Soccer
Liam Rosenior admitted Chelsea have “a lot more work to do”, though he was happy with his side’s performance as they secured a 2-0 victory over Brentford in his first Premier League match in charge of the Blues.
Joao Pedro blasted into the roof of the net after a timely deflection fell his way to open the scoring in the first half, before Cole Palmer wrapped up the points late in the second with a well-taken spot kick.
Mathias Jensen and Kevin Schade both spurned golden chances for the Bees, who saw a six-match winning run come to an end, while Alejandro Garnacho also wasted a good opportunity from point-blank range for the Blues in the first half.
The victory saw Rosenior join Graham Potter to become only the second Chelsea manager since Maurizio Sarri in 2018 to win their first Premier League game in charge of the club.
“I’m happy. A lot more work to do but to win against a very good side, I was delighted with the attitude,” Rosenior told BBC Match of the Day.
“I want to find a way that we’re very good with the ball. We got our clean sheet and defended against a consistently good team.
“That’s what I love and what I demand. I know I’ve got a talented group, I’ve been telling them all week. You have to find a way to win and the lads certainly did that this afternoon.
“Great reaction to losing the ball. We don’t have the training time to work on patterns all the time. My job is to stay calm and make the right substitutions. My job is to help my players win games.
“I love being here and I want to be successful with this group. It’s my first Premier League group.”
Despite picking up the win, Chelsea were not at their fluent best on Saturday, managing just six total shots, scoring with their two on target. This marks the fewest shots the Blues have had in a Premier League home win since October 2014 against Arsenal (five).
First #PL victory for Rosenior. #CFC | #CHEBRE pic.twitter.com/v9x07h6UV9
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 17, 2026
“If you want to be a winning team then you have to find a way to win when you’re not at your best,” Rosenior added.
“I said a few things about the club’s demands. I want us to play free-flowing football and for the fans to enjoy what we do.
“I’m here to help the lads improve and win games of football at the same time.”
Brentford, meanwhile, will feel unlucky to have not found the net as their struggles in away London derbies continued.
The Bees have now lost five of their last six away league matches against London rivals (W1), including each of the last four by an identical 2-0 scoreline.
Despite the loss, Brentford boss Keith Andrews maintained that he was nonetheless proud of his side’s display.
“We just weren’t clinical enough with the chances we had,” Andrews told BBC Match of the Day.
“We didn’t give up anything at the other end. I’m proud of the performance levels. The growth of the team is there for everyone to see.
“Mistakes can happen in the game. I want us to play with courage and we did that today. I thought we were excellent. Some of our play was high-level and against elite-level opposition.”
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