earlier Chelsea entries, including $208 million in 2021 and $207 million in 2023.
Sporting performance offered counterpoint to the financial figures. Enzo Maresca led Chelsea to two trophies in the period, winning the UEFA Conference League and the Club World Cup last summer. The Club World Cup triumph in the United States, against Paris Saint-Germain, brought a $114.6 million prize and the club lifted the trophy alongside President Donald Trump.
Reports from BBC Sport and the Football Association show where much of Chelsea’s spending went. Agent fees at the club reached $86.6 million, the highest sum recorded among Premier League clubs. That total sits ahead of Aston Villa ($51.1 million), Manchester City ($49.7 million), Liverpool ($45.1 million) and others in the top ten for agent payments.
Agents are entitled to agreed portions of transfer fees and related bonuses, and the figures underline how negotiating terms with intermediaries has become a significant cost for the club. News of the losses and elevated agent expenses will increase scrutiny over how Chelsea manages compliance with Premier League regulations going forward.
Chelsea
Why Marc Cucurella Publicly Challenged Chelsea’s Midseason Choices
Cucurella publicly criticised Chelsea’s midseason changes and long-term recruitment strategy. Today.
Since BlueCo completed its takeover in 2022, Stamford Bridge has changed off the field while results have lagged. The January exit of Enzo Maresca crystallised growing unrest among supporters and within the squad, with Enzo Fernández publicly expressing disappointment and confusion over the decision.
Marc Cucurella took that frustration further, questioning the timing and the club’s wider direction. “The moment Maresca left, it had a big impact on us,” Cucurella said. “These are decisions taken by the club. If you asked me, I would not have made this decision. To make a change like that, the best thing is to wait until the end of the season. You would give everyone, the players and the new manager, time to get ready, have a full preseason.”
Maresca’s relationship with those above him had been strained since the summer, when he publicly requested a new centre back to replace the injured Levi Colwill and that request was refused. Reports say Maresca grew disenchanted with the sporting directors and decision-makers, accusing them of interfering in his role. The hierarchy opted for a change, and Liam Rosenior was appointed to replace Maresca at a crucial point while the team remained in the race for Champions League qualification.
Cucurella also criticised Chelsea’s transfer philosophy. He highlighted the shift away from senior, experienced signings after the 2022 window in which Todd Boehly played a prominent role in recruitment. That summer saw arrivals including Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Wesley Fofana, Carney Chukwuemeka, Cesare Casadei and Cucurella himself.
“I understand this is part of the club’s policy, and that they want to take this direction—signing young players and looking to the future,” he stressed. “But, for all of us who are still here and want to win big things, moments like this make you feel discouraged.
“We have a good core of players. The foundations are there. But to fight for major trophies such as the Premier League or the Champions League, you need more. Signing young players only might complicate achieving those goals. Against PSG , we lacked players that had gone through situations like that.
“You need time as well, and I know the young players are the ones that will have the experience in the future. But you need to find the balance between both worlds.”
The recruitment model overseen by co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, and Joe Shields, has prioritised young talent. There are a few clear positives from the recruitment since 2022, including Cole Palmer and Moisés Caicedo. But several signings have drawn scrutiny and recent results, such as the Champions League loss to PSG following Club World Cup success, have intensified fan protests and anti-Eghbali chants at home games. The board renewed contracts for Winstanley, Stewart, Shields and Sam Jewell in August 2025, even as dissent grew louder.
Chelsea
Chelsea’s mixed ledger under Liam Rosenior: promising start, uneven Premier League form
Rosenior’s Chelsea show mixed form: strong start, Champions League exit and league wobble in March.
Liam Rosenior took charge following the departure of Enzo Maresca and delivered an immediate uplift. Six wins from his first seven matches raised expectations, yet the broader picture has been inconsistent.
Chelsea sit fourth in the Premier League table during Rosenior’s tenure with 10 games played, a +5 goal difference and 17 points. The snapshot of the whole division, correct as of March 31, 2026, shows Manchester United top on 23 points and Arsenal second on 21. Chelsea’s standing in that table reflects a team that has produced encouraging results alongside notable setbacks.
March was especially bruising. The club suffered four consecutive defeats, exited the Champions League at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain and slipped into a catch-up position in the race to qualify for next season’s European competition. Rosenior’s side are higher in the form table than in the actual standings: their return can only be bettered by three clubs, and the same applies to their goal difference.
Part of the difficulty lies in schedule congestion. Rosenior arrived while Chelsea were still involved in four competitions, and only 10 of his first 19 matches were Premier League fixtures. That imbalance has complicated efforts to build consistent domestic momentum.
Consistency has been the main problem. A 4–1 victory over Aston Villa to open March was a significant result, but points were later dropped against Leeds United and Burnley. The 2–0 win over Brentford in his third game appeared straightforward in the table but was, in reality, fortunate. “Sometimes the game isn’t fair,” Bees boss Keith Andrews correctly reflected. January’s 3–2 comeback win over West Ham also masked moments of vulnerability when Chelsea trailed by two goals at home.
After winning their first four league games, Rosenior’s Chelsea have managed only one win from their last six. Those 12 early points have been followed by five from the latest six outings. In form across that recent run, Chelsea rank 17th, having picked up more points than only Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur.
