Tough sledding!

Even with a four match win streak across all competitions, it hasn’t been the prettiest of play from Enzo Maresca & the squad grinding out close victories of late. Last weekend’s match vs Leicester City with all the stats in favor of the Blues only resulted in a 1-0 win from a Marc Cucurella goal from outside the box. Cucurella has been one of the most prolific scorers of late for the team, which says a lot about the form of the attacking midfield & forwards recently. Even Cole Palmer’s unblemished penalty kick record was stopped dead on its tracks by Leicester keeper, Mads Hermansen. That will be quite the trivia answer to remember one day.

The lads must find their way to have a potent attack as they go into this London Derby against the best defense in the Premier League & arguably in all of Europe, Arsenal. This will be a difficult challenge for Marseca as he will not have the services of Nico Jackson, Noni Madueke & Marc Guiu in attack. Malo Gusto will be a match time decision as he has missed the last two matches dealing with an ankle injury, but Romeo Lavia may be ready and selected into the starting XI for this one. Either way, the boys will have to dig deep to grab a result at the Emirates, hopefully they will be up for the fight for who is best in all of London!

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Sunday morning & kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

It’s a tight battle for 3rd & 4th place in the table with a pivotal match at home vs Leicester City that could help the Blues stay in striking distance of the two teams ahead, Nottingham Forest & Manchester City. The boys had a nice long break last weekend from being knocked out early in this year’s FA Cup in the 4th round by Brighton last month.

The will be 11 days between Premier League matches the last match: where the boys trounced last place Southampton 4-nil, and this weekend to face another team that is 2nd to last in table to keep their season alive in the fight for a qualifying spot back to the Champions League. Enzo Marseca did rotate the squad midweek to get some minutes for the youngsters as they traveled to Copenhagen and won 2-1 in the 1st leg of the Conference League round of 16. There was a slight injury scare with Malo Gusto being subbed off early with an apparently ankle injury, but the manager has assured it as a minor injury and may be called into action this Sunday. Hopefully it’ll be a similar result as the last league match!

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Sunday Morning and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there.

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

It happened again!

Another costly error in the 89th minute turned a closely contested match to a 1-2 defeat. It was all level heading into stoppage time, but a Marco Asensio shot slipped underneath Filip Jorgensen who was in position for the block misjudge the dip of the shot and it hit the back of the net.

Enzo Maresca tried a different formation going with a back 3 and moving Reece James into the defensive midfield which help free Enzo Fernandez & Cole Palmer to be at their best: roam freely and provide creativity to attack. It was promising as Fernandez scored the 1st goal from a Pedro Neto cross within the 1st 10 minutes and before that missed one in from hitting the top corner within the 1st 5. The changes in the end, resulted in the same outcome: score first, missed key open chances to expand the lead, squad begins to fade, opponent takes advantage key mistakes to tie it up or take the victory.

With Villa’s victory, that brings them into the fight with 6 teams battling it out for 3rd and 4th place in the Premier League table for Champions League qualification. Buckle up!

It’s a quick turnaround as the lads head home to face bottom dwellers, Southampton FC who are more than likely bound for relegation with only 9 points through 26 matches. A good opportunity for the boys to maintain their position with a victory, but nothing ever comes easy in the Premier League.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Tuesday Afternoon and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there.

Cheers!

Shed End Dallas

Misfiring in attack!

It’s become a habit: loads of possession in the opponents half with little to no shots on goal. Against Brighton, the lads nearly had 70% of the ball throughout the whole match and could not muster a single shot on target. Meanwhile, Brighton pragmatically took their 30% possession and put up three goals, emphatically winning 3-nil against the Blues delivering the heaviest defeat under manager Enzo Maresca so far this season.

Hanging in the balance now is Champions League qualification as getting a top two finish is likely out of the question. There is a 7 team battle for 3rd & 4th place, anything can happen between now and the end of the season with 10 matches left in the season, but the team must find their scoring boots and take advantage of their chances.

A huge match hangs in the balance this weekend as Maresca must get the lads firing again as they travel up to Villa Park to face Aston Villa in a pivotal clash. Can he wright the ship and get the boys clicking, or could this be another sign that sinks our Champions League hopes? We’ll find out Saturday!

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Saturday morning and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

Valentine’s Day Rematch!

Last week’s 1-2 defeat at the Amex Stadium against Brighton knocked the Blues out of the 2025 FA Cup. It was an uninspiring & lackluster performance from the lads, with no Reece James or Nico Jackson on the squad, it was a chance for the rest of the squad to make an impression to the manager, but its the same storyline over and over again: score 1st - from a fortunate gaffe by the goalkeeper, look threatening in attack the next few minutes, then the mistakes creep in, concede goals on miscues, lose the match. The lads are stuck in the spin cycle and need to find a way out of this.

We’ll get another chance as now the focus is to stay in the top 4 and keep the likes of Manchester City, Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Aston Villa who are all within 6 points of the last remaining spot to qualify for the Champions League. It’ll be a tough challenge with 13 matches remaining in the season.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Friday afternoon and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

Goalkeeper woes!

Costly mistakes was the theme throughout the match against Manchester City as it led to many scoring chances from both sides, but it was the Citizens who were able to cash on those opportunities in that led to a 1-3 defeat at the Etihad last weekend putting Citeh back ahead in the chase for a top four finish as they have won 4 out of their last 5. Meanwhile, the boys have only one win in the last 4, including 2 draws and two defeats.

The Blues were up early within the first 3 minutes of the game as newly signed Uzbek CB, Adbukodir Khsanov gave away the ball right in front of net to make it 1-0. It was a hopeful sign of things to come, but again we did not cash in on those chances. Another chance missed was when Palmer was onside and through on goal, but his pass was a bit heavy to Jackson and it should’ve been a simple one time strike, turned into a full stop & cross back to Jaden Sancho who had his shot blocked missing a golden chance to go up 2.

Citeh started to get themselves back in it match as Phil Foden a minute later, thumped a shot off the post. A few fortunate VAR reviews for offsides kept Citeh scoreless until Josko Gvardiol tied it up right before half as it came off a deflection that should have been cleared by Robert Sanchez. Some questionable & risky tactics by Enzo Maresca playing such a high defensive line and an offsides trap against a very dangerous team at their home ground. The go ahead goal came from Erling Haaland as Sanchez was caught in no man’s land trying to get to the ball unsuccessfully and leaving the net wide open for a chip over his head. The 3rd and final goal came as the lads chased the match and tried to tie it up leaving all that space for Haaland to operate and flick a simple pass to Foden for a breakaway goal. The loss puts us back in a virtual tie with Bournemouth for 6th in the standings as we are only ahead by goals scored.

Now, tt’s a reunion with former manager Graham Potter, now in charge of the Hammers as he visit Stamford Bridge for the 1st time since being sacked in 2023. It’ll be an interesting match to say the least, as it always is in a London Derby,.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Monday afternoon and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

First league win of 2025!

The five PL match winless drought ended with a dominant 3-1 win at home vs Wolverhampton Wanderers. Two goals from defenders Tosin Adarabioyo & Marc Cucurella, then a 3rd by Noni Madueke sealed the game out. Still, there was a moment where doubt did creep in with the recent winless results, as a late 1st half Wolves goal off a gaffe from Robert Sanchez made it 1-1 at the break. The keeper could’ve been stronger in clearing the ball out of the box as it was tapped in by Matt Doherty. Reece James was back in the starting XI as the captain and Trevor Chalobah returned as a Blue after a half season loan to Crystal Palace. Having both players back and fit was sorely needed as Enzo Maresca is managing the squad through some injuries at the moment.

Depth will be key as the boys will travel this weekend up to Manchester to face the current PL Champions, Manchester City. This will be the 2nd league match between both clubs as they opened the season at Stamford Bridge back in August where it was 0-2 defeat to the Citizens in Enzo Maresca’s 1st official match as gaffer facing his mentor, Pep Guardiola. There could be a huge swing in the table with as the lads need a strong result and hold their spot in the race for a top 4 spot against a slew of teams, including City fighting for that last spot for Champions League qualification.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Saturday morning and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

Escaped with a point!

A tale of two halves in the last match’s 2-2 draw vs Bournemouth. The boys dominated the 1st half of the match and took a early lead from a wonderful pass by Nicolas Jackson to Cole Palmer who cheekily faked out the keeper to slot in the goal making it 1-0. But we have seen this before, where only one goal was not enough to take the victory. Chance after chance were missed by Enzo Fernandez, Nicholas Jackson along with some wonderful saves by Bournemouth’s keeper, Mark Travers holding the lead to only one at the break.

In the 2nd half, Bournemouth pressed immediately and won a penalty from a turnover by Romeo Lavia that was compounded by a Moises Caicedo foul on Antonio Semenyo in the box. Justin Kluivert converted the penalty making it level at 1-1. Changes were make to try and slow Bournemouth’s press but to no avail as Semenyo thumped in a 2nd goal making it 2-1. Desperation hit the boys late as they attacked but could not get a goal to even the score, until a late free kick by none other than Reece James, who saves the match with a wonderful goal in the dying minutes to end in a 2-2 draw. The boys are fighting hard and trying to stay in the mix for a top 4 finish, but their legs have been looking heavy of late and Enzo Maresca is going to have to work some magic to get them firing again to win matches.

Up next, they face Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge, who were beaten 2-6 at Molineux earlier this season by the lads are still near bottom of the table and with an care taker manager trying to fight off relegation. It will be a good opportunity to the boys to get back to their winning ways, but it will not be easy.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Monday afternooon and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

Back to Premier League action as The Blues face The Cherries at Stamford Bridge in midweek matchup. Bournemouth have not lost a match in their last nine matches for all comps, and have only conceded 6 goals during that run, with 3 clean sheets including a 3-0 victory at Old Trafford vs Manchester United.

This will be a challenge as the boys have yet to find their scoring boots in the last 4 league matches having only scored two goals during that run, and going scoreless in two matches. Five goals were scored in the past weekend’s FA Cup 3rd round vs Morecambe, but Enzo Maresca will likely rotate to his usual strongest starting XI, and key players, Nicolas Jackson, Pedro Neto & Jadon Sancho need to find the form again as we are well into the 2nd half of the Premier League season. Cole Palmer can’t continue to carry the squad as he faces multiple defenders every week marking him out of the attack. Someone has to step it up and make an impact.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Tuesday afternoon and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

New Year’s Hangover?

One point in the last three matches, Enzo Maresca finds himself with his 1st big challenge halfway through his 1st campaign. After a tough 0-2 defeat away to 19th place, Ipswich Town FC, the Tractor Boys ended a 23 year winless drought to the home fans at Portman Road. Ex-Chelsea academy player, Omari Hutchison scored the 2nd goal in the 53rd minute as the Blues could not find their way to get going for much of the match. Two early chances in the 1st half with a Cole Palmer free kick hitting the woodwork & then Joao Felix, in what look like a great finish from a Palmer cross equalized in the 24th minute. But once again, VAR deemed the goal offsides after checking. Palmer had another chance before the end of the half but a great save by Christian Watson denied him the opportunity. 2nd half changes to bring on Nicholas Jackson, Jadon Sancho & Pedro Neto into the attack didn’t help improve things as the lads appear to have hit a point in the season where their legs are feeling heavy after long December campaign with 7 league matches & 2 in the Conference League which included a long flight over to Kazakhstan.

Can Maresca get the boys back in form against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park? Having already played to a draw earlier this season at Stamford Bridge, it should be another tough away match that the lads will need to rise to the occasion and possibly nick 3 three points to stay in the battle to stay in the top four.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Saturday afternoon and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

Where did it go wrong?!

Two late goals by Fulham turned the tide from 1-0 lead for much of the match into a 1-2 shock defeat at home in a Boxing Day West London derby. Cole Palmer scored his 26 goal of 2024, a club record, with a Hazard-esque move dribbling past three defenders and slotting the ball between Issa Diop’s legs to put the Blues up early. But it seemed like a slough for the rest of the 65 minutes, and questions were asked about Enzo Maresca making only one sub to Fulham’s four. The boys definitely looked weary in the dying minutes as Harry Wilson leveled the match 1-1 in the 82nd minute & Rodrigo Muniz putting the Cottagers up for good in the 95th minute of stoppage time.

Got to forget this one and move on to the next. Up next, a Monday night away match against Ipswich Town. Kieran McKenna and his squad are currently 19th and fighting relegation for much of the season. It’s their 1st time back in the top division in 22 years, their 3rd time up since the Premier League formed.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Monday afternoon and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there.

Cheers!

Shed End Dallas

Happy Holidays Everyone!

It’s a Boxing Day derby with our local neighborhood rivals, Fulham FC. The Cottagers have not lost a match in the last 5 & should prove to be a tough opponent to break as they’ve held successful draws against league leaders, Liverpool and 3rd place Arsenal during that run. Let see what Enzo Marseca draws after the tough 0-0 draw away to Everton. He will have Marc Cucurella back in the starting XI at left back after a one match ban. Clean sheets for both teams last match was the best possible outcome after a game saving block by Tosin Adarabioyo, the boys hold on to 2nd in the table through the Christmas holiday.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Thursday morning and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there.

Cheers!

Shed End Dallas

Finally, a victory over Brentford!

December 22, 2021 - the last time Chelsea defeated the West London rivals in the quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup. It’s been almost three years, and during that timeframe have gone 0W - 2L - 2D in all competitions, including a heavy 1-4 defeat in that 2021-22 PL season. It’s been quite a roller coaster since with 4 managers in charge & wholesale changes to the roster that only have Ben Chilwell, Reece James & Harvey Vale still remaining from that squad.

Brentford still gave lots of trouble against the lads as Thomas Frank setup his squad to play really compact in middle of their defensive half to outnumber Enzo Marseca’s usual box 4 shape when in possession. This forced him to play the ball out wide and utilized the wide attacking players of Noni Madueke & Jadon Sancho with Marc Cucurella making late runs to join in attack. The overload finally paid off right before the half as Cucurella scored a header from a lovely cross from Noni to take the lead 1-0. This helped open up Brentford’s defense as they chased the game to try to equalize and help setup of the counter attack for the 2nd goal from Nicolas Jackson, his 9th of the PL campaign. Brentford pulled one back in the 90th minute as he netted his 10 goal of the season, but the Blues held on to possession and avoid the late equalizer holding on to a 2-1 victory keeping them in a solid 2nd place in the table.

Up next, the boys travel north to face Everton at Goodison Park where it has been a tough challenge to come away with 3 points. The Toffees have a tough & gritty defensive squad and recently been on a decent run of form, not allowing a single opponent goal so far in December. Sean Dyche has managed Everton to 4 nil-nil draws in 25% of the PL matches played this season, but if the lads can break through that formidable defense, the floodgates will open up for goals.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Sunday morning and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

Tottenham got battered, once again!

Seven goals in an epic London match, where Spurs were even spotted with two early goals on errors by Marc Cucurella wearing his new boots causing him to slip twice on the pitch. A quick change of the boots, and there was an immediate impact as he helped assist Jadon Sancho with the 1st goal of the match to make the score 1-2.

Adjustments were made at the half as Malo Gusto came on for Romeo Lavia which let Enzo Fernandez to roam free for much of the 2nd half as Spurs continued to press very high leaving them with a 3 on 4 disadvantage in the midfield. A penalty was given as a foul occurred in the box as Yves Bissouma wipes out Moises Caicedo. Cole Palmer steps up and wrong foots Fraser Forster to level it at 2-2. Enzo then puts his mark on the match with a thumping goal off a deflection as he we left alone, once again, free to roam in the box making it 3-2. Palmer then seals it with cheeky panenka kick from the spot after another penalty from Tottenham giving them a 4-2 lead. Spurs bagged a goal by Heung-Min Son late in the dying minutes of the match making it a 4-3 final.

Up next, it’s another London derby with West London rivals, Brentford FC who have been a challenging foe against the Blues having gone winless in 5 PL matches against Brentford. Will this finally be the end to this slump? We’ll find out on Sunday.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Sunday afternoon and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

On a roll!!!

What a showing from the lads this midweek with a 5-1 thumping at St. Mary’s against Southampton FC. Goals were aplenty with Axel Disasi’s 1st of the season & Jadon Sancho netting his 1st in a Blue shirt - hopefully the beginning of many.

Cole Palmer also scored his 9th goal of the season keeping pace with the Golden Boot along with 6th assists in the current campaign. Christopher Nkunku & Noni Madueke added to the score line as well with the attack firing in all cylinders, the boys were able to build a goal difference to stay in 2nd ahead of Arsenal. Yes, it is still early in the season, but it’s a vast improvement from how it went one year ago.

Up next, it’s the London derby everyone looks forward to: vs Tottenham. Will they get another battering by the lads, we’ll find out this weeeknd.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Sunday morning and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

A convincing win this weekend!!!

The lads dominated Aston Villa with a standout 3-nil victory to the home supporters moving them into a virtual dead heat tie for 2nd with Arsenal with identical numbers: 25 points, 7 wins, 4 draws, 2 defeats, 26 goals scored & 12 conceded. Enzo Marseca has been outstanding in charge as he continues to balance out the squad and keep all the players in form, going into the busy upcoming holiday fixtures.

Now onto a midweek Premier League matchup with bottom dwellers, Southampton FC who’ve only managed to score 5 points in a total of 13 matches so far. It’s ever an easy task to take three point at an away fixture, but this one could be very doable to maintain 2nd place as Arsenal face a tougher opposition vs Manchester United and their new manager in charge Ruben Amorim. We will find out in a matter of days!

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Wednesday afternoon and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

Big match Sunday!

The boys will host 8th place, Aston Villa in a match that could help leapfrog Chelsea to 2nd in the table depending on the result of the Liverpool vs Man City match later that day. Villa who is in a slump of form, lately having not won a match since October. Last time these two faced off was back in April in a thrilling 2-2 draw at Villa Park, where a late game winning goal by Axel Disasi was disallowed by VAR as a foul was deemed to have created the opportunity for the goal.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Sunday morning and kick it with the Shed End crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

And so it begins!

We’re past all of the international breaks now for the rest of the year, but be ready, it’s a crazy run of twelve matches in the next six weeks until January. First up, it’s Enzo Maresca’s first visit back to the King Power Stadium as he faces his former team Leicester City. He impressed in his only season there as manager, winning the EFL Championship & helping guide Leicester back into the Premier League. Since leaving, they are currently 15th in the table and in a a fight to stay out of the bottom three. They have a long season ahead in that battle.

As for the boys, it’ll be a rush to see who will be ready and fit coming off a 2 week layoff. Many of the players decided to rest instead of participate in international duty. Cole Palmer will be the biggest concern as he is still trying to comeback from a knock he took in the United match. He wasn’t 100% against Arsenal, but still battled & played a full 90 minutes through the injury. Jadon Sancho also has been out a few weeks battling illness & injury is back practicing with the lads, and appears to be a selection for this weekend. Others will be arriving back to London very late Friday from international duty and may not be available for selection. We shall see!

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Saturday morning and kick it with the Shed End crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

Huge London derby awaits this weekend as rivals Arsenal FC come to Stamford Bridge in a battle to stay within title contention.

Both are currently tied for 5th place in the Premier League standings and both teams in a bit of inconsistent form at the moment as Arsenal lost midweek in a Champions League clast to Inter Milan and to Newcastle FC last weekend. The Blues drew Manchester United last weekend in a closely fought match that needed them to comeback to late in the 2nd half after conceding a penalty that put them down initially. Enzo Maresca then rotated the squad midweek as they went on to thrash Noah FC, 8-nil in Conference League action that could boost morale going into this weekend against the London rivals.

Also, keep an eye on Cole Palmer as he faces a fitness battle to be ready for action, if he’s not selected then you could a list of hungry players that would vie to make the starting XI spot with the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix & Mykhailo Mudryk. With the top two clubs in the table already three points clear of the rest, a loss from this match could spell doom for both clubs’ title hopes this early into the season.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Sunday morning and kick it with the Shed End crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

A team victory, B team defeat…

It was a home & away split with Newcastle United. A home win in Premier League action with Enzo Maresca’s preferred starting XI, then a lackluster effort with the players trying to make a name to be selected losing at St. James park in Carabao Cup action. Cole Palmer, Nicholas Jackson & Pedro Neto led the way hitting on all cylinders on Sunday contributing to the two goals in victorious fashion. While, it was difficult to name anyone who really stood out on Wednesday. It was a forgetful match & they look to redeem themselves next week when they return to Conference League play at home vs FC Noah.

But 1st, the Blues head up to Manchester to face the Red Devils of Manchester United who are now without a manager having sacked Erik Ten Hag this week following the defeat against West Ham United. A late penalty led to a Jarrod Bowen penalty conversion giving the Hammers a 2-1 victory & Ten Hag without a job. Ruud van Nistelrooy takes over on an interim basis until Man United appoints their next manager. With the Red Devils in disarray, the boys have a great chance this weekend to stay within striking distance of the league leaders, Manchester City, Liverpool & Arsenal. Let’s get those three points!

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Sunday morning and kick it with the Shed End crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

Still plenty of work to do!

The boys traveled up to Anfield last Sunday and tested the league leaders, Liverpool FC. It was a closely contested match where the lads actually controlled much of it, but having to make adjustments to the usual starting XI due to suspensions, the home team took their chances and delivered In the end, the Blues fell short 1-2. Still, the match was in the balance as Liverpool did not look threatening as they would at home. Enzo Maresca did a great job in bringing g on Romeo Lavia to start and Reece James did a solid job returning for the 1st time this season. So chin up and onto the next match at home this Sunday against Newcastle.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Sunday morning and kick it with the Shed End crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

It’s been a long two weeks!

The boys are back in action this weekend and it’s a big test on the road at Anfield against the current league leaders, Liverpool FC. It’s been an excellent campaign to start off the season for the Merseyside club who also have a new manager in charge, Arne Slot and they have yet to miss a beat. The lads will be in for a challenge as they will return to action missing key players, Marc Cucurella & Wesley Fofona. Both players will be suspended due to yellow card accumulation. A glimmer of hope though as Reece James if back in training after sustaining another injury in preseason and will be in contention for minutes this match. Let’s knock those Scousers off the top of the table!

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Sunday morning and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there!!!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

Undefeated in six consecutive matches!

Chelsea have not lost a match since the 2nd leg of the Conference League playoff vs Servette back in late August. Since that defeat, it’s been a remarkable run of form and with two more victories added to the total this week, including a 4-1 win last night vs KAA Gent in the opening match play of the Conference League. Could we make it seven before going into the international break?

This past weekend, at home, the lads came out victorious 4-2 against Brighton who had yet to lose a Premier League match this season and man, what a frenzy match it was. Cole Palmer lighting it up a new PL record four goals in the 1st forty minutes of the half,but early on Brighton did all they could to fluster the Blues. It took only seven minutes for the Seagulls to go ahead as they forced the defense to reach and caught Robert Sanchez out of position for the 1st goal. Then, Brighton oddly kept an alarming high press against the boys setting up a wide open break, and once they got through this high linem they were punished with through balls from Enzo Fernandez to Cole Palmer time after time, 1st one going wide off the post and then equalizing minutes later in the 21st minute. Brighton pegged another off a Sanchez mistake making it 3-2 but Palmer again decisively put one past the goal keeper off their own mistake with Jadon Sancho assisting to make in 4-2 and all of this in the 1st half of the match. That frenetic pace seemed to have tired out both sides and it played out more defensively with both dialing back the press seeing out the 2nd half with the same score.

The boys will now look to go into the break without dropping any points as they host Nottingham Forest.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Sunday morning and kick it with the Shed End crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

It’s been a great week!

Two convincing victories, a total of eight goals & now a good run of form going undefeated in 7 across all competitions. It all started last week in the London derby were the boys won convincingly at West Ham, where two early goals by Nicolas Jackson & a 2nd half goal by Cole Palmer ended in a 3-nil victory that stopped at winless streak at the London Stadium dating back to April 2021. Then this past Tuesday, the squad rotated in a fresh starting XI and dominated League Two leaders, Barrow FC 5-0, with Christopher Nkunku getting a hat trick in the result.

The roster has seen a dramatic improvement in less than 6 weeks time under Enzo Maresca since the season started in defeat against Manchester City. There will be road blocks along the way as the Premier League is no easy road, but so far Maresca has been up for the challenge.

Up next, the lads host Brighton & Hove Albion FC as once again, they have another strong start to their campaign. The Seagulls have yet to lose a match so far, 5 matches in and it will be another tough test to see how they do against another formidable opponent. Getting three points will no doubt be another monumental gain in what looks like a competitive challenge to be in the top 4 this season. Let’s get it!

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Saturday morning and kick it with the Shed End crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

14 yellow cards?!!?

A record even by Anthony Taylor’s standards. That was the total number of accumulated yellows between Chelsea & Bournemouth in a physical and pressure intense match. It was deadlocked for over 85 minutes, until Jadon Sancho, our newest addition, provided a lovely through ball right to the feet of Christopher Nkunku who slotted in the match winner in the 86th minute to hold one for a 1-nil victory at the Vitality Stadium.

Up next, the Blues head over to East London in a Derby showdown vs the Hammers at London Stadium. It’s been a struggle there in the past few seasons to get any points off West Ham, but Enzo Maresca and the team go in still trying to find the right combination for the starting XI to get into form. At times, it has looked promising and other times, it still a look into the past seasons: trying to find the key to unlock how teams defend or hoping Jackson finds his scoring tough in the box - while onsides.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Saturday morning and kick it with the Shed End crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

Three matches into the season, already. One win, one draw, one loss.

How has Enzo Maresca done so far? He’s been able to play the style he wants, worked on Noni Madueke during the summer and brought him into a good run of form to start, and worked in players like Joao Felix & Pedro Neto to get them up to speed.

The bad? Well, Mudryk is still, Mudryk. Can you really say he’s improved? And the defense is very shaky to start giving up 5 goals in 3 matches to start the season. Even with dominating possession during the match, the squad has yet to unlock compact defenses who sit back to protect the goal. It was never going to be easy, but there still much work to do from Maresca’s end once he brings in Jadon Sancho & Reece James as reinforcements.

Up next after the break? The lads make a trip down to the southern coast of England to face AFC Bournemouth. Last match, the Cherries stormed back late at Everton to take the match 3-2 after facing a 0-2 deficit for 88 minutes. Three goals in under 8 minutes as the Evertonians collapsed in epic fashion. They are off to a decent start having not lost a match yet to start the season. Let’s see if the lads can change that!

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Saturday afternoon and kick it with the Shed End crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

Buckle Up!

Did Enzo Marseca unlock the scoring boots for the lads? The boys traveled up to Wolverhampton to face Wolves and ended putting six goals on the board, but it was not easy to start of in the 1st half. An early goal from a Nicholas Jackson header on a set piece put the Blues up early 1-nil. The lead would not last as the shaky defense could not stop a give away in their own defensive half as Matheus Cunha equalized in the 27th minute. Cole Palmer with a wonderful volley over the long arms of Jose Sa made it 2-1 off a quick long ball from Robert Sanchez & a quick tap from Jackson to setup Palmer. But that lead was short-lived as in the waning minutes of 1st half stoppage time, the defense gives up a Jorgen Strand-Larsen goal off a free kick to level the match going into the half.

Changes were made at the half and for the better. Pedro Neto was subbed on and the results were immediate. Four minutes into the 2nd half, the lads attacked much quicker & Noni Madueke capitalizes. Ten minutes later, Noni strikes again as the Blues put on more pressure on Wolves. He then goes for the hat trick as Cole Palmer assist Noni fora 3rd time and in less than 20 minutes played in the 2nd half, the lads were up 5-2. Joao Felix was subbed on late and joins in scoring as he nets his 1st of the PL campaign and the 6th of the match. The match completely flipped in our favor after an end to end affair in the 1st half.

Are we starting to see what Enzo Marseca really wants from the lads? There’s much work still to do on the defensive half, but if the goals are being scored at this rate, it’ll buy the backline some time to figure things out. Up next, the 1st London Derby of the season at home against Crystal Palace. Let’s see if the momentum holds up.

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Sunday morning and kick it with the Shed End crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

Plenty to reflect on after the 1st defeat.

Going up against the PL champions to start the season, it was going to be a tough test to break through vs Manchester City. It ended in a 0-2 result. Erling Haaland scored the 1st goal of the season, his 91st in 100 matches played. Enzo Maresca has a lot of work ahead of him to get the squad up and running for the season. There was a lot pressure and attack early on that yielded no shots on target, but when Nicolas Jackson got by Ederson late in the 1st half to level it up 1-1, it was ruled offsides by VAR.

Still, many players contributed well in this match and look to be strong candidates to be in the everyday starting XI. Romeo Lavia, after a long injury spell, played his first league match with the club and looked strong covering the deep midfield role, Cole Palmer & Marc Cucurella with a shortened summer break playing in the Euros returned right in to the starting lineup and played heavy minutes. All look ready to go for a long season.

Up next, the lads make the 1st trip away up to the Molineux to face Wolverhampton Wanderers. Former player, Pedro Neto has now joined up with Chelsea now faces 1st former club in the 2nd match of the Premier League season. It’s early, but the squad looks promising and ready to challenge for a top 4 spot this year, we can all hope!

Come on down to the Londoner Addison this Sunday morning and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

We are back! New season, new manager, new hope!!!

Enzo Maresca takes the helm as gaffer and his 1st test to start the new season will be against his former boss, Pep Guardiola and the current PL Champions, Manchester City. He was an assistant manager under Pep in 2020 before becoming a manager for the youth team in 2021. Then won the EFL title with Leicester City this past year promoting them back into the Premier League. Now he joins the Blues with a very large squad that will soon need to be reduced by transfer day August 30th. It’ll be really interesting to see how he select the squad for the rest of this campaign.

It was quite an interesting preseason as the USA Summer Tour netted mixed results, having only won one match, losing three, and drawing once. Also, drawing in this last weekend’s home return vs Inter Milan. The lads have got in a lot of fitness work, but now is it’s time to show what the manager has in store for this season!

Come on down to the Londoner Addison this Sunday morning and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. The 1st of many in the 2024-25 campaign. We look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas

We are now 6th!

Who would’ve expected how this season has gone, from having the youngest team in the league, to a newly appointed manager, and the countless number of injured players, that somehow we are in it vying for a chance to play in either a Europa or Europa conference league spot? It’s not the glamour of a Champions League, but how the lads have fought, especially late in the season, they will have shown that spirit that will get the team back to the top four and a UCL spot for next year.

Finally, we are at the match finale for the season. There are numerous stories from all teams: who will win the league? Who will be the final team relegated? And the most important questions for Chelsea, will Spurs be Spursy and bottle their 5th place spot? We’ll find out this weekend, but 1st the Blues will need to take care of business at home against (Anthony Taylor) and AFC Bournemouth. Let’s close out the season on a high!!!

Come down to the Londoner Addison this Sunday morning and kick it with the Shed End Dallas crew. It’s the last match of the season and we look forward to seeing you there!

Cheers,

Shed End Dallas