Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah says the squad must accept blame for recent problems and poor league form, as the club adjusts after Liam Rosenior’s dismissal and fights to rescue its season in the Premier League and cup competitions.

Rosenior’s spell as Chelsea head coach lasted just 107 days before ending after a 3-0 defeat against Brighton. That result followed a worrying slide that left Chelsea facing serious questions over performances, confidence and direction during the closing weeks of the campaign.

The league run has been especially damaging. Chelsea have lost five straight Premier League matches without scoring, a first since November 1912. Across all competitions, their five-game losing streak is their worst sequence in the Premier League era since November 1993, when the team endured six consecutive defeats.

The downturn has hurt Chelsea’s Champions League ambitions. The team are 10 points behind fifth-placed Aston Villa, with only four league fixtures left. Current projections give Chelsea just a 0.5% chance of qualifying for UEFA’s main club competition, leaving European participation under serious threat.

Amid that pressure, interim boss Calum McFarlane began with a narrow but important 1-0 victory over Leeds United in the FA Cup. The win booked a final against Manchester City and offered Chelsea brief momentum, while the search for a permanent Rosenior successor continues.

Chalobah stressed that players share responsibility regardless of who is in the technical area. “No matter whenthe manager goes, it’s difficult, Chalobah said. You spend time with them, working with them every day. You have to adapt, you’ve got to reset again. We can use that as an excuse, but at the end of the day we’ve got to look at ourselves as players and take responsibility.”

Chelsea return to Premier League duty on 4 May, when Nottingham Forest visit Stamford Bridge. That match is likely to be crucial for any late push toward European places, and for easing tension following Rosenior’s departure and the long winless spell that has tested squad confidence.

Chalobah believes mindset and basic competitive habits will decide whether Chelsea recover. “When things aren’t going your way, that’s what we keep hold of, Chalobahadded. We’ve shown it in parts of this season. It was just the same conversation today. We need to show our mentality, our winning habits and winning spirit. It’s the hunger and determination. Wanting to win second balls, wanting to win headers. Those little things arewhat’s needed. When we do that, our quality shows. Maybe when you don’t win games, it’s hard to get that determination back. It’s just resetting, getting our standards back. It’s still the same players we had at the start of the season when we were flying. It’s not like we lose our abilities overnight. It’s just resetting and getting that feeling back, that mentality back. The past is the past. For us, it’s about results. We need to be winning games. That’s what the fans want, it’s what we want, it’s what the club wants. What’s happened has happened. We just have to look forward.”

With McFarlane guiding the team for now and recruitment staff seeking a new manager, Chelsea face a tight finish that will define their European fate. Results in the Premier League and the FA Cup final against Manchester City will shape how this turbulent season is judged at Stamford Bridge.