Rosenior's Chelsea struggles continue as bad luck turns into poor form

Welcome to The Debrief, a Sky Sports column that combines data analysis with expert opinion to examine key stories from recent Premier League matches. This week's edition takes a closer look at Chelsea's woes under Liam Rosenior, Liverpool's record signing Florian Wirtz, and Newcastle's defensive struggles. Rosenior's Chelsea has been on a downward spiral, with four consecutive defeats, including three at home. Despite the manager's claims of bad luck, the team's inability to score has been a major concern, with Chelsea being the only team in the Premier League not to score since mid-March. The statistics suggest that United had the clearest opening in their recent match, and Chelsea's opportunities, although numerous, were of lower quality. This trend has been a feature of their play under Rosenior, with only Wolves having a lower expected-goals total per shot over the past 10 games. The team's chances are not good enough, and this has resulted in them blanking despite dominating possession. Perhaps more worrying is the potential that this is a consequence of their personnel, with none of Chelsea's attacking players on the pitch having outperformed their expected goals throughout their careers in the competition. In contrast, United's Matheus Cunha has significantly overperformed his expected goals during his time in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Liverpool's £116m signing Florian Wirtz has struggled to make an impact, with his statistics not matching his performance on the pitch. Wirtz has created the most open-play chances in the Premier League, but his eye test has been underwhelming, with him struggling to retain possession and impose himself on the game. His work rate is unquestionable, but he has not shown the swagger and appetite to take risks that has marked out other emerging superstars. Newcastle, on the other hand, is still playing with intensity, ranking second in the Premier League for sprints, but this approach is leaving gaps that opponents are exploiting. Their defense has been leaky, with the team conceding the highest expected-goals total this season. The home form is alarming, with Newcastle losing five of their last six Premier League games at St James' Park, making them a vulnerable team and putting manager Eddie Howe under scrutiny. With the team's dismal defensive record and poor form, Howe must find answers at the top end of the pitch to turn things around.