Liam Rosenior Drops Bombshell Theory Behind Chelsea's Shocking Carabao Cup Loss to Arsenal
Chelsea's new manager Liam Rosenior accepted complete accountability for his team's 3-2 loss to Arsenal on Wednesday, stating that his tactical instructions to goalkeeper Robert Sánchez were responsible for the errors that contributed to the Gunners' opening two goals.
Sánchez was unable to collect a corner kick as Ben White found the net in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, before the defender's delivery slipped through Sánchez's grasp and fell to a fortunate Viktor Gyökeres in the second period.
Criticism regarding errors from Sánchez has been fairly common throughout his Chelsea tenure, though such incidents had become less frequent during an encouraging few months prior to an uncertain display in Rosenior's first home match. The new manager, however, refused to assign blame.
"I believe the opening goal was frustrating," he admitted. "It's a collective effort. It's not solely on Rob.
"I'm requesting Rob to execute things he hasn't performed previously. I told him before kickoff, and I emphasized this clearly, when my players commit errors, I'm responsible. That falls on me. He produced a save in the second half that was absolutely exceptional. That could have eliminated us from the competition.
"He will develop in terms of his comprehension. He's experienced a very solid season. There were numerous excellent moments from him. I'll remain supportive with him, as I will with the entire squad. My role is to assist them, not to criticize them."
When asked to explain his new expectations of Sánchez, Rosenior continued: "Without revealing too much information, I don't want opposing teams to understand. There are specific cues, there are particular sequences.
"That's Rob's initial match under my guidance. I've had two training sessions with him. I must establish my influence on the squad. That's my purpose here. I don't want to achieve that at the expense of results, but I need to ensure we succeed now, while continuing to develop toward our seasonal objectives. It's an extremely narrow balance.
"There are numerous encouraging aspects in Rob's display today. What you'll understand about me is I shield my players. I'm instructing him to perform certain tasks. If he commits an error while following my directions, that's my responsibility. I have tremendous confidence that long-term we'll progress as a unit with the guidance we're providing him across all situations."
Super Sub Garnacho Hailed for Game-Changing Double
Super Sub Garnacho Hailed for Game-Changing Double
Chelsea fielded a significantly weakened lineup against Arsenal. Moisés Caicedo was serving a suspension while key players Reece James and Cole Palmer were both sidelined with injuries, and Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap were unavailable due to illness.
This situation provided an opportunity for Alejandro Garnacho to impact the match from the substitutes' bench, and the summer acquisition delivered precisely that, scoring twice to keep Chelsea competitive heading into the return leg.
"I'm fortunate," Rosenior added. "A manager is only as effective as his squad. I possess a very talented group.
"I believed all three wingers today... I thought Estêvão produced some brilliant moments. Pedro Neto was exceptional for me, among the finest performers on the field, operating in three different roles for me. Then I can introduce Garnacho with fresh legs. I'm genuinely excited about working with this collection of players.
"Garnacho scores the two goals today, but there were some truly excellent displays, considering the illness affecting our camp and the injuries we've encountered as well."