Chelsea have dismissed head coach Liam Rosenior after a run of five successive Premier League defeats left the club with no goals scored in their last 486 minutes of league football.
The decision comes just over three months after Rosenior was appointed to replace Enzo Maresca on a five-and-a-half-year deal, marking one of the shortest managerial tenures in the club’s recent history under BlueCo ownership.
According to The Athletic, Chelsea confirmed Rosenior’s dismissal on Tuesday, April 22, 2026, following a 1-1 draw with Manchester City that extended their winless streak. The club stated that recent results and performances had fallen below necessary standards, despite having “so much more to play for this season.”
Rosenior, 41, took over in January after Maresca’s departure and had overseen 23 matches across all competitions before his sacking. His tenure included a bruising 3-0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park, which he described as “the most disappointing evening so far in terms of the things we’ve spoken about, not gifting goals away, making sure we’re in the game, getting control of the game.”
The loss to Everton left Chelsea sixth in the Premier League table, one point behind Liverpool, with fifth place likely to guarantee Champions League qualification. Rosenior acknowledged the gap, saying, “In terms of moving forward we’re one point away from the Champions League position. We need to keep working in this way.”
However, the inability to score goals became a defining issue during his short spell in charge. Chelsea failed to uncover the net in their last three league matches against Brighton, Manchester City, and the earlier defeat to Everton, stretching their goal drought to over eight hours of football.
The club has named Calum McFarlane, the current first-team assistant, as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. McFarlane previously oversaw the 1-1 draw with Manchester City after stepping in following Maresca’s departure on New Year’s Day.
Chelsea’s statement emphasized that the decision was not taken lightly but was dictated by a damaging run of form. “Everyone at Chelsea FC wishes Liam every success in the future,” the club said, confirming that a permanent replacement will be sought in the summer when there will be a stronger market for candidates.
This marks the fifth full-time managerial change under BlueCo’s ownership group, highlighting the instability at the club despite long-term contractual commitments being offered to incoming coaches. Rosenior’s departure leaves Chelsea searching for answers as they aim to secure European qualification for next season.
The next confirmed checkpoint for Chelsea is their final Premier League match of the season, though the exact date and opponent have not been specified in verified sources as of this reporting.
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