Pressure mounts on Rosenior after City rout
Chelsea's season hit a new low on Sunday as Manchester City strolled to a 3-0 victory at Stamford Bridge. Second-half goals from Nico O'Reilly, Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku clinically dismantled a side that looked devoid of confidence and tactical cohesion. The defeat leaves the Blues languishing in sixth place in the Premier League, four points adrift of Liverpool in the hunt for a top-five finish and Champions League qualification. Having lost five of their last six matches across all competitions, the honeymoon period for Rosenior, who replaced Enzo Maresca in January, is firmly over as frustrated supporters voiced their anger.
Missing Fernandez's influence in midfield
A major talking point surrounding the match was the absence of Fernandez, who remained sidelined following a club-imposed suspension over comments about a potential summer exit. Rosenior was forced to admit that the Argentine's quality was sorely lacking against City. "Any team will miss Enzo," Rosenior told reporters. "Myself, backed by the leadership group and sporting directors, made a decision for the long term of the club. Enzo wanted to have a conversation with the main players of the group. He has spoken with me, the leadership group and all of the players. There's nothing personal with Enzo. He will be back with the group on Tuesday. He is a top player and a really good guy."
Struggling to cope with setbacks
The manner of the collapse particularly concerned the manager, as Chelsea have failed to score for a third consecutive league game. After a competitive first half, the hosts folded once City broke the deadlock. "Not good enough in the second half. It's a similar story for the past month now in terms of dealing with set-backs," Rosenior explained. "If you go down against teams as good as this, what you have to do for the next five minutes is to stay in the game. It ended up being a really, really difficult second half. I can't say there was a lack of effort. But there was a lack of confidence in the second half."
Accountability in a difficult moment
As Chelsea prepare for another crucial fixture next week at home to third place Manchester United, Rosenior accepted full responsibility for the ongoing slump and demanded an immediate response. "I am accountable. This is a group. It's something we need to improve. It starts with your habits and values," he added. "We have to improve. We are in a difficult place at the moment and we have got another huge game next week. We can't forget that we were playing against a team in massive form pushing for the title. But we need to win games like this. That's why I have come to the club."