Liam Rosenior won his first game as Chelsea’s new head coach, defeating Charlton 5-1 in the FA Cup third round.
In his pre-match press conference, the Blues manager urged fans to judge their side on performance and result, and they got off to a good start with the win at The Valley.
He opted for a youthful starting XI, as many Premier League teams do at this stage of the competition, and his team saw plenty of ball and pressure in the Charlton area throughout the first half.
Addicks goalkeeper Will Mannion (making his second appearance of the season) also played well, but Charlton’s low blocks were a clear frustration for a Chelsea eleven that loves to show off their tricks.
Jorel Hato’s brilliant volley in first-half stoppage time gave Chelsea a 1-0 win over Charlton.
It would take a magical moment to break through and that’s exactly what happened in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time. Moises Caicedo’s cross was kindly cleared into the path of Jorel Hato, and his ferocious shot from an angle went past the goalkeeper.
Chelsea added another goal five minutes after half-time. Facundo Buonanotte took a wicked free-kick, which was nodded in by Tosin Adarabioyo.
Tosin Adarabioyo headed in from a free kick to give Chelsea a 2-0 lead early in the second half.
However, Charlton were not going to make life easy for Chelsea or Rosenior and halved the deficit soon after, much to the delight of their fans. Taking a shot from a corner kick, Lloyd Jones’ header bounced into the path of Myles Leburn. The Addicks Academy graduate then fired home at close range.
But soon after Chelsea regained a two-goal lead, the roar in The Valley died down. Alejandro Garnacho, who had been booed by Charlton fans all night, sprinted down the pitch before spotting Buonanotte. His shot was weak, but Mannion’s parry hit Marc Giu directly and he scored the goal.
Charlton had a late penalty scream dismissed after Enzo Fernandes appeared to hit Lloyd Jones in the back, but referee Chris Kavanagh ignored the claim. However, the referee awarded the Blues a late spot-kick after Pedro Neto headed home Chelsea’s fourth goal.
Myles Leburn (centre) scores for Charlton in a 2-1 win.
Estevao was fouled while trying to round Mannion, and Kavanaugh pointed to the spot. With the final kick of the match, Fernandes kicked the penalty into the back of the goal, sealing Chelsea a place in Monday’s fourth-round draw.
Despite Charlton’s spirited performances, their dismal run in the third round of the competition continued and they were eliminated at this stage for the sixth consecutive season.
Rosenia: A good start.
Marc Giu’s goal restored Chelsea’s two-goal lead over Charlton to 3-1.
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior told TNT Sports: “It’s a good start. Professional.
“I thought the first goal came at a crucial moment in the game. Charlton stood up really well and defended with a difficult block to break down.
“Jorrell was fantastic. I think he was really good at Fulham. He deserved to play today. It was a strong performance from him.”
“We scored from a set-piece, which is always pleasing. We conceded after that, but as I’ve said from the beginning, the quality of our players is outstanding. We started strong and will bring things to build on Wednesday night.”
“Goals change the game. It comes down to quality. We were in control in the first half, but you don’t just want to be in control. It was really good to get the goal. But when Charlton score, they want the second goal.”
“With the draw in the cup they have to deal with bringing in Estebao, Enzo Fernandes and Liam Delap, but I’m happy with the starting XI. Marc Giu was good and I thought he deserved his goal. The wingers Jamie (Gittens) and Ale (Garnacho) were really good. We’ve started well but we’re still not getting carried away.”
“That already happened here. I was happy with Jorrell. He actually played as a number 10 and scored really well. I was happy to be behind Toshin and Big Ben. We were able to really do it with the whole team. But I was happy with it.”
“It’s been a busy couple of months, but I’ve been really happy in the last 48 hours. The players have really accepted me. If I can continue to work like this, I’m looking forward to the future.”
What did we learn from Rosenia’s first game?
Liam Rosenior wins the FA Cup third round in his first game as Chelsea head coach
Analysis of Charlotte Marsh at the Valley and Noah Langford on Sky Sports:
It was perhaps a bit of a misconception that we watched Liam Rosenior’s first Chelsea team make eight changes and bleed through a number of young players since the defeat against Fulham.
Perhaps the biggest difference is that he has adopted a back three, his preferred lineup in Strasbourg. In a season where his job is dependent on the makeup of his defense, it will be interesting to see if he continues to stick to his defense or if it’s a case of “sticking to what I know” in the first game.
That said, there certainly seemed to be more emphasis on using wingers than in recent games.
Tosin was spraying passes to both of them throughout the game, and it felt like Jamie Gittens and Garnacho were more involved compared to past games.
An early interaction even involved Cute Ball trying to pass through the middle in an attempt to find Giu, but that quickly ended when it proved ineffective.
However, the youngsters were not afraid to play directly at Charlton, even if it was not the best way to break through the low blocks. Of course, the scoreline may not have said so, but at least there was a sense that something was trying to happen.
When asked if the team is getting closer to where it wants to be, Rosenior said with a wry smile.
“My thoughts on football don’t matter. It’s about winning football games consistently. It’s a good start, but I’m just a start. We have to be consistent in a very busy schedule right now.”
“We’re a good team. They’ve been well-coached, I haven’t hidden that.
“There are other elements to soccer than just tactics. Tactics are one of them. Forms, systems, techniques, all of them are wonderful.
“But there are other things that I think we can probably improve on. That’s something we’ll continue to work on, as well as the tactical side of the game.”
Ultimately, we’ll get a better idea of where he intends to take this Chelsea side when they face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg in midweek and then take on Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday.
Rosenior has made a good start, but he still has a lot to prove.
Jones disappointed with ‘schoolboy’ goals
Charlton manager Nathan Jones: “We had a really good competition for a long time. The only thing I’m most disappointed about is the second and third goals. They played really hard towards the end and I think the fifth goal was a decision, not a pen.”
“The fourth goal, we were a little open, but the second and third goals were really deadly, they were like elementary school kids, they were poor.
“We can’t afford to concede from those types of set-pieces and we’re doing our job, but it’s too easy for them to take the lead.
“The third goal is really disappointing because this is what we have been working on, preaching to them, showing them, making them explode, giving them a clear picture of how to defend the edge of the box and counter-attacks, and when people are waiting on the edge of the box and you drop completely into the box, you don’t think that’s a safe haven and you don’t stop by.
“I’ve conceded goals in the past because of that, and it’s frustrating because when I was thinking, “Will I be able to muster up?” I ended up doing something that actually cost me the match.”
