Rosenior urges Chelsea stars to fight for the shirt ahead of Brighton match
By Joel Masibo, April 21, 2026Head coach Liam Rosenior has challenged his Chelsea squad to show courage and determination as they continue their push for a top-five position in the Premier League, with an away clash against Brighton and Hove Albion coming up on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, after Enzo Fernández and Estevão Willian limped off in Manchester United’s defeat.
With only five league matches left to play, a series of underwhelming results has made the task tougher for the Blues, leaving them trailing the teams currently occupying the UEFA Champions League qualification places.
However, Rosenior remains confident that closing the gap is still achievable if his players display the right attitude and commitment. He stressed that the team must concentrate on their own performances instead of being distracted by outcomes involving rival clubs.
Giving it a fight
‘The first thing is we can’t be looking to other teams or other results, we have to look to ourselves. That’s what you have to do,” he explained on Monday, April 20, 2026, via the club’s website.
Rosenior highlighted that belief and persistence will be key if the team is to reverse their recent struggles. According to him, words alone are not enough, consistent effort, discipline, and quality in training and matches are necessary to change their fortunes, starting with Brighton’s match.
‘It’s easy to say these words, but it’s about belief and keeping the faith. The way you do that is you work as hard as you can, with as much quality as you possibly can, and you turn things around.
‘It’s about character now; it’s about standing up. It’s about people who are willing, in difficult moments, to stand up for the shirt and fight. That’s what I’m looking for tomorrow. But I believe in them, and I believe that we can come through this period so much stronger, but we have to get this part right now,’ he added.
Wrapping up preps
Chelsea wrapped up their final training session at Cobham on Monday, April 20, 2026, ahead of the trip to Brighton. Currently positioned sixth in the Premier League standings, they sit seven points behind fifth-placed Liverpool. With a visit to Anfield still to come before the season ends, Rosenior insisted his side must stay alert and ready to capitalise if a chance to break into the Champions League spots arises.
‘To take it as far as we possibly can has to be the aim,’ Rosenior added. ‘The only way you do that is to focus on the next game. We need to go into the Brighton game with the mentality to go and win.’ Rosenior said.