When you have the privilege of reporting on Chelsea, you know that every year will be full of drama — and 2025 can certainly be added to the list.
The popularity of head coach Enzo Maresca among the club’s supporters has been like the English weather, swinging one way and another.
There were two trophies and the return of Champions League football to celebrate. There were also some humbling defeats, including when Maresca made the faux pas of saying going out of the FA Cup to Brighton could turn out to be a positive.
Here is my rundown of the highlights and lowlights of the year, with a nod to what to look forward to in 2026.
Best moment
Maresca’s dash down the touchline after Estevao’s late winner at home to Liverpool in October.
The two trophies secured in 2025, plus Champions League qualification, were all achieved away from home. Despite those successes, the Italian has continued to divide opinion among the fanbase.
This was a big moment for the coach with the fans at Stamford Bridge, even though he got shown a second yellow card for it. The goal also truly kick-started the Estevao era.
Worst moment
When the news emerged that Levi Colwill was going to miss most of the 2025-26 campaign due to suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury on the first day of pre-season training in August.
It was a major setback for the club, the team, but my thoughts were instantly with the individual. I had interviewed Colwill just nine days earlier. He was full of excitement at the thought of playing in the Champions League for the first time and at Chelsea’s chances of competing for the Premier League.
The long lay-off also ended his dreams of playing for England at the World Cup. It just highlighted how football can be such a cruel game.
Levi Colwill suffered an injury right before the season began (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Best game
It has to be the 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup final.
Few gave Chelsea a chance against the Champions League holders, and the pre-match build-up betrayed that. Instead of getting despondent about it, it was used as a motivation. Maresca got his tactics spot on as Chelsea took control of the game from the kick-off.
The match was effectively over before the interval as Chelsea scored three times through two sublime finishes from Cole Palmer and one from Joao Pedro. A sign of just how rattled their opponents were came when head coach Luis Enrique slapped Joao Pedro after the final whistle.
Chelsea’s achievement of lifting the trophy has been dismissed by many pundits and rival fans. However, beating a PSG side who had knocked out European heavyweights Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the previous two rounds (with the combined scoreline 6-0) gave supporters even more bragging rights.
Best player
Moises Caicedo is the winner of the Cole Palmer trophy.
Even if Palmer had not suffered a dip through injury and temporary loss of form over the last 12 months to hinder his chances of retaining the accolade, Caicedo would still get my vote. The Ecuador international has been that good and that consistent in midfield. He is regarded as one of the best players in his position in the world, not just the Premier League.
It has taken too long for people outside of Stamford Bridge to acknowledge how talented he is. Tremendous goals against Brentford and Liverpool helped demonstrate he is a lot more to Chelsea than someone who can just win the ball back.
The stat that sums up 2025
Chelsea have had nine red cards, including one for Maresca, albeit most (seven) have come in the last three months. It shows a lack of maturity as much as discipline.
It also indicates that the group are not learning, having had a problem with discipline, as documented by The Athletic, since the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium bought the club in 2022.
It is no laughing matter, as it has an inevitable negative impact on results and squad selection. This is something that must get better in 2026.
Favourite quote
Maresca spends most of his media duties doing his best not to say much at all, although his recent rant about suffering the worst 48 hours of his Chelsea career after a benign question about Malo Gusto was against the norm and caused quite a stir.
But I’m going for when he practically dropped the f-bomb after Chelsea’s 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest in May. The result ensured Chelsea finished fourth in the 2024-25 campaign and qualified for the Champions League.
Clearly stung by all the criticism over the preceding months, as well as gloomy predictions pre-match, Maresca said: “So in English, how you say? Eff off to all of them, because the players deserve that. The effort they have been doing is fantastic.“
As someone who has developed a reputation for being a bit glass-half-empty, I did not take offence if I was one of the people Maresca had in mind. It gave a bit of an insight into the character Maresca really has.
Maresca praised his players after the win over Nottingham Forest (Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images)
Most surprising thing that happened
The look on the Chelsea players’ faces spoke volumes… the moment U.S. President Donald Trump stayed on stage with them for the trophy lift as they celebrated the Club World Cup win.
It is hard to recall a dignitary being in that situation before, and clearly, it caught FIFA president Gianni Infantino off guard, too. It certainly provided an image no one will forget in a hurry.
Which of your club’s players will do best at the World Cup?
This is a tough one, as Chelsea have so many good players expected to go. I’m giving Estevao the nod.
His career just seems to be on an upward trajectory, and nothing fazes him, even the weight of wearing the Brazil shirt.
Player to watch in 2026
Geovany Quenda, for several reasons. He will be officially joining the squad in the summer after Chelsea agreed a £40million deal in March with Sporting CP.
The club see him as one of the three best young wingers in the world, alongside his soon-to-be team-mate Estevao and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal. He is already in double figures for goal involvements this season with Sporting CP.
What adds extra intrigue to his arrival is how Chelsea will fit this player in on top of Palmer, Estevao, Pedro Neto, Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens and Tyrique George.
A wish for 2026
Those with a good memory may recall that my colleague Liam Twomey talked about getting some clarity about the stadium as his answer to his wish for 2025 in the Chelsea review of 2024.
Well, forgive me for a lack of originality, but I am going to say the same. Perhaps if The Athletic say it enough times, something concrete will actually happen.