Rosenior’s Promising Start as Chelsea Defeats Crystal Palace

Liam Rosenior’s tenure at Chelsea commenced with the club having secured only one victory in their previous nine Premier League matches. However, the English manager has quickly turned the tide, achieving back-to-back league wins.

In a strong performance against Crystal Palace, Chelsea triumphed 3-1, with goals from Estevao Willian, Joao Pedro, and Enzo Fernandez. This victory propelled Chelsea back into fourth place, just prior to Arsenal’s match against Manchester United.

The departure of former head coach Enzo Maresca, following a discord with the club’s leadership, had raised eyebrows just four weeks ago. The 41-year-old Rosenior, previously with sister club Strasbourg, has since stabilized the team.

Rosenior was in attendance during Chelsea’s last league defeat, a 2-1 loss to Fulham, as his appointment came too late for him to manage that match. Since then, Chelsea has also overcome Charlton in the FA Cup, faced a loss to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, and secured victories against Brentford, Pafos in the Champions League, and Crystal Palace.

Notably, neither Maresca nor Mauricio Pochettino achieved two consecutive league victories in their opening matches at Chelsea, a feat last accomplished by Graham Potter. While Rosenior understands that he will be subjected to scrutiny over a longer duration, he remains focused on his current responsibilities. “I’m not thinking about being relieved or how I’m feeling,” Rosenior remarked. “I’m just focused on the job. That’s really, really important. We’ve got another huge game on Wednesday.”

Chelsea’s upcoming challenges include a match against Italian champions Napoli in the Champions League, followed by a fixture against West Ham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Rosenior has effectively initiated momentum during a favorable run of fixtures that Chelsea was expected to navigate successfully.

With his mid-season arrival coinciding with a hectic schedule of two matches per week until at least mid-February, there is limited opportunity for extensive training. Consequently, Chelsea’s playing style remains similar to that established by Maresca, characterized by a patient, possession-driven approach, coupled with a high press and cautious defensive setup to limit counter-attacks.

However, a significant area of concern persists: set-pieces. Since Rosenior’s arrival, all five goals conceded by Chelsea have stemmed from set-piece situations, including one long throw-in, one deep free-kick, and three corners.

Rosenior has concentrated on addressing other immediate issues. He has encouraged his predominantly young squad to adopt a more aggressive mindset and has prioritized enhancing team spirit while addressing player discipline.

Chelsea typically employs a 4-2-3-1 formation, but indications suggest that, much like his side at Strasbourg, they will become increasingly tactically flexible. The team adapted their shape to counter Oliver Glasner’s unique 3-4-3 system during the match against Palace.

“I think today was a huge test. I changed the shape of the play. It’s hard to explain – it’s like a semi-four or semi-five at the back with Andrey [Santos] in between,” Rosenior explained. “For them to go and put on, from a tactical point of view, the performance that they did in two days makes me very pleased, because pretty much 95% of the press and 95% of the positioning was absolutely perfect. They’re engaged.”

After the match, Rosenior shared a positive moment with away fans, who appeared to chant his name. He placed a hand on his heart, visibly moved, and expressed his desire to earn their support. “I hope so. I’m very happy to be here. It’s a fantastic club with fantastic supporters. As I said, it’s two-way. I have to earn that – I’m aware of that. Not just me, but my staff, the players, the team, in our performances. And I hope that over time we’ll see that something good may happen here.”

Despite the optimism, there were also chants expressing discontent with the club’s ownership, a recurring theme at Chelsea matches, especially in away games. Nevertheless, club executives, including the owners and sporting directors, maintain high expectations for Rosenior, insisting on Champions League qualification.

In Maresca’s exit statement, club officials indicated that a change was imperative to provide the team the best opportunity to reinvigorate their season. While it remains early days for Rosenior, his initial results are encouraging.