Chelsea begin Liam Rosenior era with FA Cup win as squad players seize chance

Chelsea began the Liam Rosenior era with a convincing FA Cup victory, pulling away in the second half to beat Charlton Athletic 5-1 and book a place in the fourth round.

While the scoreline suggests a comfortable evening, there were periods where patience was required. Ultimately, Rosenior will take plenty of positives from his debut, particularly from several fringe players who stepped up in difficult conditions.

Here are three things we learned from Chelsea’s win at The Valley.

Liam Rosenior was never likely to be judged on style alone in his first match in charge. Against lower-league opposition in a hostile away environment, getting the job done was the priority.

Chelsea laboured at times in the first half, struggling to break down Charlton’s compact defensive shape. The breakthrough eventually arrived late in the half when Jorrel Hato produced a moment of quality, smashing the ball into the roof of the net.

That goal settled nerves on the touchline and in the stands. Once Chelsea added a second after the break through Tosin Adarabioyo, the contest began to open up.

For Rosenior, a winning start — rather than a flawless performance — was exactly what was required.

With Chelsea facing a congested January schedule, Rosenior made eight changes from the midweek defeat to Fulham. Several squad players took that opportunity.

Hato capped an encouraging week with his goal and looked increasingly confident as the match progressed. Striker Marc Guiu was another standout, contributing to the opener before scoring himself and offering intelligent link-up play throughout.

There were also goals for Tosin and late substitutes Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernández, while Andrey Santos dictated tempo from midfield and Josh Acheampong provided energy down the right.

Rosenior will have been pleased not just with the goals, but with the intensity and responsibility shown by players fighting for minutes.

Charlton, currently 19th in the Championship, proved competitive and briefly threatened a comeback when Miles Leaburn reduced the deficit.

The conditions, however, were arguably as challenging as the opposition. Temperatures dropped below freezing and a thick mist descended over The Valley late on, severely affecting visibility.

Chelsea stayed focused, continued to move the ball sensibly and capitalised on space as Charlton tired. The final three goals added gloss to the scoreline, but also underlined Chelsea’s superior fitness and depth.

Chelsea progress to the FA Cup fourth round with momentum and confidence under their new head coach. For Rosenior, the challenge now is turning this functional win into consistency — while continuing to get meaningful contributions from across the squad.

Which Chelsea squad player impressed you most in Liam Rosenior’s first match in charge?