Chelsea sack Liam Rosenior after historic goalless losing run

Last Updated on 23 April 2026

Chelsea have parted ways with head coach Liam Rosenior just three and a half months into his reign at Stamford Bridge.

The former Hull City and Strasbourg boss, who signed a six-and-a-half-year deal in January, started brightly but oversaw a dramatic collapse that has left the club almost certain to miss out on Champions League qualification.

The axe fell on Wednesday morning, less than 24 hours after a desperately poor night for Chelsea on the south coast.

Liam Rosenior let go by Chelsea after poor results

Tuesday’s dismal 3-0 defeat at Brighton proved the final straw. It meant Chelsea had lost five consecutive league games without scoring a goal for the first time since 1912. The Brighton performance was widely considered the team’s worst of the season.

Rosenior himself offered no excuses after the Amex humiliation. He described his players’ display as “indefensible” and “unacceptable” yet it wasn’t enough to save his job.

Chelsea’s statement acknowledged Rosenior had “always conducted himself with the highest integrity and professionalism”. But it was clear that “recent results and performances have fallen below the necessary standards”.

The Blues sit seventh in the Premier League, seven points adrift of fifth-place Liverpool with five games remaining: a gulf that looks all but insurmountable.

Caretaker Calum McFarlane will take charge for the remainder of the season, beginning with Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds.

Premier League’s season of managerial carnage

Rosenior’s sacking is the fourteenth Premier League managerial departure of the season. Yet, it’s not even the most chaotic story of the campaign. That belongs to Nottingham Forest, who have burned through three managers already.

Nuno Espirito Santo went first in September. Ange Postecoglou lasted just 39 days as his replacement, and Sean Dyche was sacked in February.

Elsewhere, Graham Potter was dismissed at West Ham. Vitor Pereira was axed by Wolves, Ruben Amorim shown the door at Manchester United following a dispute with the recruitment department. At Tottenham, Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor were sacked this season.

And, even more changes are expected at the end of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign. Marco Rose is set to take over from Andoni Iraola, meanwhile Oliver Glasner is set to leave Crystal Palace too.