Charlton 1 Chelsea 5: Liam Rosenior Explains Why Cole Palmer Did Not Feature
- Liam Rosenior began his Chelsea reign with a 5-1 FA Cup away win over Charlton on Saturday
- Teenagers Jorrel Hato and Marc Guiu scored their first goals for the club as the Blues ran riot
- Liam Rosenior has now explained why playmaker Cole Palmer missed the FA Cup match
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Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has shed light on his decision to leave Cole Palmer out of the matchday squad during the Blues’ emphatic 5-1 victory over Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup on Saturday, January 10, at The Valley.
Rosenior marked his first game in charge with a commanding win as Chelsea progressed comfortably to the fourth round, delivering a professional display in front of a sold-out crowd in south-east London.
Source: Getty Images
As stated by the BBC, goals from Jorrel Hato, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez underlined Chelsea’s quality and squad depth.
The visitors took control early, dominating possession and repeatedly testing Charlton goalkeeper Keenan Gough. Although Lloyd Jones and Tyreece Campbell threatened sporadically for the hosts, Chelsea looked the more composed side throughout the opening period.
Their pressure finally paid off in first-half stoppage time when teenage defender Hato smashed a superb half-volley into the top corner after Charlton failed to clear their lines, registering his first goal for the club.
Chelsea doubled their advantage shortly after the restart. Adarabioyo rose highest to meet Facundo Buonanotte’s deep free-kick, guiding a clever header beyond the goalkeeper to put Rosenior’s side firmly in control.
Charlton refused to fold and briefly injected drama into the contest. Jones and Charlie Kelman both went close before Miles Leaburn pulled one back from a corner, finishing after Filip Jorgensen produced a stunning save to deny Jones’ initial effort. However, any hopes of a comeback were quickly extinguished.
Nineteen-year-old striker Marc Guiu reacted sharply inside the box to restore Chelsea’s two-goal cushion, finishing from close range to reward another impressive youthful performance. With the game stretched, Rosenior turned to his substitutes, and Chelsea’s depth proved decisive.
Pedro Neto, introduced from the bench, then smashed home a powerful strike in added time to make it 4-1, before Enzo Fernandez added further gloss by converting a late penalty after Estevao Willian was fouled in the area.
Despite the convincing scoreline, attention quickly turned to the absence of Cole Palmer, who was notably rested alongside other senior figures.
Source: Getty Images
Why Cole Palmer missed the match
Explaining his decision after the game, Rosenior revealed the move was purely precautionary, as Football London noted.
The Chelsea boss confirmed that Palmer, Malo Gusto, and Reece James were all carrying minor knocks picked up during the previous outing against Fulham.
The former Strasbourg boss stressed that he was unwilling to gamble with player fitness at such a demanding stage of the campaign, particularly with major fixtures looming.
''Malo, Cole and Reece were precautionary today. I don't want to take any risks at this stage of the season. They had minor tweaks or knocks from the Fulham game. And I didn't feel... I feel like I've got such a good squad here. I don't need to risk their health at the moment. We have a huge game on Wednesday. We have a huge game on Saturday. And I'll check the medical reports tonight and tomorrow morning and see how they are then.''
Liam Rosenior's London arrival
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Liam Rosenior arrived in London to finalise his appointment as Chelsea head coach following the sacking of Enzo Maresca.
The former Strasbourg manager had emerged as the clear frontrunner for the role and ultimately secured the job after advanced talks with the club.
Source: YEN.com.gh
