Liam Rosenquist took charge of Chelsea for the first time, stepping into the dugout amid a mix of nostalgia and curiosity from the fans. South London supporters were singing the praises of former owner Roman Abramovich. Still, co-ownerΒ Behdad Eghbali and the new manager faced the reality of needing to win over the crowd.
Chelsea delivered a statement performance in the third round of the FA Cup, dismantling Charlton Athletic 5-1 at The Valley. Although Miles Lewburn reduced the deficit to 2-1 for Charlton, the Blues maintained control throughout the match.
Chelsea Rising Stars Shine in Rosenquistβs First Game
Three players who had rarely featured under former manager Enzo Maresca β Jorel Hato, Tassin Adarabio, and Marc Gueye β found the net. Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez added late goals, with Fernandez converting a penalty in injury time to seal the emphatic victory.
Rosenquist reflected on the game, saying:
“π¨ πππ ππ πππππππππ πππ π ππππ πππππ. π°’π ππππ πππππ ππππ πππ πππππππππ ππ πππ ππππ, ππππ ππ πππ πππππ ππππ. π°π’π πππ ππ ππππ πππππ ππ ππππ ππππ, πππ ππ ππππππππππ πππ ππππ πππ πππ ππππππππ πππ πππππππππ.”
This victory marks the first time in nearly a decade that a new Chelsea manager has won their opening match β the last being Antonio Conte in 2016.
Looking ahead, Rosenquistβs Chelsea will face Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final next Wednesday, before kicking off their Premier League campaign against Brentford at Stamford Bridge.
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