Liam Rosenior didn’t hold back after Chelsea’s frustrating 2-2 draw with Leeds United, and he had some pointed words for Moises Caicedo.

For a while, things looked good for Chelsea. They were cruising; Joao Pedro scored in the first half, and Cole Palmer added a penalty after the break. At 2-0, it felt like they’d continue their perfect run under Rosenior.

But then it unravelled. Caicedo tripped Jayden Bogle in the box, handing Leeds a penalty. Lukas Nmecha converted, and just minutes later, Noah Okafor took advantage of a messy Chelsea mix-up to equalise. Two goals in six minutes, and just like that, Chelsea’s lead vanished.

A win would’ve pushed Chelsea ahead of Manchester United into the top four, but now they’re stuck in fifth, deflated and frustrated.

Rosenior called the whole thing “ridiculous”. Chelsea dominated most of the game, and Palmer even missed a sitter late on that could’ve sealed it. In the press conference, Rosenior didn’t sugarcoat things.

“We lost our heads in two big moments,” he said. “Moi’s a great player; he’s been excellent since I arrived, but that was a bad decision. We gave away a penalty. Suddenly, they’re launching long balls, picking up scraps, and then the handball just threw us off. We need to be more professional and handle these key moments better.”

He couldn’t believe Leeds managed to score twice in five minutes, especially with Chelsea controlling the rest of the match. “Honestly, I can’t remember Leeds having much else.”

On Palmer’s glaring miss, Rosenior just shook his head. “Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, he scores that. It’s just that one time he doesn’t, and it costs us. But really, we shouldn’t be in that situation. At 2-0, the game should be done and dusted. I need to show the players what went wrong so it doesn’t happen again.”

Joao Pedro, who got Chelsea’s first goal, was just as frustrated. “We started well, went 1-0, then 2-0, and then let them back in. It’s been like this all season. We need to be more consistent and focused and finish games off. We’ve dropped points at home before. If we want Champions League football, we can’t afford this.”

Leeds, meanwhile, probably can’t believe their luck. They’re 15th now, six points clear of the drop.

Next up, Chelsea head to Hull City for the FA Cup, while Leeds travel to Birmingham City. Both teams have plenty to think about.

Alan Shearer says Cole Palmer has been stuck in a tough spot this season, thanks to his nagging injuries.

Palmer’s barely played half of Chelsea’s Premier League matches because of a groin problem that just won’t quit. Even so, the 23-year-old—last season’s Premier League Young Player of the Year—just hammered home a hat-trick in Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Wolves on Saturday. Those three goals nearly doubled his tally, bumping him from four to seven in the league.

Shearer, who scored more Premier League goals than anyone and knows a thing or two about injury struggles himself, feels for Palmer. He’s been there. “It was interesting hearing Cole talk after the Wolves game about how he’s managing his injury,” Shearer said on The Rest is Football podcast. “I hated being in that position—knowing you have to push through, but you can’t train the way you want. You get through a match, things feel okay, and then it’s back to square one. It’s miserable. The sooner he gets past it, the better.”

Gary Lineker jumped in too. He knows exactly what Palmer’s dealing with. “I had the same injury at Everton for a year,” Lineker said. “It was always there—a constant niggle. I couldn’t really train, and that’s why people used to say all I did was sit in the bath. There was a reason. I struggled, but I could still play. The pain never stopped me from playing, just annoyed me. It finally went away after I took a break following the World Cup. It’s weird: once you’re playing, you feel alright, but then it can tighten up out of nowhere. Sounds like Cole’s stuck in the same loop.”

Chelsea’s new manager, Liam Rosenior, couldn’t stop praising Palmer after that hat-trick. “We know what a world-class player he is,” Rosenior said. “He’s played loads of football this last year, with hardly any time to rest. When he’s on it, no one can stop him. I’m thrilled to work with him.”

Rosenior told reporters on Monday that Palmer came out of the Wolves game just fine—he’s fit and ready to start against Leeds on Tuesday night. “Cole’s available for tomorrow,” he said. “Any world-class player is key to what you want to achieve. I love seeing him enjoy his football and banging in goals. Hopefully, he keeps this up.”

Chelsea sit fifth in the league, just one point from the top four, before they clashed with 16th-placed Leeds. Earlier in the season, Palmer’s injury troubles seemed like they might ruin his World Cup dreams, but Danny Murphy thinks he’s a lock for the England squad if he stays healthy. “If he plays like we know he can from now to the end of the season, he’s definitely in,” Murphy told BBC Sport. “He can play wide, as a 10—he’s so smooth on the ball and fearless. Even off the bench, he can change a game in an instant.”

Last time Chelsea faced Leeds, they lost—a shock that turned out to be one of Enzo Maresca’s final games as manager. Rosenior has made a big impact since stepping in, with Chelsea winning seven of their last nine games. Only Arsenal tripped them up in both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Shearer likes what he sees from Rosenior so far. “They’re out of the Carabao Cup, but he’s started strong,” Shearer said. “They’ve got Leeds and Burnley next, so things might get trickier. Still, it’s been really good. You get the feeling some people are waiting for Rosenior to slip up, but he can’t worry about that. As long as you’re winning, you can do and say what you like. Things are going well for him right now.”