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Chelsea’s 5-2 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last-16 first leg left Liam Rosenior describing the team as close to “outstanding”, even as the margin of loss pushed the club towards elimination and created a huge task for the return match at Stamford Bridge.

Rosenior’s team twice came from behind at Parc des Princes, with Malo Gusto and Enzo Fernandez cancelling out goals from Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele, before PSG pulled away late to establish a three-goal cushion in a match where Chelsea had long appeared competitive.

Across the 90 minutes, Chelsea actually produced the higher expected goals figure, registering 1.53 xG compared to PSG’s 0.87. That underlined how dangerous Chelsea were in attack for long spells, yet the late collapse, sparked by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, left Rosenior focusing on game management.

Kvaratskhelia entered from the bench and transformed the tie, scoring twice in the closing stages and earlier setting up Vitinha’s 74th-minute strike, which put PSG 3-2 ahead. Chelsea were still pushing at 4-2, but another Kvaratskhelia finish in stoppage time turned a narrow deficit into a heavy scoreline.

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The defeat was only the second time Chelsea have shipped five goals in one Champions League match, the first being a 5-1 loss against Barcelona in April 2000. The result also extended Chelsea’s run of defeats in Champions League knockout fixtures to three, equalling their longest sequence in the competition.

Chelsea have now lost three straight knockout ties, matching similar runs from February 2012 and August 2020. Rosenior accepted that overturning a 5-2 first-leg result against PSG, with a three-goal deficit, will demand almost perfect execution in the second leg at Stamford Bridge next Tuesday.

Chelsea PSG Champions League reaction and goalkeeper choice

Filip Jorgensen started in goal ahead of Robert Sanchez and could do little about most strikes, yet his error before Vitinha’s lob was crucial. Jorgensen lost the ball under pressure, Barcola tried to intercept, and it broke for Kvaratskhelia, who calmly set up Vitinha’s chipped finish.

Rosenior insisted selection between Jorgensen and Sanchez will remain based on specific strengths. “They have different qualities. Rob is outstanding at dealing with crosses and is an outstanding shot-stopper. Filip has amazing qualities, too,” he said, stressing that the goalkeeping error would not alone define Chelsea’s approach.

Rosenior highlighted Jorgensen’s reaction in the dressing room and spoke more broadly about the squad’s mentality. “Players make mistakes. Filip isn’t the first to make a mistake; that’s part of football.Credit to him, he held his hands up in the dressing room. Everyone makes mistakes; sometimes they’re more costly than other times, and this is one of those moments.”

Rosenior linked that composure issue to previous performances. “One of the reasons we won at Villa was because we were so calm in possession. If you can stay calm here [vs PSG] and play through the press, we can have our moments, and we did.” Chelsea’s build-up play again created chances in Paris.

Chelsea PSG Champions League analysis and Rosenior comments

The head coach made clear that Chelsea’s main problem was how they reacted once PSG retook control. “Even at 4-2, we were still right in it. The fifth goal, that’s the painful one. It’s something I have to really solve. We are very close to being an outstanding team,” Rosenior said.

Rosenior stressed that the psychological side is his responsibility. “I need us to maintain our calm when we have setbacks. This is on me. It’s something we’ve spoken about since the day I came in. I’m not pointing the finger at the players. If we don’t overcome this hurdle, we won’t reach our potential, and it’s my job to find the solution.”

Rosenior underlined PSG’s status while reflecting on the missed opportunity. “They’re European champions. That’s why I’m so disappointed because our performance up to the third goal was very good, but it can’t be spoken about now because of the result,” Rosenior stated, knowing Chelsea now face a demanding second leg.

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