For Liam Rosenior, his first-ever Champions League night concluded with an overwhelming sense of relief. On paper, this was as comfortable a European game as they come: Cypriot side Pafos, at home, with the carrot of a top-eight berth tantalisingly close. The reality, however, was an evening mostly filled with frustration. Ultimately, the Blues just crept over the line but, at this stage, three points were all that mattered.
Moises Caicedo, absent a week ago against Arsenal, has been Chelsea’s standout player this season and has added crucial goals to his bombastic midfield repertoire. Here, with just 12 minutes left, the Ecuadorian was the man on hand to head home at the back post from a Pedro Neto corner. Less all-out celebrations on the touchline and in the terraces, more sighs of liberation and relaxation.
