BREAKING: LIAM ROSENIOR DOES WHAT NINE CHELSEA MANAGERS COULDN’T IN TEN YEARS
Liam Rosenior ends a decade-long curse as Chelsea smash Charlton 5-1. Discover why he’s the first since Conte to win his debut.
Liam Rosenior couldn’t have asked for a better start as Chelsea’s new manager. His team smashed Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, and with that, Rosenior became the first Chelsea boss in ten years to win his debut match. The goals came from everywhere—Jorrel Hato, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto, and Enzo Fernandez all got on the scoresheet. It was a statement win, and Chelsea cruised into the next round.
You have to go back to Antonio Conte in August 2016 to find the last time a new Chelsea manager kicked off with a victory. Back then, Conte oversaw a 2-1 win against West Ham. In between, nine different managers, including caretakers and interims—even Frank Lampard, twice—couldn’t pull off a debut win. They managed a handful of draws and a few losses, but nobody started with three points until Rosenior.
After the match, Rosenior sounded pretty pleased with his squad’s attitude. He said, “Yeah, I was very happy with the attitude of the team, even in the first half. This isn’t an easy place to come, third round of the FA Cup. I thought our pressing was really intense and sharp. We controlled things, created chances from distance, and got a great goal from Hato at the perfect time.”
He went on, “The game opened up in the second half. We know we’ve got fantastic players. I was able to bring more quality off the bench, but honestly, I was delighted with the starting XI and especially the front three. Ale kept pushing in his one-on-ones, Marc Guiu was outstanding and really deserved his goal, and Jamie Gittens kept running at defenders. He always looked dangerous. So yeah, a lot of positives and a really good start.”
Now, Chelsea’s focus shifts to the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal on Wednesday. After that, Rosenior takes charge of his first Premier League game at Stamford Bridge against Brentford.
Talking about the big Arsenal clash, Rosenior said, “I’ve got another two days. The main thing I challenged the players on was how we react to setbacks and the intensity we show. Nothing tactical or technical—these players are top quality and have been well coached before I arrived. I was happy with the togetherness, the spirit, the way they ran, won duels, won headers—all the basics. That’s what makes the difference.”
WHY CHELSEA ARE BETTING ON LIAM DELAP’S LONG-TERM STAMFORD BRIDGE FUTURE
Not for sale: Discover why Chelsea is blocking Everton's move for Liam Delap and Rosenior's plans for the Arsenal derby.
Chelsea have some thinking to do about Liam Delap’s future at Stamford Bridge this summer. They really don’t want to let him go, even though Everton are sniffing around, according to Football Insider. The club just isn’t interested in selling; they want Delap around for next season. He’s signed until June 2031, so there’s no rush.
Right now, Chelsea sits fifth in the Premier League after 27 games. They’re just ahead of Liverpool on goal difference. Last time out, they drew 1-1 at home with Burnley. Not exactly the result they wanted.
Chelsea only picked up Delap from Ipswich Town last year. He was brought in to give their attack a boost, add some competition, and deepen the squad up front. The 23-year-old has played 25 times in all competitions this season, with 18 league appearances. He’s only managed two goals and four assists so far – not exactly lighting it up – but there’s still time for him to find his feet.
Delap’s taken the long road already. He started at Derby County, then joined Manchester City’s youth setup in 2019. He only made six first-team appearances for City, but he got loan moves to Stoke, Preston, and Hull in the Championship to toughen up and get more minutes. Ipswich signed him permanently in 2024, and then Chelsea came calling.
So, what’s next after that frustrating draw with Burnley? Chelsea have to head to the Emirates to face Arsenal this weekend. After the Burnley game, Liam Rosenior didn’t mince words. He said, “We’ve basically thrown away four points in two home games. That’s not good enough for a club like this. It’s not enough to just play well; we have to win. I know what needs to change, and we’ll work on it this week. Every game is an inquest, win or lose. I’m learning which players you can rely on when things get tough, and we need to fix that fast.”
WHY WESLEY FOFANA BELIEVES FOOTBALL’S ANTI-RACISM CAMPAIGNS ARE FAILING IN 2026
Football faces a crisis. Discover why Wesley Fofana and Hannibal Mejbri are demanding action after a weekend of racist abuse.
Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana didn’t hold back after he and Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri were hit with racist abuse following Saturday’s 1-1 draw. “Nothing changes,” he wrote. “People are never punished.” Both players shared screenshots of the nasty messages sent to them on Instagram, just hours after the match at Stamford Bridge.
This all happened only days after UEFA started looking into Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior’s claims that Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni racially abused him during a Champions League game in Lisbon. That match had to be stopped for ten minutes after Vinicius, clearly shaken, refused to play on. Prestianni tried to cover his mouth with his shirt during the incident, but the damage was already done.
Back to Saturday night, Fofana, who’d been sent off late in the game for two yellow cards, posted some of the abuse he received and didn’t mince words: “2026, it’s still the same thing. These people are never punished. You create big campaigns against racism, but nobody actually does anything.” Mejbri also shared the messages he got, adding, “It’s 2026, and there are still people like that. Educate yourself and your kids, please.”
Chelsea responded quickly, calling the abuse “completely unacceptable” and saying it goes against everything the club stands for. “There is no room for racism,” they said. “We stand unequivocally with Wes. He has our full support, as do all our players who are too often forced to endure this hatred simply for doing their job. We will work with the authorities and platforms to find the people responsible and take the strongest action.”
Burnley echoed the sentiment: “There is no place for this in our society, and we condemn it unreservedly.”
Football’s handling of racism has been under the microscope lately, especially after what happened in Lisbon. Benfica manager Jose Mourinho stirred things up further by accusing Vinicius of provoking the incident, while the Portuguese club claimed their player was the victim of a defamation campaign.
As for the game itself, Chelsea looked set for a win until Burnley’s Zian Flemming headed in a stoppage-time equaliser, right after Fofana’s red card left Chelsea down a man. Fofana was sent off in the 72nd minute for a late challenge on James Ward-Prowse. Earlier, Joao Pedro’s fourth-minute goal seemed to put Liam Rosenior’s side on track for victory, but like so many times this season, they couldn’t finish off Scott Parker’s struggling team. The match ended all square, but the bigger story was what happened off the pitch.
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