WHY CHELSEA BACK LIAM ROSENIOR DESPITE THEIR FOUR-GAME LOSING STREAK
Chelsea board backs Liam Rosenior through a four-game losing streak, prioritising stability over UCL qualification.
Liam Rosenior’s job at Chelsea looks safe for now, even if they miss out on the Champions League next season.
There’s been a lot of noise outside the club because of four straight defeats, and people are starting to ask questions about Rosenior’s future. But inside Chelsea, the higher-ups aren’t considering another quick managerial change. From what I hear, only a total meltdown would make them rethink their plans this summer, and nobody at the club expects that to happen.
Rosenior took over from Enzo Maresca in January, moving from Strasbourg to Chelsea, one sister club to another. He signed a five-and-a-half-year deal, with an extra year as an option. His big goal is to keep Chelsea in the Champions League. Right now, they’re in sixth place, just a point behind Liverpool, who hold the last likely spot for qualification.
Sure, if Chelsea falls short, some of the blame will land on Rosenior. But people at the club say it won’t be all on him after all; he came in halfway through the season.
Planning for transfers this summer is already underway, and Rosenior is right in the middle of those discussions, working with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart. Some say Rosenior actually gets more say in recruitment talks than Maresca did before him. The club’s backing remains strong, even with outside pressure mounting.
Defence is a real problem right now. Chelsea haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last nine league games. In recent losses to Everton, Newcastle, and twice to Paris Saint-Germain, they’ve been beaten 12-2 on aggregate.
What’s strange is the stats say Chelsea have created more chances in expected goals than those four opponents put together. Rosenior blames the poor run on costly individual errors in key moments.
Central defence will be a priority in the summer. They tried in January to sign Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes, but he’s heading to Liverpool instead. Injuries haven’t helped: Levi Colwill is back in training after his ACL injury but still hasn’t played this season, and both Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah are out. Wesley Fofana is healthy but out of form during this rough patch.
The schedule after the international break doesn’t get any easier; they’ll host Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-finals, then face Manchester City and Manchester United in the league, all at Stamford Bridge.
There’s some tension in the dressing room too. Vice-captain Enzo Fernandez hinted at problems after getting knocked out of the Champions League, criticising how Maresca left and saying his own future at the club is unclear.
Still, Rosenior says the team is with him. After the 3-0 loss to Everton, he told reporters, "I don’t think there’s a lack of effort or belief in this squad. Honestly, Enzo kept fighting right up until the final whistle. I know when you’re losing games, people start pointing fingers or talking about attitude, but that’s not what’s going on here."
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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