Imagine stepping into a new job and immediately facing a high-stakes situation. That's precisely what Liam Rosenior did, and the pressure was on! But could he deliver? The answer is a resounding YES! Rosenior secured his first win as Chelsea's head coach with a dominant 5-1 victory over Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup third round.
Before the match, Rosenior made it clear: judge him on performance and results. And he certainly delivered on that promise at The Valley. Rosenior opted for a youthful lineup, a common strategy for Premier League teams at this stage of the FA Cup, giving some rising stars a chance to shine. Chelsea controlled possession and applied consistent pressure around Charlton's penalty area throughout the first half.
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Charlton's goalkeeper, Will Mannion, making only his second appearance this season, was kept busy. Charlton's defensive strategy, a "low block" (meaning they packed players tightly near their own goal), frustrated Chelsea's attacking flair. And this is the part most people miss: Breaking down a low block requires patience and creativity, something Chelsea eventually found.
The breakthrough finally came in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time. A cross from Moises Caicedo was cleared, but only as far as Jorrel Hato, whose powerful shot from a tight angle flew past Mannion. It was a moment of brilliance that ignited Chelsea's attack.
Five minutes after halftime, Chelsea extended their lead. Facundo Buonanotte delivered a dangerous free-kick that Tosin Adarabioyo headed home. But Charlton wasn't ready to surrender. They quickly responded, injecting life back into the match and sending their fans into a frenzy. A corner kick led to Lloyd Jones heading the ball into Miles Leaburn's path, who scored from close range.
However, Charlton's joy was short-lived. Just after the hour mark, Chelsea restored their two-goal advantage. Alejandro Garnacho, who faced jeers from Charlton fans throughout the game, surged down the field and found Buonanotte. Buonanotte's shot was weak, but Mannion's parry fell straight to Marc Guiu, who easily slotted the ball into the net.
Late in the game, Charlton appealed for a penalty when Enzo Fernandez appeared to foul Lloyd Jones from behind, But here's where it gets controversial... Referee Chris Kavanagh dismissed their claims. Some felt it was a clear penalty, while others believed Fernandez made a clean challenge. What do you think? However, after Pedro Neto scored Chelsea's fourth, Kavanagh did award Chelsea a penalty late on.
Estevao was fouled as he attempted to dribble around Mannion, and Kavanagh pointed to the spot. Fernandez stepped up and powerfully converted the penalty, sealing Chelsea's place in the fourth-round draw. Despite Charlton's spirited effort, their struggles in the FA Cup third round continued, marking their sixth consecutive exit at this stage. A tough pill to swallow for the Addicks.
Rosenior: A good start
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior told TNT Sports: "A good start. Professional.
"I thought the first goal came at an important time in the game. Charlton stood up really well, they defended in a block which was difficult to break down.
"Jorrel was fantastic. I thought he was really good at Fulham, he deserved to play today. A strong performance from him.
"We scored a goal from a set-piece which always makes you happy. Then we concede, but I've said it from the start, the quality of my players - they're outstanding. Strong start, something to build on, bring on Wednesday night.
"Goals change games, and that comes down to quality. We had control in the first half, but I don't want just control. To get the goal was really good - but when Charlton score they want the second.
"It's a cup tie, and they have to deal with me bringing on Estevao, Enzo Fernandez, Liam Delap, but I was delighted with the starting players. I thought Marc Guiu was good and deserved his goal - Jamie [Gittens} and Ale [Garnacho] were really good on the wings. It's a strong start but nothing to get carried away about yet.
"It's something that's happened here already. I was delighted with Jorrel - he actually played as a No 10, he took his goal really well. I was delighted with Tosin and Big Ben at the back. I could go through the whole team really, but I was delighted with that.
"It's a busy two months, but the last 48 hours I was really pleased. The lads have been really receptive. If we keep working like that I'm excited for the future."
What did we learn from Rosenior's first game?
Analysis from Sky Sports' Charlotte Marsh at The Valley and Noah Langford:
It was perhaps a bit of a false positive watching Liam Rosenior's first Chelsea side, having made eight changes from defeat at Fulham and blooded a lot of his younger players. This means the team wasn't necessarily representative of the strongest possible Chelsea eleven, making the win impressive but potentially misleading in terms of long-term predictions.
Perhaps the biggest difference was the use of a back three, which was his preferred line-up at Strasbourg. A back three involves three central defenders instead of the usual two or four, offering more defensive solidity but potentially sacrificing attacking width. In a season where jobs have hinged on the make-up of a defence, it will be interesting to see if he persists with it going forward or whether it's a case of 'sticking to what you know' for the first game out.
With that being said, there certainly appeared to be more emphasis on using wingers than there has been in recent games. Wingers are attacking players who play wide on the field, and their increased involvement suggests Rosenior wants a more direct and attacking style of play.
Tosin was spraying passes to both all game, and Jamie Gittens and Garnacho felt more involved in comparison to games gone past.
There had been times too in the early exchanges were cute balls were attempted through the middle to try and find Guiu, but that soon came to an end when it proved ineffective.
But the youngsters certainly weren't afraid to play directly at Charlton, even if it's not the best way to try and beat a low block. Of course, the scoreline might say otherwise, but there was at least a sense of trying to make something happen. The willingness to take risks and attack directly is a positive sign, even if it wasn't always successful against Charlton's compact defense.
When asked whether his team were close to where he wants them to be - with a wry smile - Rosenior responded: "I'm one game in. Some of our passes were beautiful to watch. We've got magnificent players.
"My idea of football is not important. It's about winning games of football consistently. It's a good start, but i's just a start. We have to stay consistent now in a very, very hectic schedule.
"We are a good team. They've been well coached, I've made no secret of that.
"There are other elements to football other than tactics. Tactics are one element. Shape, systems, technique, they're all wonderful things.
"But there are other things that I feel like maybe we can improve on. That's what we'll keep working on as well as the tactical side of the game."
Ultimately, we will have a better idea of where he intends to take this Chelsea team when they face Arsenal in the midweek Carabao Cup semi-final first leg and Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday. These upcoming matches will be a true test of Rosenior's tactical approach and the team's overall progress.
A good start from Rosenior but there's plenty left to prove.
Jones disappointed with conceding 'schoolboy' goals
Charlton manager Nathan Jones: "For long periods, we competed really well. My biggest disappointment is just the second and third goals because, late on, they're playing with the flourish and I think the fifth goal isn't a pen, it's a decision."
"The fourth goal, we're a little bit open but the second and third goals kill us really and they're schoolboy, they're poor."
"We can't concede from that type of set play and we do the work and it's just too easy for them to get ahead of."
"The third goal really disappoints me because it's stuff that we work on, we preach to them, we show them, we blow it up, we give them clear pictures about the edge of the box and how we defend counter-attacks and we don't drop in and think that it's a safe haven when we drop all the way into a box when people wait on the edge of the box."
"We've conceded from that in the past and that's the frustration because at the time when we thought 'can we have a rouse in', we do something that costs us the game effectively."
So, what are your thoughts? Was Rosenior's debut a sign of good things to come, or just a lucky break against a lower-league team? And what about that penalty decision – did the referee get it right? Share your opinions in the comments below!
