It was another sour ending for a manager at Chelsea as Liam Rosenior became the fifth sacking by the Blue Co since they took ownership of the club in 2022. The manager was brought in from the co-owned club Strasbourg in Ligue 1, following Enzo Maresca stepping down from his role in early January, with no background of managing a top side on an ambitious five and half year deal. Yet, the risk wasn't worth taking as Rosenior lasted only months in his role after overseeing a disastrous spell in which the club lost the final five league games of his tenure without finding the net even once. It is a historic low for the team that is now on the brink of missing out on European football completely and face far more uncertainty going ahead with the next manager appointment amid the Blue Co project crumbling before their eyes. Rosenior's dismissal will also cost the Blues a lot as he will be paid over $32 million in compensation and effectively leaves the side see out the rest of the season without a head coach.
What now?
A string of horrifying results leaves Chelsea eighth on the Premier League table, seven points off from a Champions League spot with four games left to play in the season. The Blues though remain in contention to qualify for other competitions, sitting just two points away from a Europa League spot and just a point away from a place in Conference League qualification, a competition they won last season. They also have the FA Cup semifinal against Leeds United lined up which means they can still finish in an otherwise disastrous campaign with a trophy in hand. However, the major question lingers after Rosenior's sacking is who will take charge of the side now? It is not that Chelsea won't have options open for them, if not now than the end of the season, as both Oliver Glasner of Crystal Palace and Bournemouth's Andoni Iroala will leave their role after a month. If they want they they could go for an even more high profile appointment like Xabi Alonso, though unlikely for his Liverpool connection, or ex-player Cesc Fabregas who is doing an excellent work with Como in Serie A. But there is this big question whoever is drawn up next that whether that manager will be willing to take the role or is attracted to the job that comes with such toxicity in dressing room and direction-less board? For now, Chelsea will hope to finish the season as strongly as possible with caretaker boss Calum McFarlane taking charge for the second time after doing the same when Maresca got sacked as an instant appointment looks extremely unlikely at the business end of the campaign.
Chelsea's remaining schedule in the Premier League 2025-26
Sunday 26 April 2026
Leeds United (FA Cup)
Monday 4 May 2026
Nottingham Forest (H)
Saturday, 9 May 2026
Liverpool (A)
Sunday, 17 May 2026
Tottenham (H)
Sunday, 24 May 2026
Sunderland (A)
Chelsea's final four games in the Premier League season alongside their FA Cup semifinal battle with Leeds United is as gruelling as it gets. After facing the Whites at Wembley in the first game after Rosenior's sacking, they will welcome Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge in desperation to recover from their catastrophic form. It won't be an easy tie in any case as the Tricky Trees has found good form lately and are looking to add more points to extend their gap with relegation zone. The Blues then face two crunching fixtures in the final month of the season in the form of Liverpool at Anfield who is looking to solidify the Champions League spots after also having a reversal of form lately and London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at home who are in desperate need for victories to avoid a shocking relegation from the top flight. The stakes in those games alone states just how difficult those ties will be aside from them being historically heavyweight fixtures. The final game of the season on 24 May 2026 also comes against a side fighting for a cause this season as they travel to Stadium of Light to face Sunderland who are three points away from a European football spot.
Will Chelsea get European football?
One would not associate a club like Chelsea carrying a form of losing five straight games in the Premier League without scoring a goal or picking up just a single victory, a 7-0 thrashing of third division side Port Vale in the FA Cup quarterfinals, in two months. That is the reality the Blue sit in now and they have to do anything possible to not let them sink further in the final games of the season. Their schedule is tough and they are in an intense race to grab one of the European football spots with Champions League now seemingly out of their hands. Teams above them like Brighton and Bournemouth or those even below them like Brentford, Everton, Sunderland, Fulham and even Crystal Palace who have two games in hand have only a few point difference with them and have seen a late resurgence in form. So, manager-less Chelsea find themselves in a very tough spot. However, the Blues are freshened up with Rosenior now gone which will allow them to express themselves more freely and regain their shoddy form. While they had to look at other results to go in their favour, Chelsea will be in an advantageous position if they win all their remaining matches which they have to do at all cost to have a chance to stay in Europe next season and build some positivity even if minor for the upcoming campaign. Otherwise, they will hit another low and put them in a far more difficult place than before.
