Football Review | Everton 3 - 0 Chelsea

The pressure is starting to building on another Chelsea boss

Can Liam Rosenior survive a potential Chelsea crisis?

Author | Lewis W

Stadium | Hill Dickinson Stadium

After Everton’s third goal went in, Chelsea’s travelling support had seen enough.

Following a brief spell of familiar anti-ownership chants, more than half of those in the away end made an early exit on their first visit to the Hill Dickinson Stadium. It served as a stark illustration of the growing unrest around the west London club in the wake of their Champions League exit.

Defeats to Paris St-Germain across two legs, culminating in a joint-record 8-2 aggregate loss, were followed by a home setback against Newcastle United. This latest result confirmed consecutive Premier League defeats, both by a 3-0 margin.

Much of the scrutiny is likely to fall on the club’s hierarchy, who have faced renewed criticism this week after vice-captain Enzo Fernandez voiced concern over the January departure of former head coach Enzo Maresca. Those remarks also cast an uncomfortable light on the position of the current manager, Liam Rosenior.

Rosenior made an encouraging start after arriving from sister club Strasbourg, albeit against modest opposition, but his side have since lost their way, with just one win from their past six league matches. 

Chelsea also appear more exposed than before, despite the manager’s attempts to implement a more aggressive pressing approach. Goals have also become scarce, with even the previously influential Joao Pedro now struggling for impact.

There is also a sense of fatigue

Having played well over 100 matches across the past two seasons, including involvement in the Club World Cup, Chelsea have been consistently outrun by their Premier League opponents this term.

While the club’s hierarchy continue to target Champions League qualification via a top-five finish, performances of this nature cast serious doubt on that ambition. Momentum and energy appear to be draining at a critical stage of the campaign, with fixtures against Manchester City and Manchester United looming.