Joe Cole has said he has not been this excited about Chelsea for a long time, praising summer signing Morgan Rogers as 'unbelievable' after the club's strong start to the season.
Cole's former club finished 10th in the Premier League last season, missing out on European qualification and going through two permanent managers. The appointment of Xabi Alonso, formerly of Liverpool and Real Madrid, over the summer lifted the mood at Stamford Bridge, along with several high-profile signings.
Chelsea's biggest signing of the summer was a £117m deal for Morgan Rogers, making the England international the most expensive British player of all time.
Strong start to the season
Alonso's side began the 2026-27 campaign with three consecutive wins, beating Fulham and Brighton in the Premier League and Luton Town in the Carabao Cup. Chelsea suffered their first defeat of the season at the weekend, losing 2-1 to reigning champions Arsenal, but responded with a 6-3 win over Leeds United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
Speaking on talkSPORT about the defeat to Arsenal, Cole said: 'I thought it was a sensational game. I've not been this excited about a Chelsea team for a long time.'
'The front-three are blistering… I knew Morgan Rogers was a top player but he's been unbelievable. He's so powerful and the energy to get into the box from midfield is fantastic.'
Excitement and defensive concerns
Chelsea had little possession against Arsenal but looked dangerous on the attack, according to Cole, who also noted ongoing defensive issues.
'Chelsea didn't have much possession against Arsenal but they look like they can carve teams open at any moment. There's still problems defensively but I'm just excited,' he said.
'If you add Moises Caicedo into that team at the weekend, I think Chelsea get something out of the game. Our front-three now is as good as anything in the Premier League and that's the first time in a long time I've been able to say that.'
Carabao Cup comeback
Chelsea were heading for a Carabao Cup exit against Leeds, who took a 2-0 lead at Stamford Bridge through Tarik Muharemovic and Brenden Aaronson. Alonso's side then scored four goals in 12 second-half minutes to turn the tie around, with Cole Palmer netting a quickfire brace before Pedro Neto and Danny Welbeck scored, Rogers playing a part in three of those goals.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin gave Leeds renewed hope with a third goal, but late goals from Valentin Barco and Welbeck sent Chelsea into the fourth round.
'I'm happy with the result and the reaction,' Alonso said after the match. 'There was so many changes, that was a risk. Things weren't going the way we planned, so we had to change. I take responsibility with the first half. The players that came on made an impact, for sure.'
Palmer added: 'The boss told us to up the intensity at half-time. He thought the first half was flat, so we upped the tempo. Leeds are a good team so it wasn't easy but we stepped it up. I think we still have a bit to go, but we are getting results which is the main thing.'
Chelsea, currently fourth in the Premier League, return to action on Saturday against newly-promoted Hull City.
