Volatility and unusual structure at Stamford Bridge leave club’s young manager with a big test to rebuild like his rival has at Arsenal
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rsenal’s journey under Mikel Arteta has long been a reference point for Chelsea’s owners. It is part of the club’s shift towards youth and potential after the Roman Abramovich era. Chelsea have built with a long-term view and, seeing how Arteta has reversed Arsenal’s decline since his appointment as manager in December 2019, have been keen to find a young coach capable of becoming a similarly galvanising force at Stamford Bridge.
It is not an easy task. Chelsea briefly thought they had their rising star when they hired Graham Potter in September 2022, only for his reign to end after seven months. Now there is hope that Liam Rosenior can become Chelsea’s answer to Arteta. Rosenior is young, confident, talented and a little unconventional in the way he presents himself. It is early days but the 41-year-old has made an encouraging start, winning eight of his first 12 games, and has transmitted enough authority to keep jibes about his inexperience at bay so far.
Does he have it in him to match Arteta though? More pertinently, will he be given the time to succeed? Just over six years on from turning to Arteta after firing Unai Emery, Arsenal stand five points clear at the top of the Premier League before hosting Chelsea on Sunday. They have benefited from a stable environment. Rosenior, by contrast, is the fifth permanent head coach under the ownership of Clearlake Capital and Todd Boehly. Chelsea have had nine managers, including interims, during the Arteta era. It is impossible to ignore the upheaval when it comes to working out why Chelsea have not mustered a title challenge since winning the league in 2017.
