Chelsea coach bluntly states reason for painful loss to Everton, hopes for revival after FIFA Days

Coach Liam Rosenior admits he needs to change Chelsea's starting lineup after a series of repeated mistakes in the defeat against Everton.

Chelsea coach takes responsibility after heavy defeat to Everton

Similar to the 0-1 loss against Newcastle United last week, Chelsea was again defeated by simple attacking moves through the midfield in the 0-3 loss. Beto opened the scoring with a chip over goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, before completing his double with a powerful shot that went through the keeper's hands. Later, Iliman Ndiaye scored the third goal with a beautiful curling shot in the 76th minute, after Chelsea lost an aerial duel from a long ball situation.

This marks Chelsea's fourth consecutive loss across all competitions, ending a nightmare two-week period at Stamford Bridge. Pressure on Rosenior is mounting, just two months after he took over the team. Speaking to talkSPORT after the match, Rosenior straightforwardly accepted responsibility and affirmed he will find ways to fix the errors.

"I take responsibility. I need to select players who do not make costly mistakes at critical moments, and also help the whole team improve in that regard. We will sit down to analyze our match approach. We changed the system a bit, reduced the pressing intensity, and in fact controlled the match quite well," the manager admitted, "At the moment of conceding the first goal, we looked like the team more likely to score. That has happened too many times and needs to change."

Chelsea will enter the March FIFA Days break and return on April 4th with a match against Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Rosenior believes this break will help the players regain their balance:

"Perhaps going to the national team will help them relieve psychological pressure and return in better condition. It also provides time for the coaching staff. We have played about 20 matches in 10 weeks. Now is the time for a clear period to analyze, discuss, and ensure the team comes back stronger."

While Chelsea is sinking into crisis, Everton moves closer to its European cup goal, now only two points behind the 6th place – a position sufficient for Conference League playoff qualification.

Right after the match, Everton even "taunted" the opponent by posting an image of Jake O'Brien holding the ball on social media with the caption "Respect the ball." This is a reminder of Rosenior's earlier statement about Chelsea players crowding around referee Paul Tierney in the match against Newcastle, which had caused controversy.

Chelsea did not repeat this action afterward, though before the match against Everton they still gathered but at a closer distance.