Liam Rosenior began his Chelsea reign by leaning on the club’s fringe players, and the gamble paid off handsomely as the Blues swept aside Charlton 5-1 at The Valley to book a place in the FA Cup fourth round.
A much-changed Chelsea side eased through the tie, with goals from Jorrel Hato, Tosin Adarabioyo and Marc Guiu, three players largely overlooked during the closing stages of Enzo Maresca’s tenure, putting the visitors firmly in control. Late strikes from Pedro Neto and a penalty by Enzo Fernández added a decisive sheen to the scoreline after Charlton briefly threatened a comeback.
Miles Leaburn’s goal, which reduced the deficit to 2-1 midway through the second half, momentarily reignited hope for the hosts and kept the contest alive longer than the final score suggests.
Rosenior also experienced the complex mood surrounding Chelsea at present. Sections of the travelling support serenaded former owner Roman Abramovich, while co-owner and Rosenior’s new boss Behdad Eghbali was the target of less flattering chants.
Ultimately, it is the BlueCo hierarchy Rosenior must convince, but a confident opening win may help ease tensions between fans and ownership.
Charlton initially made Chelsea work for their dominance. Benoît Badiashile was booked early after pulling down Leaburn and later flirted with further trouble in a similar challenge on Sonny Carey.
Will Mannion, the home goalkeeper, kept Charlton in the game with saves from Hato, Jamie Gittens and Josh Acheampong, as Chelsea monopolised possession without carving out clear chances.
That resistance finally cracked in first-half stoppage time. Hato, who had never scored for the west London club, struck emphatically on the volley after the ball dropped kindly inside the area, giving Chelsea a deserved lead at the break.
The visitors doubled their advantage soon after the restart when Facundo Buonanotte delivered a free kick from the left and Tosin rose to power home a header.
Charlton responded through Leaburn, who lashed in from close range after Filip Jorgensen had parried a header, lifting the atmosphere inside the stadium.
But Chelsea’s reply was swift and assured, an encouraging sign for Rosenior. Alejandro Garnacho was involved in the build-up before Guiu reacted quickest to smash in the rebound after Mannion had saved an initial effort.
Substitutes Estêvão and Liam Delap were denied by Mannion as Chelsea pushed for more, but the Charlton keeper could do nothing in added time.
Neto drilled a low finish into the corner before Fernández calmly converted from the spot to complete an emphatic opening-night victory for Chelsea’s new head coach.
