Liam Rosenior, Manager of Chelsea, reacts during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on March 14, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)placeholder image
Liam Rosenior, Manager of Chelsea, reacts during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on March 14, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Chelsea fell to a 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United in the Premier League.
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior hit out at referee Paul Tierney after a bizarre incident before the 1-0 loss to Newcastle United.
The London side huddled around the ball on the centre circle ahead of kick-off - with Tierney stood in the middle of the players.
Tierney stayed enveloped until the Chelsea team broke from the huddle. Rosenior's side suffered defeat in the race for Champions League qualification, with Anthony Gordon scoring for Newcastle in the first half.
Rosenior said he plans to talk with the PGMOL and insisted Chelsea should have been awarded a penalty in the game when Cole Palmer was challenged by Nick Woltemade.
Rosenior said: "I'm disappointed. There's more focus and emphasis on the things that don't matter. I'm going to make it really clear. I want to protect my players. I'm respectful to the game. My players made the decision that they wanted to be around the ball, to respect the ball and show unity and leadership. That is not my decision. That was a decision between the leadership group and the team. There is nothing that they're doing with that huddle that is disrespectful to the opposition.
“We had a meeting with the referee, my assistant goes in, the first thing he talks about is our huddle. He says about when I complained about Arsenal being in our half. It wasn't the goalkeeper coach that was in our half. People were at that game Arsenal, I said what I said. We're not being disrespectful to the opposition. If Paul had focused more on his job, which was to make the right decision, we have a penalty today. I don't think anybody in this room can say that Woltemade doesn't kick Cole Palmer down in the box. So, let's focus on the things that are important. My team showing unity is not as important as getting the decisions right on the pitch."
Chelsea's defeat means Liverpool have been handed a huge opportunity in the race for a Premier League top-five finish. Victory for the Reds over Tottenham Hotspur will see them move three points above Chelsea into fifth. Arne Slot's side could also leapfrog Aston Villa into fourth if Unai Emery's outfit lose to Manchester United earlier in the afternoon.
Rosenior added: “It was a really difficult day, a frustrating day, because we didn't get the result that we want. But I still think there's a consistency in our performances.”
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