The gap between Man City and Arsenal is closing. But on Sunday, the gap between Chelsea and the Premier League leaders seemed wide open as they fell behind in the second half at Stamford Bridge.
Blues manager Liam Rosenija will be under pressure after the 3-0 loss to title-chasing City, which severely damaged his team’s prospects of qualifying for the Champions League.
They are four points behind fifth-placed Liverpool, and have lost their last three league games without scoring.
But Rosenior revealed what was the big problem for his team: Chelsea’s mentality when they suffered setbacks.
“This has happened many times before,” he said in his post-match press conference after City’s quick-fire goal just after half-time saw his teams pull away.
Rosenior was also no doubt thinking about his team blowing a two-goal lead against relegation contenders Leeds here in February, and the late collapse against Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie last month.
“Man City started the second half better than us. That can happen against a good team, but we can’t afford to concede two goals in quick succession like we did,” Rosenior said.
“At the end of the day, it’s about bouncing back in difficult moments and getting through those moments and making sure you’re still in the game.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Gary Neville questions where Chelsea’s leadership will come from and wants young coaches like Liam Rosenior to do more to help a youthful team lacking experience and discipline.
In contrast, manager Josep Guardiola said of his City players: “The success of these players is due to the hierarchy, the sporting director and the club, who give me or free me a great mentality of being a competitive player. So that is the key to success.”
These are the players that Rosenior wants to bring to Chelsea. “We have had many detailed discussions over the last week about what it should look like moving forward from the summer window,” he said.
But Rosenior knows he needs to start making gains soon if his side are to achieve their goals in the Premier League and in the FA Cup semi-final against Leeds.
“We have to change now,” Rosenior said. “I’m not a manager who hides the idea, ‘Maybe we need to do something with other players in the transfer market.’ That needs to change now.”
“That’s why I’m here. So it’s something we have to deal with because there’s too much going on in the game against the top teams. In the first half, I actually felt today was very, very good. It was the same for the 75 minutes against PSG.”
“But then we concede a goal and then the cards start to come together.”
“I understand this club, now we have to win” says Rosenior
Despite boos from Chelsea supporters at full-time, Rosenior said he was not ignoring the demands at Stamford Bridge. Or the fact that the club has a reputation for sacking managers when their results and results slump.
“We have to win this moment. This is a huge football club. When I first came, I didn’t ask for a lot of time because I understand this club. I understand the tradition and history of this club.”
“I want to spend time like that,” he said.
“I’m convinced that in that time we can create something very special. That’s because even experienced players like Pep (Guardiola) and Jurgen Klopp, when they won the title with Liverpool, needed a year to sort things out. I came in January.
“That’s not an excuse, it’s reality.
“We need to win now. That’s what we’re going to focus on.”
