Chelsea boss Rosenior challenges ´world-class´ Caicedo to add more goals to his game

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior has described Moises Caicedo as one of the best midfielders in world football, though he has challenged him to add more goals to his game.

The Blues face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday, having beaten Brentford 2-0 in their first Premier League match under Rosenior last weekend.

The former Strasbourg boss could now become the first Chelsea coach to win his first two league games at the helm since Graham Potter in 2022.

And they were also victorious against Pafos in the Champions League in midweek, though they had to remain patient before Caicedo nodded in the only goal of the game in the 78th minute.

Caicedo had four of Chelsea’s seven shots on target against the Cypriot club – the most he has ever had in a single game for the Blues – and he also scored against West Ham, Brentford and Liverpool in the first half of the season.

“Moi is an outstanding player, a world-class midfield player,” Rosenior told Chelsea’s website following the Ecuador international’s match-winning heroics.

“I don’t know how many headers he has scored in his career, but we are always a threat on set-plays.

“When you play against a low block, your pivot players can be higher up the pitch.

“He’s scored a couple from outside the box this season and hopefully he can keep chipping in with goals to win us more games of football.”

An important victory. #CFC | #UCL pic.twitter.com/QufhBlWwrr

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 22, 2026

Caicedo himself is looking to develop his leadership skills, saying: “A lot of people tell me I’m a leader.

“I don’t talk too much in the dressing room, but I like to show my quality on the pitch or in training every day. That’s important. We are working really hard every day because we need to be better in every game.”

Chelsea’s opponents Palace are in a state of crisis. Since Oliver Glasner announced he would step down as their head coach at the end of this season, they have sold captain Marc Guehi to Manchester City and seen striker Jean-Philippe Mateta hand in a transfer request.

In addition, only Burnley (13) are on a longer winless run in the Premier League currently than Palace, with the Eagles drawing two and losing five of their last seven games.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Crystal Palace – Eddie Nketiah

Six of Palace’s last seven Premier League goals at Selhurst Park have been scored by Mateta, and the other was a Nathan Collins own goal.

However, with the Frenchman’s future at the club now uncertain, could Nketiah be called upon?

Nketiah was the last Palace player other than Mateta to score a home Premier League goal, against Liverpool in September. Since then, 17 players other than Mateta have had a shot without scoring (83 shots, 18 on target, 8.5 xG).

Chelsea – Cole Palmer

Both Palmer and Joao Pedro netted in Rosenior’s first Premier League game in charge of Chelsea last weekend, and after being rested in midweek, the former should return here.

There have been four instances of a Chelsea player scoring in a manager’s first two Premier League games in charge – Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink under Claudio Ranieri, Deco under Felipe Scolari, Diego Costa under Antonio Conte and Pedro under Maurizio Sarri.

MATCH PREDICTION – CHELSEA WIN

Palace are winless in their last 16 Premier League games against Chelsea, drawing the last three after losing 13 in a row, and given their dire form, they are underdogs here.

Chelsea have only failed to score in one of their 16 Premier League away games against Palace (W12 D2 L2), doing so in a 1-0 defeat in March 2014.

And the Eagles have kept just three clean sheets in their last 34 league games against Chelsea. One of those was in this season’s reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge (0-0), with the Eagles last recording consecutive league shutouts against the Blues in March 1983.

Chelsea are looking to win back-to-back Premier League matches for the first time since November, when they enjoyed a three-game winning streak, and they are the Opta supercomputer’s slight favourites.

Should they emerge victorious, Rosenior will be the first English manager to win his first two Premier League games in charge – of any club – since Steven Gerrard with Aston Villa in November 2021.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Crystal Palace – 33.8%

Chelsea – 40.5%

Draw – 25.7%