Chelsea head into Saturday's 10th of january FA Cup third-round clash with Charlton Athletic in unfamiliar territory, following a sharp dip in form that has seen managerial change at Stamford Bridge. Not long ago, the Blues were being tipped as Premier League title contenders, but a run of just one win in nine league games led to Enzo Maresca's exit.
Softfootball noted that Under-21s coach Calum McFarlane managed to arrest the slide temporarily with a hard-earned 1-1 draw away at Manchester City , reflecting the same fighting spirit Chelsea showed when they rescued a late point at the Etihad through Fernandez, before worries resurfaced following a damaging 2-1 defeat to Fulham .
New head coach Liam Rosenior now takes charge on a long-term deal and will be keen to make a strong first impression in a competition Chelsea have historically dominated against lower-league opposition.
