The main talking points and moments missed from Chelsea's narrow 1-0 victory over Pafos on Wednesday evening in the penultimate match of their Champions League league phase
11:21, 22 Jan 2026
Liam Rosenior
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Liam Rosenior following Chelsea's 1-0 win over Pafos(Image: Shaun Brooks - CameraSport)
Chelsea playing football under the lights at Stamford Bridge usually makes for a wonderful atmosphere, especially in the Champions League. Though the ambience in SW6 on Wednesday night was strange.
Saturday afternoon saw a group of a few hundred supporters gather outside the stadium to protest against the club's ownership, and there were a few chants against Behdad Eghbali and Clearlake Capital during Chelsea's 1-0 win over Pafos. For the most part, though, the travelling Pafos fans, making the trip from Cyprus, were the ones that could be heard in west London.
Rather than a full-on celebration, there seemed to be a collective sigh of relief from those inside Stamford Bridge when the full-time whistle was blown. They were never going to be full-time scenes reminiscent of the wins over Liverpool or Barcelona earlier in the season, with Pafos ranked 82nd - the second-lowest in the competition - in UEFA's club coefficient. Playing the Cypriot side at home is exactly the sort of game Chelsea should be winning - and comfortably.
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Unfortunately for the Blues, it was not comfortable. Liam Rosenior seemed relieved in his post-match press conference that his Chelsea side "kept banging on the door" to break down a low block set up by Pafos. "You have to keep banging on the door," said the Blues head coach. "Obviously, you want to get the breakthrough earlier to open up the game."
Chelsea might have had said breakthrough much earlier in the match, though Enzo Fernandez was penalised for a push in the back of Ken Sema before heading the ball into the bottom corner - a decision that looked extremely soft. "That was a harsh decision on Enzo," Rosenior added. "Maybe [he] puts his hands on him. I think in the Premier League, it's probably a goal.
"But the players, sometimes you just have to keep going. You have to keep knocking on the door, but you also have to keep the back door shut.
"There were things I was pleased with. There were things that we need to improve on. But overall, the body language of the group, they kept going. They were making block after block and save after save."
It was very much a case of new manager, same old problems for Chelsea on Wednesday. Pafos set up with a deep defensive line, with virtually everyone behind the ball, as they were always going to do at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea did create some opportunities, but almost half of the home side's 21 shots came from outside of the box - as is typical when the opponent crowds the area.
Moises Caicedo scored his second goal of the Champions League campaign, with a well placed header into the bottom corner on 78 minutes. It was the 24-year-old's fifth goal of the season in all competitions and it turned out to be the crucial moment in the capital, though Chelsea may that winning by only one could prove an opportunity wasted.
That is because even if Chelsea do win in Naples next week, it might not be enough to secure them a top-eight finish. The Blues are one of eight sides on 13 points going into next week's final match, with five teams below Chelsea on goal difference and two ahead. Barcelona and Sporting CP are just a goal behind, Manchester City two, Atletico Madrid three and Atalanta five.
"Of course, you always want to score more goals," Rosenior said post-match. "You always want to win by bigger margins. But the reality of our situation is now we're in the top eight. If we win, we have a fantastic chance to go through."
As far the Chelsea head coach is concerned, it is now three wins out of four since being appointed and to his credit, the Blues' form has turned around somewhat after two wins in 11 matches prior. Rosenior cut a frustrated figure at times during his side's win over Pafos, with the 41-year-old looking to kick every ball with his players.
Though that got him in trouble at one point in the first-half. Just 15 minutes into the game, Malo Gusto had a battle with Pafos' dangerous winger Jaja, resulting in a Chelsea throw-in. Rosenior almost collided with his right-back because he was virtually on the touchline. The fourth official walked over afterwards and told Rosenior to take a couple of steps back into his technical area.
Rosenior happily obliged. We are yet to see the new Chelsea head coach get properly angry down there. That will come. There is no doubting Rosenior is a calm figure, a cool head, but the pressures that come along with his new job role will surely impact him at some point.
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He has slotted into the new role - dare it be said - relatively seamlessly. The football is not quite there yet. There have been elements of control in moments of his opening four matches but the intensity and aggression Rosenior promised is not evident yet. That should come, though.