While young in age, Chelsea’s players are experienced enough that they should never have allowed consecutive collapses at home – and an angry Liam Rosenior has let them know that, too.
The Leeds XI that came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Stamford Bridge collectively carried 524 Premier League appearances between them. The Burnley XI that turned a 1-0 loss into a 1-1 draw in their next outing had 931, and Kyle Walker accounted for 436 of those alone.
Chelsea’s XIs in each of those missed opportunities topped 1,000 games and Confidential understands Rosenior did not react kindly to how they torched four points from winning positions in those matches.
While Rosenior told reporters the day after their draw with Leeds that he was calm in the home dressing room, one source who was there said he did indeed show his angry side. Likewise, there was further frustration after failing to see through a win over Burnley.
Those two results harmed their position in the Champions League race, and, while Enzo Maresca occasionally hinted at Chelsea’s lack of experience as an excuse for losing leads, Rosenior and others inside the club do not want that used as justification now. Nor should they.
Just last week, the Blues made a show of presenting five of their players with medallions and plaques for surpassing 100 Premier League appearances in Trevoh Chalobah, Enzo Fernandez, Alejandro Garnacho, Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro.
Confidential understands Liam Rosenior did not react kindly to how his Chelsea side torched four points from winning positions against Leeds and Burnley
Burnley celebrate their late equaliser when an unnamed Chelsea player failed to do his job and mark Zian Flemming at a corner. At the following corner, Andrey Santos picked him up
Rosenior has held team meetings over the last two weeks in which the focus has been on how and why this has become a theme of their season, with Chelsea having dropped 19 points from winning positions in the Premier League, including a remarkable 17 at home. Part of his anger, he has explained, is aimed at how they have been undoing their otherwise good work in games.
The Strasbourg side managed by Rosenior carried an even younger average age than Chelsea last season, meaning the 41-year-old Englishman is experienced in handling a youthful changing room. There will be no player backlash to any anger shown by Rosenior, nor him publicly saying they ‘set fire’ to four points, as the team share the same frustration at seeing those victories slip away.
Missing out on Champions League qualification would leave Chelsea facing a challenging summer when it comes to convincing targets to choose their project over others. Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton are among those known to have several big clubs interested in them, for example.
After the disappointment of Burnley, Rosenior revealed how one of his players failed to fulfil their marking assignment, with 6ft 1in striker Zian Flemming scoring a free header in stoppage time. He would not confirm who that culprit was. When the away side won another corner a minute later, Andrey Santos was marking Flemming rather than zonally sticking to the penalty spot.
With that, Chelsea have now failed to keep clean sheets in their last five league outings versus strugglers in Crystal Palace, West Ham, Wolves, Leeds and Burnley – with Arsenal next on Sunday.
CORNER GOALS GO AWOL… AND PRESSURE ON CUEVA
It is tough to turn a corner when you cannot score from one, and Chelsea are now on their longest streak without netting from that scenario in the Premier League this season.
The last time they made a corner count was via Liam Delap at Fulham in Calum McFarlane’s last match in charge as caretaker before Rosenior officially took over. Since then, Chelsea have taken 34 in six games in the Premier League and not scored, with set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva needing to improve their record and fast.
They have scored nine goals from corners all campaign, which is behind only Tottenham’s 13 and Arsenal’s 14 in the table. However, that total was boosted by the Blues scoring three in a single game in the 5-1 win away at West Ham in August.
It is inevitable that Chelsea will work on defending corners this week given they are facing Arsenal. We are likely to see the visitors bring back the tactic where they send three players sprinting out of the box as the cross is set to come in to ease the congestion around Robert Sanchez.
With Wesley Fofana suspended, we may also see Mamadou Sarr brought in for his first Premier League start since his Strasbourg recall, rather than, say, Tosin Adarabioyo. Rosenior will only reveal his selected line-up to the players the day prior to the game, however, with Josh Acheampong another candidate.
Mamadou Sarr is in line for his first Premier League start since his Strasbourg recall against Arsenal on Sunday
THE PLAN FOR 16-YEAR-OLD PROSPECT
Mohamed Zongo – the 16-year-old Burkinabe talent for Sporting Football Cascades – has chosen the Ali Barat stable Epic Sports to act as his representatives moving forward.
Barat said: ‘He is a special talent, technically gifted, creative, with a strong personality on the pitch, but what convinced us most was his mentality. At 16, he already shows maturity, respect and a real desire to learn. Our job is not to rush him. Our job is to build a clear plan for the next 10 years of his life, and to make sure ethics, education and performance go hand in hand.’
Why is this relevant to Chelsea? Well, Zongo is understood to already have an agreement with BlueCo in place after they scouted him at the Under-17 World Cup, and Confidential was told this week that the plan is for him to join Strasbourg once he turns 18.
Among Barat’s summer dealings with Chelsea were taking Noni Madueke to Arsenal, Renato Veiga to Villarreal, Carney Chukwuemeka and Aaron Anselmino to Borussia Dortmund and Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich.
The exciting 16-year-old Mohamed Zongo is understood to already have an agreement with Chelsea owners BlueCo in place after they scouted him at the Under-17 World Cup
INSIDE LEEDS’ CONTROVERSIAL LEVELLER
The PGMOL have released the audio from Leeds’ leveller at Chelsea earlier in February when Jayden Bogle handled the ball in the build-up to Noah Okafor scoring.
Their officiating team’s deliberations boiled down to the below.
Referee Robert Jones: ‘It doesn’t feel deliberate, John (Brooks, VAR), but obviously sweep it up.’
VAR John Brooks: ‘The ball is bouncing. He tries to get his arm out of the way in my opinion. It flicks his elbow. It’s not a deliberate handball.’
Assistant VAR Simon Bennett: ‘Agreed.’
If anything, the officials believed there could have been a possible penalty conceded by Sanchez on Bogle in the melee, had Leeds not gone on to score their goal.
VAR Brooks concluded by telling Jones: ‘Rob, confirming the on-field decision of goal, check complete. The ball does flick the arm of the Leeds player in the APP (attacking phase of play) but it is an accidental handball and he is not the goalscorer.’
Howard Webb, questioned by Michael Owen on Match Officials Mic’d Up, agreed it was the correct call. ‘We don’t normally penalise that,’ Webb said.
Brooks will act as the VAR again for Arsenal versus Chelsea on Sunday.
Noah Okafor of Leeds (right) rolls the ball home to equalise late on after a melee in the Chelsea box. Jayden Bogle handled the ball in the build-up but the referee was right to allow the goal
WHY TOP REFS ARE MISSING FROM THE PREM
Referees Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver have not been given Premier League games for this weekend or the midweek matches that follow.
Confidential has been told that the reason for their absence is because they are needed in Dubai to attend a FIFA seminar of referees shortlisted to officiate at the 2026 World Cup. It is part of the pre-selection process ahead of that summer tournament, with England one of only two European nations to have two referees nominated alongside France, which is a source of pride for the PGMOL.
Darren England will referee Chelsea’s trip to Arsenal on Sunday with Brooks as VAR, while Jarred Gillett will oversee the Blues’ visit to Aston Villa on Wednesday alongside James Bell as VAR.
WHY CHELSEA’S FINE WAS BIGGER THAN WEST HAM’S
Chelsea have received a £325,000 fine from the FA while West Ham were fined £300,000 after their mass confrontation at Stamford Bridge at the end of January.
That was when Adama Traore threw Marc Cucurella to the ground by the corner flag before a big bust-up, with Joao Pedro among those rushing in to shove Traore. Jean-Clair Todibo was red-carded for grabbing Joao Pedro by the neck.
Why Chelsea were fined more was primarily due to them being repeat offenders of Rule E20, which relates to players behaving ‘in a way which is improper, offensive, violent, threatening, abusive, indecent, insulting or provocative’.
Also mentioned in the FA’s written reasons was how they did not believe Cucurella was blameless. The Commission wrote: ‘It was not accepted that Mr Cucurella was wholly without fault. He was aware of his actions after conceding the corner kick and returning to his feet. He sought to invite a reaction from Mr Traore. That is not to justify Mr Traore’s disproportionate reaction from which the mass confrontation ensued.’
The FA thought Chelsea’s players, including Joao Pedro, tried to increase the animosity via the home supporters. The Commission noted that ‘three of the Chelsea players were in some way seeking to incite the crowd during and towards the end of the incident’.
In their submitted defence, Chelsea told the FA how Rosenior had spoken with his players on the importance of not losing their heads in such situations.
Chelsea have received a £325,000 fine from the FA while West Ham were fined £300,000 after their mass confrontation at Stamford Bridge at the end of January
MESSY MOISES ON THE BRINK
Moises Caicedo is yet again walking a disciplinary tightrope as he is only two bookings away from a total of 10 in the Premier League this season. That would leave him suspended for two matches, and would mean he has hit double figures in yellows for three consecutive seasons.
When I interviewed Caicedo in November, he told me how he had been playing through pain. At the time, a knee issue was bugging him. ‘I never give up,’ he said.
That is an admirable mindset for a midfielder to have, but his messy history of yellows still requires work, even if he does play in an area of the pitch where he has to put in risky tackles.
Caicedo is interested in signing a new contract with Chelsea – he told me himself how much longer he wants to continue wearing blue – though they need him in the team now more than ever in their pursuit of Champions League football rather than sidelined through suspension.