Chelsea's new era under Liam Rosenior began in disastrous fashion on Wednesday night, with a 2-1 defeat to neighbours Fulham at Craven Cottage compounded by a red card and furious protests from the travelling supporters.
Rosenior's View from the Stands Backfires
Newly appointed head coach Liam Rosenior chose to observe his first match from the directors' box rather than take immediate charge from the dugout. This decision backfired spectacularly as he witnessed a chaotic performance firsthand. Rosenior, sitting alongside Chelsea's joint-owner Behdad Eghbali, saw his team unravel in a match that highlighted the immense task ahead.
The Chelsea fans made their feelings brutally clear, directing chants of "f*** off Eghbali - you're not wanted here" at the owner throughout the game. Rosenior had left under-21s boss Calum McFarlane in temporary charge, citing a lack of preparation time, but the optics were poor as Chelsea's discipline collapsed.
Discipline Disaster and Wilson's Heroics
The match's pivotal moment arrived in the first half. Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno launched a long ball forward, sending Harry Wilson clear. Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella pulled him back, earning a straight red card from referee Peter Bankes. A VAR check confirmed the foul occurred just outside the penalty area, sparing Chelsea a penalty, but the damage was done.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Chelsea held firm until the 55th minute. Sander Berge delivered a superb cross for Raul Jimenez to glance a header home, putting Fulham ahead. The ten men of Chelsea showed spirit to equalise when Liam Delap tapped in after a goalmouth scramble.
However, the in-form Harry Wilson had the final say. After a saved effort fell to him, he cut inside and fired a brilliant low shot into the far corner, sealing a 2-1 victory for Marco Silva's side and sending the home fans into raptures.
Consequences and a Mountain to Climb
The defeat is a significant blow to Chelsea's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League. More immediately, it piles pressure on Rosenior before he has even taken a training session. Cucurella's dismissal was Chelsea's fifth red card in the Premier League this season, their highest tally since the 2007/08 campaign.
Rosenior's first task will be to address this chronic lack of discipline. As the final whistle blew on a jubilant Craven Cottage, the new boss was left in no doubt about the scale of the rebuilding job required at Stamford Bridge. The fans' anger towards the ownership adds another layer of complexity to his daunting challenge.
