LIAM ROSENIOR REVEALS SPECIAL FITNESS PLAN TO SAVE COLE PALMER’S SEASON
Discover the data behind Cole Palmer’s new "withdrawn" role and why Liam Rosenior believes the star needs a different approach.
Eight games. Four competitions. All in just 29 days. That’s one way to get thrown into the deep end, and Liam Rosenior, Chelsea’s new head coach, definitely didn’t get an easy start.
He didn’t just survive; he’s done pretty well. Six wins out of eight. The only two losses? Both against Arsenal, both in the League Cup semi-final. Not bad for a guy who barely had time to settle into his new office.
And yet, with everything moving so fast, Rosenior probably hasn’t had a moment to really dig into some of the bigger tactical puzzles at Chelsea. One of the biggest has to be Cole Palmer and how to get the best out of him.
Palmer’s had a rough patch, no question. He got sidelined for three months with a toe injury between September and December. Five goals for the season isn’t shocking given that absence. Then he picked up a thigh problem and missed a couple more games in January.
He hasn’t really found his groove in the Premier League either. Over his last 16 league games in 2024–25, he’s managed just one goal, a penalty against Liverpool. And if you look at his last 11 games this season, he’s only got one goal from open play.
Honestly, the stats don’t do him any favours. Chelsea have actually looked sharper both attacking and defending when Palmer hasn’t been on the pitch this season.
So Rosenior’s still working Palmer out. The midfielder played four times under the new boss, but for the two toughest games away at Napoli and Arsenal, he started on the bench. In Naples, Palmer came on and immediately left his mark with two assists, using the extra space as the tempo dropped. Against Arsenal, though, even with half an hour to make something happen, he couldn’t break through a defence that’s stingier than any other in the league.
Early signs suggest Rosenior’s pushing Palmer into more of a playmaker role. Palmer’s averaging 63.5 touches per 90 minutes now, up from his Chelsea average of 59.7. But he’s barely touching the ball in the box, just 1.8 times per 90, compared to his usual 4.7. In 255 minutes under Rosenior, Palmer only managed five touches in the penalty area.
It’s a deeper role, but it hasn’t led to more creativity, at least not yet. The chances he’s creating per 90 minutes have dropped from 2.2 to 1.4, and his expected assists are down from 0.25 to 0.04. Rosenior has mostly used him off the right wing so far; 53% of his minutes have come from that side.
Palmer set the standard sky-high when he first joined, scoring 43 goals over his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge. There’s no reason he can’t get back to that level, especially with Rosenior backing him.
But with a World Cup coming up and Chelsea still fighting on three fronts, Palmer needs to find his form again soon. The sooner, the better.
After Tuesday’s loss to Arsenal, Palmer and Rosenior were deep in conversation on the pitch while the Gunners celebrated. Clearly, they’ve got a lot to work through.
Rosenior put it like this: “What we’re doing, not just with Cole but with all the players, is making sure they can play at the level they need to be at. He’s been brilliant and wants to play every minute, but he’s maturing and gets the bigger picture.
“These lads had the Club World Cup and no break. Now they’ve got World Cups ahead too.
“My job’s to get the best out of him and the team, especially with the schedule we’ve got coming up.
“It’s not about leaving him out; it’s about making sure he’s right, and he helps the team the way he wants to.”
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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