Man Utd boost Champions League hopes with victory at Chelsea
There were chants of "we want our Chelsea back" during a protest march before kick-off – then the chorus spread to the stands during the second half of the defeat by Manchester United.
The frustration from supporters is understandable, given Chelsea have now lost their past four Premier League games without scoring – their joint-longest run since November 1912.
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior admitted his side face a "mountain to climb" in their pursuit of Champions League qualification, after the latest 1-0 loss to United left them four points off the top five, having played a game more.
Failure to qualify would be viewed internally as a disappointment, with the club at risk of falling short of the minimum target set before the season under former head coach Enzo Maresca.
Missing out would mean a loss of key revenue and prestige, and would mark the third time in four seasons Chelsea have failed to qualify since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover in 2022.
Much of the criticism had focused on the defence, goalkeeping and the squad's age profile – but it is now the attack that is under scrutiny. Chelsea have gone almost six and a half hours without a goal in the league.
Rosenior's swift appointment from partner club Strasbourg was one of the reasons ultras from the French side joined the protest alongside Chelsea supporters, with supporters of both clubs arguing they have been negatively affected by the January decision.
For Chelsea, however, the recriminations are widening, with Liverpool four points ahead with a game in hand and rivals Manchester United and Aston Villa looking increasingly difficult to catch.
"It's not insurmountable but it gives us a mountain to climb and we have to go into Brighton [on Tuesday] with an idea that we have to win that game and kick-start the rest of our season," Rosenior said.
The pressure is truly on with five games remaining as the campaign unravels at a crucial juncture.
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A few weeks ago, when the slump began, Rosenior pointed to the fact he had taken charge at Chelsea when they were eighth in the table and fourth in the recent form rankings.
However, his side have dropped to ninth in the form table since his appointment and are set to fall further once all teams have played 33 matches.
It is a damaging return, particularly given Rosenior's calls for more time on the training pitch. Despite having free midweeks to prepare for his past two fixtures, Chelsea have still lost to Manchester City and Manchester United.
He had hoped the March international break would act as a reset for his side's poor form, but the decline has continued into April.
Before kick-off, the view inside the club was that Rosenior remains secure in his position and that, even if Chelsea fail to qualify for the Champions League, he will be assessed at the end of next season following his first full campaign.
"I think we're behind Liam. Of course, it's a results business, but we think he can be successful long term," influential owner Behdad Eghbali said on Thursday at the CAA World Congress of Sports event in Los Angeles.
Eghbali also acknowledged that a lack of managerial stability has been one of the key issues behind Chelsea falling short in recent seasons.
It will be brave, however, to stick with Rosenior if his messaging is not getting across to the players – with Chelsea supporters famously impatient given the hiring and firing under previous owner Roman Abramovich.
Enzo Fernandez returned for Chelsea after an internal two-match ban
There is anger directed at Rosenior, but many Chelsea supporters also point the finger at Eghbali, Boehly and the rest of the BlueCo ownership.
The latest protest saw supporters march from The Wolfpack Inn pub to Stamford Bridge before kick-off, having grown from a turnout of about 200 before the Brentford match to more than 500 before Saturday's tie.
There were flares, banners and chants directed at the owners, as well as calls in support of former owner Abramovich.
Under the terms of the takeover agreement in 2022, the current ownership group cannot sell the club until at least 2032. However, there are signs they are willing to listen to some of the criticism, including calls to recruit more experienced players.
"We recognise we need balance. You tweak a model, you improve and you learn from mistakes," Eghbali said. "We have a strong core, but we need to add experience to take the team to the next level and achieve consistency. That is not lost on us."
However, failure to qualify for the Champions League would undermine any rebuild. Chelsea have already spent about £1.5bn on signings under the current ownership and, despite recouping approximately £750m in sales, they remain under financial scrutiny from Uefa, having faced fines for breaching their regulations.
The club has announced Premier League record pre-tax losses in its latest accounts and – without the additional revenue generated by Europe's premier competition through broadcasting, sponsorship and ticket sales – questions remain over whether Chelsea can recruit effectively in the summer.
Before kick-off, Cole Palmer told TNT Sports: "If we're not in the Champions League, everything changes."
Asked about Palmer's comments and the potential financial implications, Rosenior replied: "The honest answer is I don't know. We're still fighting and we'll address that situation at the end of the season, whatever the situation is."
Meanwhile, Enzo Fernandez's agent, Javier Pastore, has said his client would view missing out on Champions League football as an issue, despite the midfielder's two-match internal ban – imposed following comments linking him with a move to Real Madrid – coming to an end on Saturday.
While the protest movement has largely been driven by younger supporters, there are signs of apathy among older match-going fans. Boos were heard at full-time, with the atmosphere inside Stamford Bridge growing quieter with each game.
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