Key Takeaways
- Chelsea slip to a fourth straight league defeat without a goal, their worst run since 1998.
- Matheus Cunha’s strike leaves the Blues four points behind Liverpool in the race for Europe.
- Interim boss Liam Rosenior admits the top-five chase now looks steep but insists the season is not over.
Chelsea’s interim manager Liam Rosenior says his side face “a mountain” in their bid for Champions League football after a 1-0 home defeat to Manchester United on Saturday evening.
Matheus Cunha’s second-half finish was enough to settle a tight contest at Stamford Bridge and extend the Blues’ scoreless streak to four Premier League matches, a sequence last recorded 27 years ago.
The result leaves Chelsea four points behind Liverpool, who occupy the final European spot, and Rosenior accepts the gap is growing.
“We have given ourselves a huge climb,” he told reporters. “It is still possible, but we must start with a victory at Brighton on Tuesday.”
Rosenior, who stepped up from assistant coach after Enzo Maresca left on 1 January, refused to speculate on how failure to qualify for Europe might affect summer recruitment.
“We will assess everything once the campaign ends,” he said. “Right now we fight for every point.”
The 40-year-old also defended his players, arguing they dominated for long spells against a United side forced to field a patched-up back line.
“Supporters do not want to hear positives when you lose, yet the numbers show we controlled the match,” he added. “They had one shot, we had a man sent off, and still they left with the win. That should not happen.”
Rosenior singled out captain Enzo Fernández for praise, calling the Argentine “outstanding” and “a true leader”.
Opposite number Michael Carrick hailed United’s defensive resilience and reserved special mention for 18-year-old centre-back Ayden Heaven, making only his second league start.
“Coming here has been tough for us in recent seasons,” Carrick said. “Tonight the boys showed character and the record is finally broken.”
United climb 10 points clear of sixth place, while Chelsea prepare for a testing trip to Brighton knowing anything less than three points could end their hopes of a top-five finish.