Rosenior hails one part of his team that “made a difference” in thrilling Champions League win | OneFootball

Liam Rosenior has just picked up another win as Chelsea boss, and this one was big.

He needed to beat Napoli to earn a top 8 spot in the Champions League, and he did it. Despite going 2-1 down, his Blues side roared back thanks to 2 Joao Pedro goals and won 3-2.

Rosenior hails his subs as Blues come back for a win

Liam Rosenior reacts on the touchline against Napoli. (Photo by Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images)

“Firstly to get through in this competition is the most important thing. In terms of the season and time on the pitch with the players, it will help. I’ve had no time – that’s not an excuse, it’s a fact,” Rosenior said to TNT Sport at full time.

“I’ve got outstanding players, a group that I trust and I’ve told them that. The subs always make a difference in the big games.”

His subs did the job here – after starting with a strange 3 man back line, Rosenior kept tweaking things until he found a shape and setup which worked. The key switch was after an hour, when Chelsea went back to a back four, and looked far more stable and comfortable in their defensive shape.

You can see Rosenior speaking in the clip embedded here:

[Footage from TNT Sport]

In other news…

A superb finish from Joao Pedro put the Blues ahead for a second time late on and gave them the goal that eventually won them the game and put them into the Champions League top 8. This has been some week for the Brazilian, who has earned his place as the team’s top striker now.

Chelsea’s second goal also came from Joao Pedro, a smashed finish on the run after Cole Palmer and Estevao linked up down the right to draw defenders in and make the striker some space.