Written by Matt Brown
đź“· - Matt Brown
Liam Rosenior took charge of his first game as Chelsea boss as the Blues travelled across London to face Championship side Charlton Athletic in the Emirates FA Cup.
​Chelsea named a side featuring several young prospects but also opted to start Moises Caicedo and Alejandro Garnacho. Meanwhile, Charlton boss Nathan Jones made several changes of his own, including starting Will Mannion in goal and opting to leave regular first-choice Thomas Kaminski out of the squad entirely.
​A near-sell-out crowd at The Valley was treated to pre-match fireworks before welcoming the two sides onto the pitch. With the home support behind them, it was arguably the Addicks who started the better; striker Miles Leaburn looked threatening early on but couldn't find a breakthrough. Both sides looked to create chances in the first half, patiently moving the ball in an attempt to unlock the opposing defense.
​Chelsea finally took the lead in first-half stoppage time when 19-year-old Jorrel Hato struck the ball sweetly, smashing it into the top corner. It was Hato’s first goal for the club since his summer move from Ajax.
​Five minutes into the second half, Chelsea doubled their lead. A questionable free-kick was awarded just outside the box, and Facundo Buonanotte delivered a pinpoint cross for Tosin Adarabioyo to head past Mannion.
​Charlton weren't going down without a fight. In the 57th minute, they were rewarded when a Lloyd Jones header was parried by Jorgensen into the path of Leaburn, who drilled it home from close range. It was a poignant moment for Leaburn, who has been at Charlton from a young age but originally started in the Chelsea academy. He is also the son of former Charlton striker Carl Leaburn (who famously once won a TV for a Man of the Match performance in the ‘Rumbelows’ Cup).
​Any hope of a comeback was short-lived. Moments later, Will Mannion made a sharp save, but the rebound dropped kindly to Marc Guiu, who tapped in to make it 3-1.
​The following 20 minutes highlighted the gulf in resources between the two clubs. As both managers turned to their benches, Chelsea were able to call upon Pedro Neto, Estêvão, Liam Delap, Enzo Fernández, and Wesley Fofana—a group with a combined market value well over £200 million. In contrast, Charlton’s introductions included Joe Rankin-Costello, Harvey Knibbs, and Tanto Olaofe.
​While Mannion made several impressive saves to show Nathan Jones why he should be Charlton’s number one, he was powerless to stop Pedro Neto in the 91st minute. The Portuguese international found space in the box to lash a strike into the bottom corner.
​With mist rolling in from the Thames, visibility became difficult, but it was clear enough to see Mannion bring down Estêvão in the area. Referee Chris Kavanagh had no choice but to award a penalty—having earlier denied Charlton a similar claim (with replays suggesting he made the correct call). With the final kick of the game, Enzo Fernández stepped up to smash home the spot-kick, making it 5-1.
​The scoreline didn't necessarily reflect the balance of play. Charlton arguably performed better than the result suggests, frustrating Chelsea for large periods—particularly Alejandro Garnacho, who endured a dismal afternoon.
​The Charlton faithful mockingly sang that Rosenior wouldn't last a year in the Chelsea dugout, but for now, the new boss is off to a winning start. He will look to carry this momentum into a massive midweek Carabao Cup clash against Arsenal.
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