Liam Rosenior has the chance to set the record straight when Chelsea lock horns with Newcastle United this weekend
17:00, 12 Mar 2026
Coach of Chelsea Liam Rosenior during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Chelsea FC at Parc des Princes stadium on March 11, 2026 in Paris, France
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Liam Rosenior has learned his lesson(Image: Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
If Liam Rosenior stands any chance of a long-term spell in the dugout at Stamford Bridge, he must start Robert Sanchez when Chelsea face Newcastle United. The 28-year-old goalkeeper should be one of the first names on the teamsheet when the Blues host Eddie Howe's side at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.
Although the Chelsea boss was well within his rights to initially punish Sanchez by making Filip Jorgensen his preferred option between the sticks, he had made his point long before the disappointing defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League last-16.
Rosenior paid the price of exhausting his experiment, with the 23-year-old shot-stopper single-handedly derailing his side's momentum at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night. A quarter of an hour or so after Chelsea had drawn level for a second time, Jorgensen had a sloppy pass intercepted by Bradley Barcola.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia retrieved the ball on the edge of the box, and he teed up Vitinha, who then lobbed the Denmark international. Suddenly, the floodgates opened in the French capital, and Luis Enrique's side went on to score a fourth and a fifth.
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"Players make mistakes," said Rosenior after the game. "Filip's not the first one to make a mistake. And that's part of football. Obviously, it's bitter... In that moment, at 2-2, I think we were in the ascendancy.
"We were an inch away from going even to 3-3. I think Joao Pedro's goal was like an inch offside. But in the top level, in the Champions League level, it is fine margins.
Chelsea's Danish goalkeeper #12 Filip Jorgensen reacts after conceding his side's third goal during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Chelsea at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on March 11, 2026
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Filip Jorgensen made a huge mistake during the Chelsea's clash against PSG in the Champions League(Image: Photo by ALAIN JOCARD / AFP via Getty Images)
"And the fifth goal was the most painful one, we don't settle ourselves down. We don't deal with the basic pattern of play. They score a fifth goal and make the tie very difficult for us."
On the battle for a place in the starting lineup, Rosenior later added: "They have different qualities. Rob is outstanding from crosses, an outstanding shot-stopper.
"I am trying to win in the short term and win in the long term as well. Filip has different qualities and one of his qualities, which he showed against Aston Villa, one of the reasons we won 4-1 at Aston Villa, we were so calm in our possession moments, which we weren't before, not just on Rob but on the whole team.
Filip Jorgensen and Robert Sanchez
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Filip Jorgensen and Robert Sanchez are battling it out for the role of number one at Chelsea(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA)
"Coming here against a really high-pressing team, if you stay calm and play through the initial pressure, you can cause a lot of problems, which we did.
"It's just painful that we've made that mistake in that moment to make the game 3-2, and now we are in a very, very difficult position in this tie now with the end result."
Had Rosenior not exhausted his point, perhaps Sanchez would've kept Chelsea in the tie – just as he did on numerous occasions at the Club World Cup in the summer. In fact, up until the end of March this year, the Spain international had quietly become a key player.
Joao Pedro and Robert Sanchez of Chelsea celebrate at the end of the Premier League match between Chelsea and Fulham at Stamford Bridge on August 30, 2025 in London, England
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Robert Sanchez was a key player for Chelsea not too long ago(Image: Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Barring the red card during the defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford in September and the mistake during the defeat to Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in January, Sanchez had established himself as a top goalkeeper. Of course, there was room for improvement, but he had made great progress.
At one stage in the season, the Spaniard had a shot at winning the Premier League golden glove! A couple of costly errors eventually cost him his place in the starting lineup, and rightly so.
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Rosenior left him in the dark for far too long, and he paid the price. Fortunately, the Blues boss still has the chance to win back the respect of his players and the fans alike this weekend. Start Sanchez.