Liam Rosenior urges Chelsea to ‘forget the noise’ after damaging loss

LONDON – Liam Rosenior said Chelsea must “forget the noise” as he battles to save the club’s season following the 3-0 reverse against Everton on March 21 – a fourth straight defeat in all competitions.

In the past 11 days, the Blues have suffered a humiliating 8-2 aggregate defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last 16 and been beaten at home by Newcastle United before their sorry performance against Everton.

The English Premier League defeat at the Hill Dickinson Stadium is a major blow to Chelsea’s chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

With third-placed Manchester United drawing with Bournemouth on March 20 and Liverpool losing at Brighton & Hove Albion earlier on March 21, the Blues had the chance to go fourth and four points behind the Red Devils, but they blew it in spectacular style.

Beto scored his first on 33 minutes after receiving a superb pass from James Garner, who celebrated his first England call-up this week with an outstanding personal display, before the Guinea-Bissau player fired a second just past the hour mark through the legs of Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

Garner now has six Premier League assists this season, having managed only four in his entire career before the campaign, form that has been rewarded with an England call-up.

“I’m so happy, I’m over the moon. It’s a dream,” the 25-year-old said.

“He (England manager Thomas Tuchel) rang me and said I’ll be involved. It’s been a crazy week, and to top it off with a win is even better.” 

Iliman Ndiaye added a superb third with 14 minutes left to play as he curled the ball into the top corner for Everton’s biggest victory over Chelsea since 1987, and the first time they have recorded back-to-back wins at their new stadium on the banks of the River Mersey.

The Blues, who won the Club World Cup and the Conference League last season, remain sixth in the Premier League, a point behind Liverpool, with seven games to go.

The top five teams in the Premier League are almost guaranteed to play Champions League football next season, due to the strong showing of English clubs in Europe.

Rosenior, who replaced Enzo Maresca as Chelsea boss in January, said he was still learning the ropes at Stamford Bridge.

“I’m learning about this club. It’s a massive club,” the former Strasbourg head coach told Sky Sports.

“There’s been a lot of noise, a lot of negative noise, rightfully so, about our performances in the last week.

“We’ve had 10 games in the league together as a group. We’ve got 17 points. I think we’re fourth in my time.

“So we have to forget the noise. We have to keep our confidence and our composure. The international break has probably come at a good time for us to restock, re-energise ourselves and go again for a really important run-in.”

On the match, he added: “Goals give you energy and at the moment we are gifting goals away. We started the game edgy and then we played our way into it.

“But it seems to be happening too often that we give cheap goals away and that gives energy to the opposition and the crowd, and their confidence goes up.”

Everton are eighth on 46 points, just three adrift of local rivals Liverpool.

Everton manager David Moyes said: “I’d love to say it was (a possibility) as I’m trying to be more positive than I would normally be, but for Everton to even be in the mix for Europe is unbelievable, whether it is Conference League or Champions League.

“We were sitting here last year just beginning to edge ourselves away from relegation and still had lots of money to pay off, new ownership and 10 or 12 players out of contract – so for us to be in the position we are now is just great.

“I can imagine, if we could possibly do it, what it would do for the crowds here as Evertonians are desperate to get back amongst it.” AFP, REUTERS