The euphoria of a new managerial era has quickly turned into frustration at Stamford Bridge. Liam Rosenior did not mince his words in his post-match press conference, criticizing midfielder Moises Caicedo following a hugely disappointing 2-2 draw with relegation-battlers Leeds United.
Despite leading 2-0 and looking comfortable, Chelsea crumbled in the second half, conceding twice in six minutes to throw away two vital points in the race for the top four.
The Collapse: A Game of Two Halves
Chelsea seemed on course to extend their perfect record under Rosenior. Joao Pedro broke the deadlock in the first half, and Cole Palmer converted a penalty early in the second period to double the advantage. At that stage, the home side was cruising and in total control.
However, the momentum shifted drastically in the 64th minute. Moises Caicedo, lunging into a challenge on Jayden Bogle, gave away a needless penalty. Lukas Nmecha converted the spot-kick, and the visitors were suddenly alive.
Just six minutes later, calamity struck. A mix-up in the Chelsea defense allowed substitute Noah Okafor to tap into an empty net. Just like that, 2-0 became 2-2.
Rosenior’s Verdict: “Ridiculous”
Rosenior was visibly fuming on the touchline, and his anger didn’t subside in the press room. He labeled the result “ridiculous” given his side’s dominance in the expected goals (xG) and general play.
“We didn’t take care of two key moments, we didn’t stay calm,” Rosenior told reporters. “The ridiculous thing for us is that they’ve managed to score two goals in a five-minute period and for the rest of the game, we were the better team.”
While he defended the team’s overall performance, he reserved specific criticism for Caicedo’s lapse in concentration.
“Moi is a magnificent player and has been top since I came in but we make a poor decision there. We give away a penalty. The penalty goes in, they hit a few long balls, pick up some second balls. The lad handballs it and it affects my players.”
The One That Got Away: Palmer’s Miss
To add salt to the wound, Chelsea had a golden chance to steal all three points in stoppage time. The ball fell to Cole Palmer, arguably their player of the season, just yards out with an open goal. Incredibly, he lifted it over the bar.
Rosenior, however, refused to pile onto his striker. “He’s in the position, 999 times out of 1000, he scores, it was just that one in that moment,” the boss said. “We shouldn’t be in that position. The game should be done at 2-0.”
Top Four Stutter
The draw meant Chelsea missed the chance to leapfrog Manchester United into the Champions League places. Instead, they remain one point behind.
Goalscorer Joao Pedro echoed his manager’s sentiments about the need for consistency. “It is very frustrating,” Pedro told TNT Sports. “If you want to be in the Champions League, you can’t drop points like this.”
As the dust settles, the focus for Rosenior will be on “killing games off,” a trait that has eluded Chelsea all season.
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