Rosenior Praises Chelsea’s Patience in ‘Frustrating’ Champions League Win

- by Olatunji Johnson

Manager highlights ‘harsh’ disallowed goal as Caicedo’s late header breaks down stubborn Pafos.

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior praised his team’s persistence after a tense 1-0 Champions League victory over a dogged Pafos FC, admitting his side had to “keep banging on the door” to finally secure a vital win.

The Cypriot visitors executed a disciplined defensive plan at Stamford Bridge, frustrating Chelsea for over 75 minutes. Goalkeeper Jay Gorter made several key saves, while his defenders threw themselves into countless blocks. The Blues also saw an early Enzo Fernandez header controversially ruled out for a foul, a decision Rosenior labeled “harsh.”

“The reality of the Champions League is you face teams who are very organised and come to frustrate,” Rosenior said. “I felt it was a harsh decision on Enzo. Maybe he puts his hands on him but in the Premier League it’s probably a goal. You just have to keep going.”

The reward for that persistence came from an unlikely source. With 12 minutes remaining, midfielder Moises Caicedo rose to meet a corner and powered home a decisive header, sparking relief around the stadium.

“I was delighted for Moi to get the goal and the result we deserved,” Rosenior added. “They were making block after block, save after save… overall we kept going.”

The hard-earned three points lift Chelsea to eighth in the tightly packed league phase table, where eight teams are level on 13 points. With goal difference now critical, every goal matters ahead of the final matchday.

Rosenior acknowledged the challenge ahead, with a Premier League clash against Crystal Palace coming first before a decisive trip to face Napoli in Italy. “We have a fantastic chance to go through if we win,” he stated. “We know it will be a difficult game, but we are not daunted by that prospect.”

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