LONDON — Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior is well aware of the memes circulating about him, including comparisons to David Brent from the British version of “The Office.” He has noticed the humor directed at him on social media, with his children being the ones to bring it to his attention.
“They find it hilarious! One meme commented on my fashion choices, stating I have good dress sense, which my daughter thought was a riot,” Rosenior shared during his pre-match press conference on Friday. “She actually dislikes my style!”
Despite the jokes, Rosenior has successfully fulfilled his commitment to boost Chelsea’s performance, achieving six wins in his first seven games since taking over earlier this month across all competitions.
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Chelsea’s thrilling 3-2 win against West Ham United marked a historic moment as it was the first time the club has come back to win after trailing by two goals at halftime in the Premier League. Following their 3-2 victory over Napoli in the UEFA Champions League, this is the second time in one week Chelsea has overturned a deficit to claim victory.
Surely, few will be laughing now.
“I hope that over time, fans will recognize this as the best decision the club has made, but I can’t dwell on that,” Rosenior said regarding his appointment after the game.
Chelsea’s performance was a tale of two halves; the first was dismal, and the fans made their displeasure known with loud boos as referee Anthony Taylor ended the half. West Ham had fully earned their two-goal lead, with Jarrod Bowen scoring in the seventh minute and Crysencio Summerville adding another soon after.
In a disjointed first half, Alejandro Garnacho lost possession 12 times before being substituted, while Liam Delap appeared isolated and ineffective with only eight touches. The central defensive duo of Benoît Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah were shaky, conceding numerous chances, and Chelsea was fortunate to only be down by two at the break.
Rosenior made no hesitation to implement changes. Dressed in a stylish overcoat with blue pants and white sneakers, he made three substitutions at halftime, a strategy he is known for.
“If you look at my managerial history, making early changes has always been my approach,” he stated on Friday. “The players understand that being substituted at halftime is tactical with me.”
All three halftime substitutions proved effective. Defenders Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana, along with striker João Pedro, each played a crucial role in Chelsea’s goals. Fofana provided a perfect cross for Pedro to score in the 57th minute, while Cucurella found the net 13 minutes later, heading in a rebound off the bar.
It marked the first time two Chelsea substitutes scored in a single Premier League game in over three years.
Eventually, Enzo Fernández sealed the victory with a goal in the second minute of added time, arriving perfectly to convert Pedro’s pass across the box.
Initially, Rosenior’s appointment to replace Enzo Maresca was met with skepticism. Maresca had led Chelsea to a top-four finish and secured both the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup, and he was linked to a potential move to take over at Manchester City.
In contrast, Rosenior’s background included serving as a coach under Wayne Rooney at Derby County, a short management stint at Hull City, and a promising period at Chelsea’s sister club, Strasbourg.
Yet, his record since joining Chelsea speaks volumes; he is currently enjoying a five-match winning streak and has had the most impressive start since Maurizio Sarri in 2018.
“For a manager to step in midway through the season with limited preparation and achieve six wins out of seven games is quite remarkable,” Rosenior remarked.
“As long as the team displays the fight, energy, and intensity seen in that second half, I believe the fans will continue to support us, and I’m genuinely enjoying my time here at Chelsea.”
However, there remains respect for him to earn. He has enjoyed a relatively favorable set of fixtures at the start of his tenure—his only loss came against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semifinal first leg, representing one of the few matches against quality opposition.
Saturday’s win sets the stage for his biggest challenge yet: the second leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal against Arsenal, where they must overcome a 3-2 deficit.
“Someone just informed me that this is the first time in Premier League history we’ve won at home after being two goals down,” Rosenior said.
“It’s a monumental achievement to witness the heart, mentality, spirit, and quality of this group in that second half, and it makes me incredibly happy.”