WHAT REALLY HAPPENED BETWEEN LIAM ROSENIOR AND COLE PALMER BEFORE THE BRENTFORD MATCH
Liam Rosenior secures his first Chelsea win as Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer sink Brentford. Get the latest on the squad virus.
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior blamed a virus sweeping through his squad for their tough second half, even as his team fought past Brentford to give him his first Premier League win.
The 2-0 score at Stamford Bridge—thanks to a goal from Joao Pedro in the first half and a Cole Palmer penalty in the second—actually made things look easier for Chelsea than they were. Brentford, managed by Keith Andrews, dominated after halftime but just couldn’t finish their chances.
Before the match, Chelsea fans protested against the owners, BlueCo, frustrated with the club’s direction. Even after the win, it was clear that problems on the pitch still need attention.
Chelsea lost control of the game almost completely in the second half. Brentford’s midfield ran all over them, and Chelsea struggled just to get out of their own end.
Rosenior pointed to the illness, which left several players unable to train, and said the win felt like clearing a big obstacle.
“It’s running through the squad,” Rosenior said. “A couple of players out there today were complaining about their chests. They gave everything. That’s why I think we weren’t great on the ball. I’m proud of the group for getting through this.”
Chelsea started well and deserved their 26th-minute lead. Michael Kayode’s clearance bounced off Enzo Fernandez and landed for Pedro, who smashed the ball home. After that, Brentford took over. Mathias Jensen and Kevin Schade both missed good chances to level the game.
Liam Delap, who missed the Carabao Cup loss to Arsenal because of the virus, came off the bench and immediately made an impact, pouncing on a poor touch from Caoimhin Kelleher to win a penalty.
Palmer slotted it home for 2-0, and Chelsea escaped. “I loved the attitude, the energy, the basics,” Rosenior said.
“When you play a good team like Brentford, what pleased me most—what you saw in both goals—was the players’ willingness to fight, to block shots, to win headers, to make tackles.
“That’s the attitude that got us the win.”
Reece James and Palmer, both just back from injury and hardly able to train, made their first appearances under Rosenior. Neither was at their best on the ball, but they still put in the work.
“No one can be brilliant on the ball every game,” Rosenior said. “But you can still find a way to win. Cole and Reece hadn’t trained. They went out there anyway and worked themselves into the ground—that’s the attitude I want to see.”
Brentford boss Keith Andrews, whose team sat fifth before kickoff, brushed off the idea that Chelsea’s spending guarantees them a higher finish.
“I don’t think spending money gets you a better player,” he said. “I just don’t see it that way.
“I’m really happy with the players we have. Igor Thiago cost about £30 million, but there are plenty of players in this league who cost more and haven’t done what he’s done.
“We were fifth going into this game, and we earned it. We haven’t had much luck—we’ve just played well.”
XAVI OPENLY DECLARES INTEREST IN CHELSEA JOB DURING PERMANENT MANAGER SEARCH
With Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola on the shortlist, explore why Xavi Hernández wants to take over the Chelsea hotseat next.
Xavi has openly said he’d love to manage Chelsea, and now the Blues are hunting for someone to replace Liam Rosenior.
Rosenior got the sack last month after a rough patch just three months into his huge contract that was supposed to last six and a half years. Calum McFarlane is filling in as interim head coach until season’s end, but Chelsea are actively looking for a permanent boss for the 2026/27 campaign.
They're considering some big names. Xabi Alonso’s been mentioned; he’s been out of work since leaving Real Madrid in January. Andoni Iraola, who’s about to leave Bournemouth, is also on the shortlist.
Cesc Fabregas has been linked after his strong run at Como, and Frank Lampard’s in the mix too, fresh off winning the Championship with Coventry and securing promotion.
But Xavi really stands out. He’s already made it clear he’s interested in the Chelsea job. Back in 2019, before his Barcelona return, he said, “I don’t hide it; my goal is to come back to Europe and to Barca. It's my challenge, but I’m enjoying this current project. For me, training a team in Barcelona would be a privilege, the biggest privilege.”
He didn’t just talk about Spain either. “Honestly, who doesn’t love the Premier League? The atmosphere, packed stadiums, everyone says it’s incredible,” Xavi admitted. “If I had to pick, I’d go for a big team: City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, or Tottenham. Klopp, Pochettino, and Unai Emery are doing amazing work there.”
After returning to Barcelona in 2021, Xavi led them to a La Liga title and the Supercopa de España before Hansi Flick took over in 2024. He’s been out of work since.
Now, Chelsea seems seriously interested in the Spaniard. According to The i, the club wants someone who can embed a strong football identity across their teams, something Enzo Maresca started.
Getting Xavi won’t be easy, though. Morocco’s national team reportedly sees him as a top candidate to replace Walid Regragui, and Manchester United is eyeing him too as they weigh options beyond Michael Carrick.
Meanwhile, Xabi Alonso is the bookmakers’ favourite for the Chelsea role, but word is he’d want more control over club decisions if he moves to west London.
COLE PALMER MISSES PENALTY AS CHELSEA SUFFER HISTORIC SIXTH CONSECUTIVE LEAGUE DEFEAT
Chelsea matched a 1912 record with their 6th straight loss, falling 3-1 to Forest as Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice at the Bridge.
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Chelsea hit rock bottom again, losing 3-1 to Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge. That’s six Premier League defeats in a row now, something the club hadn’t seen since 1912. Just when you thought the season couldn’t get any worse, Forest showed up with a makeshift lineup and absolutely stunned them. Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice, one barely a minute into the match, and then Igor Jesus put away a penalty, and suddenly Forest was six points clear of the drop zone.
Chelsea hadn’t scored in five games, and it looked like that streak would go on forever. Then, in stoppage time, Joao Pedro finally managed an overhead kick to break the drought. That run was made even more ridiculous earlier when Cole Palmer missed a first-half penalty. Matz Sels, Forest’s backup goalkeeper, saved it.
Honestly, the crowd in the Shed End probably barely recognised their own team. Pereira swapped in seven new outfield players, most of them with almost no league experience; he was clearly thinking about the upcoming Europa League semi-final. But it looked like Chelsea was the stranger out there.
Things only got worse for interim head coach Calum McFarlane. He lost Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho to late injuries, so 18-year-old Jesse Derry had to make his Premier League debut. Then, late in the first half, Derry collided heads with Forest’s Zach Abbott and had to be stretchered off after getting oxygen. It was brutal to watch.
The match itself? Chaos. Less than two minutes in, Chelsea messed up their own throw-in and let Forest stroll through midfield. Dilane Bakwa beat Marc Cucurella with little effort and crossed to Awoniyi, who was completely unmarked and headed it in.
Fifteen minutes later, Chelsea conceded again. Bakwa whipped in another cross; Malo Gusto pulled Awoniyi’s shirt, and VAR handed Forest a penalty. Jesus hammered it right down the middle.
The first half was hopeless, and by the end, serious concern set in after that nasty head clash between Derry and Abbott. Abbott, playing just his second league game, left on his own, but Derry needed serious treatment and was stretchered off.
After a nearly ten-minute stoppage, Palmer’s penalty was stopped by Sels. At halftime, Levi Colwill returned from a major injury he hadn’t played since tearing his ACL in August. He tried to restore order, but nothing changed.
Forest’s third goal came just seven minutes into the second half. Gibbs-White crossed, and Awoniyi tapped in from close range, just managing to stay onside. Chelsea’s keeper, Robert Sanchez, took a knock and left with a bandaged head after colliding with Gibbs-White.
Pedro’s late goal barely counted for anything. The few Chelsea fans left in the stadium cheered, but it was more out of irony than joy.
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