FRIGHTENING POTENTIAL? WHAT LIAM ROSENIOR REALLY THINKS ABOUT MIKE PENDERS’ FUTURE AT CHELSEA
Chelsea's goalkeeper shock: Get the stats on Penders’ record-breaking distribution and Rosenior’s 2026 starting XI plans
New Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior is already eyeing one of his old Strasbourg players as he plans his squad for next season.
Chelsea and Strasbourg have gotten pretty close lately since they’re both part of the BlueCo group. That connection only grew after Rosenior took over at Chelsea this winter, having spent a year and a half in charge of the French side.
It’s common for managers to bring familiar faces with them, and with the tight relationship between the clubs, moving a player from Strasbourg to Chelsea shouldn’t be complicated.
Rosenior’s already made moves; he brought Mamadou Sarr back from his loan at Chelsea during the January transfer window. He’ll also get to work with striker Emanuel Emegha again next season, since that transfer was wrapped up last summer. But now, Rosenior reportedly has his eyes on another Strasbourg player.
Mike Penders stands out at Strasbourg.
French outlet L’Equipe reports that Rosenior is keeping a close watch on goalkeeper Mike Penders.
Penders, just 20, is on loan at Strasbourg from Chelsea. He’s the team’s first-choice keeper and is having a standout season: 33 appearances, 39 goals allowed, and nine clean sheets.
The real change? His distribution. Under Rosenior, Penders has become almost like an extra outfield player. L’Equipe points out that no one in Ligue 1 touches the ball more in open play; he averages 43 touches a match. He also completes more passes than any other goalkeeper, with 31.8 per game. That’s well ahead of Paris FC’s Obed Nkambadio, who’s second with 24.9.
Rosenior’s plan for Penders at Chelsea
Rosenior wants a goalkeeper like Penders at Chelsea. Back at Strasbourg, he didn’t hide his admiration: “He’s 20, he’s two metres tall, he makes superb saves. He’s got authority in the box, and his distribution is exceptional. His potential is almost frightening, but he needs to stay humble.”
With Penders set to return to London when his loan ends this summer, he could well become Chelsea’s new first-choice keeper.
Honestly, it makes sense. Chelsea have been searching for a new goalkeeper for months; they even tried to sign Mike Maignan not long ago. But according to L’Equipe, Rosenior is ready to count on Penders next season.
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.
_1777913525.webp)
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.
Must Read
