Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Woody Dewar as their new Head of Performance Analysis, replacing James Melbourne, who held the role for nearly two decades before joining Thomas Tuchel’s England staff.

Dewar arrives at Stamford Bridge with a wealth of experience in performance analysis, having previously worked at Crystal Palace, Manchester City, and Tottenham in academy roles. He later served as Lead First Team Analyst and Scouting Co-Ordinator at Watford from 2021 to 2023 before joining Wolves as First Team Coach-Analyst under Gary O’Neil.

During his 15-month tenure at Wolves, Dewar played a key role in tactical analysis before O’Neil’s departure in December 2024. Now at Chelsea, he will report to co-Sporting Directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, both of whom have backgrounds in performance analysis.

Chelsea had publicly advertised the role on Training Ground Guru (TGG) late last year, looking for a candidate capable of leading in-depth match and player analysis to enhance performance. Dewar’s appointment signals the club’s commitment to improving its analytical approach and using data-driven insights to support Enzo Maresca’s coaching team.