Chelsea’s first game under Liam Rosenior wasn’t packed with big expectations—just a lot of curiosity. But by the time the crowd filed out of a sold-out Valley, things felt a lot more certain. Chelsea had put together a confident, sometimes lively 4-1 win over Charlton in the FA Cup, showing off their depth, their young talent, and a sense of quiet control from the sidelines.

Charlton, up for the challenge in front of their home fans, tried to make a game of it early on. Both Lloyd Jones and Tyreece Campbell kept Chelsea’s defence honest with a couple of hopeful shots, and for a moment, you could almost believe in an upset. But Chelsea settled in, started moving the ball around with purpose, and kept pushing Charlton further and further back.

It took five tries before Chelsea finally broke through. Just before halftime, Jorrel Hato pounced when Keenan Gough couldn’t clear the ball and smashed a half volley right into the top corner. Not a bad way for a 19-year-old to score his first goal for the club—he looked like he’d done it a hundred times before.

After the break, Chelsea shifted gears. Only five minutes into the second half, Tosin Adarabioyo doubled the lead with a smart header from Facundo Buonanotte’s deep free kick, showing Chelsea’s strength in the air.

Charlton had a couple more moments—Jones sent a header wide, and Charlie Kelman nearly scored but got blocked at the last second. Then Miles Leaburn managed to pull one back from a corner after Filip Jorgensen’s brilliant save. For a minute, the place buzzed again.

But Chelsea shut that down fast. Marc Guiu tapped in from close range to make it 3-1, and you could feel the energy just drain from the home crowd.

The last part of the match turned into a showcase for Chelsea’s squad. Enzo Fernandez, Estevao Willian, and Liam Delap all threatened, and then Pedro Neto blasted in a fourth goal during stoppage time. Fernandez wrapped things up from the penalty spot after Estevao was fouled—4-1, job done.

Cole Palmer didn’t even play; he was kept fresh for the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal. That move spoke to Rosenior’s calm planning—he didn’t look rattled by the protest songs from the stands either. He just quietly steered Chelsea into the next round.

Charlton could walk away proud for a few moments. Chelsea, though, walked away with something more solid: the start of something that feels steady and real, not just noise.

Liam Rosenior couldn’t have asked for a better start as Chelsea’s new manager. The Blues hammered Charlton 5-1 in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, and Rosenior left the pitch with a grin.

Jorrel Hato got his first Chelsea goal just before halftime at The Valley, and then Tosin Adarabioyo doubled the lead not long after the break. Charlton’s Miles Leaburn pulled one back, but Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto, and Enzo Fernandez all found the net to seal a comfortable debut win for Rosenior. Charlton, by the way, sits 19th in the Championship.

Rosenior just arrived from Strasbourg, taking over after Enzo Maresca’s abrupt exit last week. He promised he’d “hit the ground running”, and snapping Chelsea’s five-game winless streak was a good way to keep that promise.

Things get much tougher on Wednesday, though, when Premier League leaders Arsenal come to Stamford Bridge for the League Cup semi-final first leg. That’ll be Rosenior’s first home game in charge.

Some folks have questioned if Rosenior’s just the board’s chosen ‘yes-man’—especially after Maresca’s stormy time at the club. The fact that Chelsea and Strasbourg share the same owners only fuelled that talk. People wonder if Rosenior is more open to listening to the higher-ups than Maresca ever was.

Watching Rosenior on the touchline—bookish glasses, polo neck, notebook in hand—he kind of looked like a young college lecturer, not your typical Premier League manager. But looks can fool you. He’s got real coaching chops, having guided Strasbourg to seventh in France last season, which turned a few heads.

He watched Chelsea’s 2-1 loss at Fulham from the stands on Wednesday while caretaker boss Calum McFarlane ran things.

For his Chelsea debut, Rosenior asked for patience, saying he wanted to prove he deserved the job. He made eight changes to the starting lineup and left out Cole Palmer, the England forward and one of the team’s stars. Bold move for your first game.

Rosenior stuck with the three-man defence he liked at Strasbourg. Early on, it worked. Hato’s looping header forced a save from Charlton’s Will Mannion, who was busy again minutes later, this time blocking Jamie Gittens’ shot. Josh Acheampong also tested Mannion from a distance. Still, Chelsea fans sounded a bit sceptical, chanting for Roman Abramovich and urging Rosenior to “attack, attack, attack” after the dull days under Maresca.

They didn’t have to wait long. Hato smashed in a half-volley during first-half stoppage time, picking out the top corner. Not bad for a teenager. Rosenior gave him a big thumbs-up.

Chelsea really took control after Adarabioyo’s thumping header off Facundo Buonanotte’s free kick made it 2-0 in the 50th minute. Charlton’s Leaburn—who actually came up through Chelsea’s academy—cut the gap seven minutes later after Filip Jorgensen’s save landed right at his feet.

But Guiu calmed any nerves, rifling in Chelsea’s third from 10 yards out just after the hour mark. Rosenior had to like the way his team kept pressing.

Neto pounced for a fourth goal in the 91st minute, and Fernandez wrapped it all up with a penalty in stoppage time after Estevao Willian drew a foul.

All in all, a dream debut for Rosenior. Arsenal’s up next—now we’ll really see what he’s made of.