Chelsea suffered a 3-0 defeat at Everton on Saturday, according to a report by BBC. Liam Rosenior, the Chelsea manager, is facing criticism early in his tenure.
The defeat meant Chelsea suffered a fourth loss in a row for the first time since 2023. They sit sixth in the Premier League table, with a fifth-place finish likely to guarantee Champions League football.
Results are a concern given Chelsea's ambition to qualify for next season's elite European competition, although they remain only one point behind fifth-placed Liverpool following the Reds' loss at Brighton.
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There is no suggestion inside Chelsea that Rosenior, who succeeded Enzo Maresca in January, is in danger of losing his job, either now or at the end of the season.
Rosenior has been heavily involved in regular transfer planning meetings with sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart. After the current international break, Chelsea host Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Saturday, 4 April.
Investigation and Next Steps
Rosenior told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We will now have more time to analyse instead of jumping from game to game, which we can do with less emotion and sit down as a staff to talk about how we improve."
Chelsea's performance at Everton was concerning, particularly because of the poor body language on show for much of the 90 minutes. Vice-captain Enzo Fernandez told sports channel TUDN: "We lost a manager who gave us identity, structure and direction - a Club World Cup winner - and no-one, not even the players, understands why."
Team and Player Response
Rosenior sought to play down Fernandez's remarks, saying the midfielder is "committed" and the comments were "misconstrued" following an emotional defeat. Fernandez's comments came amid speculation that he might leave in the summer, with Real Madrid and PSG reportedly interested.
Chelsea's wage structure is linked to performance, and almost every member of the squad would face a pay cut if the club fail to qualify for the Champions League. This is understood to be a concern for certain players such as Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, who have been seeking improved deals.
