‘Tell him to pack his belongings and leave my club immediately, because I DO NOT TOLERATE LAZY players…I can’t be paying high salary on Him and not benefiting from Him’: CHELSEA owner has ordered Liam Rosenior they must sell £43 million FLOP as soon as possible or risk losing their jobs
Moises Caicedo played the role of match-winner as Chelsea scraped past Pafos with a narrow 1-0 win on Wednesday night.
Chelsea appeared to have opened the scoring early when Enzo Fernandez headed home, but the goal was chalked off after the Argentine was deemed to have fouled defender Ken Sema in the buildup.
Pafos came agonizingly close in the first half when Jaja’s strike took a deflection off Reece James before rattling the post. Chelsea controlled the second period, though Pafos keeper Jay Gorter produced a standout performance before finally being beaten by Caicedo’s header with 12 minutes remaining.
Here are Bobby Vincent’s player ratings out of 10:
**Filip Jorgensen** – Stepped in for Robert Sanchez. Rarely troubled in the opening 45 but showed composure dealing with an awkward back-pass from Malo Gusto, controlling a bouncing ball with his chest. Picked up an injury and was withdrawn at halftime. **6**
**Malo Gusto** – Made his return after three matches on the sidelines. Produced a vital sliding tackle to thwart a threatening Pafos breakaway. Solid without being spectacular. **6**
**Wesley Fofana** – His second consecutive start. Had a shaky opening spell when pressed in his own box, clearing into touch. Settled as the game progressed and played a key part in Caicedo’s winner. **7**
**Benoit Badiashile** – Started in place of Trevoh Chalobah. Showed assertiveness, pushing forward into midfield on several occasions to regain possession. Nearly created a spectacular assist for Estevao Willian whose effort was blocked. **6**
**Jorrel Hato** – Earned his start after strong recent cameos. Squandered a decent opportunity just before the interval. Performed well on the left side of defense. **6**
**Reece James** – Returned after a brief absence. Put in a competent display with tidy passing before being replaced at halftime. **6**
**Moises Caicedo** – Typically energetic without the ball, particularly in the opening stages when trying to lift the tempo. Hasn’t quite reached his peak form lately but this was closer to his best. Delivered the crucial winning goal. **8**
**Pedro Neto** – Appeared overly eager to force the issue at times. Another night of frustration for the Portuguese winger who’s struggling for form. **5**
**Enzo Fernandez** – Operated in a more advanced position tonight as the number 10. Created an excellent opportunity for Reece James after 16 minutes. Unfortunate to see his early header disallowed for a foul. Among Chelsea’s top performers. **7**
**Alejandro Garnacho** – Full marks for effort, but delivered another disappointing showing on Chelsea’s left flank. Very direct but frequently predictable. Credit for his defensive workrate. **4**
**Liam Delap** – Led the attack for Chelsea. Anonymous in the first half. Showed some decent touches holding up play but generally struggled. **4**
**Substitutes:**
**Estevao Willian** (on for James, 46′) – Chelsea desperately needed the Brazilian teenager’s spark and introduced him at the break. Nearly made an instant impact with a well-struck volley that was saved. Looked threatening throughout the second period but couldn’t deliver the winner. **7**
**Robert Sanchez** (on for Jorgensen, 46′) – Came on at halftime. Had little to do but made an important punch to clear a dangerous Pafos cross in the 88th minute. **6**
**Jamie Gittens** (on for Garnacho, 70′) – Brought on for the closing 20 minutes. Picked up a yellow card early in his appearance. Showed some neat touches and dribbling. **6**
**Joao Pedro** (on for Delap, 70′) – Manager Liam Rosenior called upon the Brazilian late on. Couldn’t make a significant impact but showed commitment. **6**
**Marc Cucurella** (on for Hato, 70′)
