Key events
Jacob Steinberg
It sums up the uneasy state of affairs at Chelsea that the new head coach winning his first match in charge was not enough to stop the mutiny. This was a controlled, clinical performance from Liam Rosenior’s second string, who strolled into the fourth round of the FA Cup after a 5-1 win over a game but limited Charlton Athletic, but once again the big talking point was the travelling support spewing venom in the direction of their unpopular owners.
Dissatisfaction with the project is not going away. It did not even matter when Rosenior looked at his bench with Chelsea 3-1 up in the second half and decided to give Estevão Willian a runout against tired, lowly Championship opposition. The Brazilian winger is one of the best young players in the world and his runs were soon making Charlton’s defenders dizzy, but even signings like Estevão have done little to sway the view of a fanbase united in opposition to an ownership almost four years in and still to convince naysayers that their unique project is going to work.
In other news
Full time: Charlton 1-5 Chelsea
A drama-free opening night for Liam Rosenior, whose new team strolled to victory at the Valley. There were five different goalscorers: Jorrel Hato, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez. Apart from a nervy five-minute spell after Miles Leaburn made it 2-1, Chelsea were in complete control.
GOAL! Charlton 1-5 Chelsea (Enzo Fernandez 90+4 pen)
Enzo Fernandez bullets the penalty into the net, and that’s the last kick of the game.
90+3 min: Penalty to Chelsea Estevao gallops through on goal after a slick one-touch move. He tries to go round Mannion, who makes a good save at his feet – but the referee gives a penalty. No VAR so it will stand.
GOAL! Charlton 1-4 Chelsea (Pedro Neto 90+1)
Pedro Neto scores one for the road. Enzo Fernandez led a four-on-three break and picked out Neto on the far side of the road. Neto’s first touch was loose but he calmly stepped back inside the defender and rammed a right-foot shot past Mannion at the near post.
90 min Three minutes of added time.
89 min Charlton have played their part in an enjoyable cup tie. Ultimately, as we expected, Chelsea had too much class, even after making eight changes.
86 min Estevao’s deflected shot from distance is pushed away to his left by Mannion. That was a more comfortable save.
Replays suggest Chris Kavanagh probably made the right decision on the Charlton penalty appeal, or at least that it wasn’t a clear penalty. I think Fernandez got his leg between Jones and the ball, after which Jones kicked through Fernandez’s leg and went flying.
85 min Charlton have a big penalty appeal turned down when Jones appears to be bundled over by Enzo Fernandez. No VAR so the referee’s decision is final.
85 min: Chelsea substitutions Wesley Fofana and Pedro Neto come on for Jorrel Hato and Alejandro Garnacho. Fofana is making his first FA Cup appearance since Leicester beat Chelsea in the 2021 final.
84 min Jorgensen is briefly out of his goal after scrambling across his area. Gillespie, way out on the left, cuts across a fine effort but Jorgensen has time to get back into his goal and save.
80 min Mannion makes a fine double save to deny first Estevao and then Enzo Fernandez. Chelsea have cut Charlton apart again and again since those two came on.
78 min Chelsea’s substitutes are creating chances almost at will. Estevao and Fernandez combine nicely to tee up Delap, who sidefoots tamely wide from 10 yards. That was a great chance.
75 min Fernandez clips a neat pass over the top to Estevao, who takes it in his stride and lashes a rising drive that is tipped over by Mannion. Excellent save.
74 min: Charlton substitution Amari’i Bell limps off with what looks like a hamstring injury. Isaac Olaofe replaces him.
71 min Estevao’s deflected shot breaks kindly for Enzo Fernandez, whose first-time shot from eight yards is kicked away by Mannion. Chelsea have their game under control.
69 min: Chelsea substitution Marc Guiu is replaced by Liam Delap up front. Enzo Fernandez coes on for Facundo Buonanotte.
67 min: Triple substitution for Charlton Macauley Gillesphey, Karoy Anderson and Joe Rankin-Costello replace Charlie Kelman, Conor Coventry and Greg Docherty.
66 min: Substitution for Chelsea Estevao replaces the impressive Jamie Gittens.
GOAL! Charlton 1-3 Chelsea (Guiu 62)
Marc Guiu restores Chelsea’s two-goal lead. Buonanotte’s shot from the edge of the area was saved by Mannion but Guiu leathered the rebound into the net from close range.
61 min A sharp cutback from Garnacho finds Caicedo on the edge of the area. His mishit shot is blocked and Santos hoofs the loose ball into the crowd.
61 min This is a really good spell for Charlton. Has Liam Rosenior taken Chelsea as far as he can?
58 min Campbell was in an offside position, standing in front of Jorgensen, when Jones headed the ball towards goal. There’s no VAR so it doesn’t matter, but it would probably have been disallowed by Stockley Park’s finest.
Jorgensen saved Jones’ header but I guess Chelsea would argue that, without Campbell’s presence, he would have seen it earlier and might have pushed it away rather than back out in front of goal.
GOAL! Charlton 1-2 Chelsea (Leaburn 57)
Charlton are back in it! The resulting corner was headed towards goal by Jones and clawed away superbly by Jorgensen. The ball ran loose to Leaburn, who rammed it into the net. That’s a nice moment for a player who was on Chelsea’s books as a kid.
56 min: Chance for Charlton! A cross from the left it headed across the face of goal by Leaburn. Bree swishes at fresh air – the ball was fractonally behind him – and Kelman’s shot was deflected behind for a corner.
53 min Garnacho almost silences the boos with a curling shot from 15 yards that flashes just wide of the far post. Nice effort.
52 min Campbell receives a short free-kick, runs at his man and stands up a deep cross that is headed wide by Jones. A very tough chance under pressure.
GOAL! Charlton 0-2 Chelsea (Tosin 50)
Gittens runs at Campbell and is fouled on the right wing just outside the area. Buonanotte curls a fast free-kick to the near post and Tosin guides a deft header past Mannion.
47 min Gittens drives a low cross that ricochets towards Buonanotte 10 yards out. He has a shot blocked and is then wiped out in the defender’s follow-through. Chelsea want a penalty but the referee Chris Kavanagh turns them down; there’s no VAR tonight but that wouldn’t have been overturned anyway.
46 min Charlton get the second half under way. No substitutions on either team.
An early Charlton attack ends with Tosin’s clearance ricocheting off a Charlton player and over the crossbar.
Half-time reading
Half time: Charlton 0-1 Chelsea
Leaburn is fouled 25 yards from goal, a fair way to the right of centre. Bree slaps the free-kick into the wall and that’s the end of a comfortable half for Liam Rosenior and Chelsea. They controlled the game throughout, with Jamie Gittens particularly lively. And though they didn’t create any really clear chances, Jorrel Hato larruped them ahead in injury-time.
Caicedo clipped a pass into the area towards Guiu, who headed it square across the area. Hato waited for the ball to bounce, 15 yards from goal, and belted it into the roof of the net. The replay suggested he might have shinned it; if so, his shinpad has a very big sweet spot.
GOAL! Charlton 0-1 Chelsea (Hato 45+5)
Jorrel Hato wallops his first goal for Chelsea – and the first under Liam Rosenior.
45+4 mi n Garnacho, who is being booed with gusto every time he touches the ball for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, has another shot blocked.
45+1 min The impressive Gittens wanders infield and strikes a shot from 25 yards with his left foot. It bounces awkwardly in front of Mannion, who plunges to his left to push it behind for a corner.
45 min Garnacho has a shot from the angle that is blocked by Bree. There will be seven minutes of added time.
