Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior says his team will not be daunted when they face Napoli next week as they bid to secure direct passage to the Champions League last-16.
A nervy 1-0 victory over Pafos at Stamford Bridge meant the Blues will go into the final matchday in the top eight and with their fate in their own hands, knowing victory against former boss Antonio Conte will almost certainly see them through.
Moises Caicedo’s headed winner came late just as it was beginning to look as though a frustrating night would end in a damaging draw against the minnows from Cyprus.
Enzo Fernandez had had a first-half goal harshly ruled out for a push on a defender and thereafter the game became a matter of attack versus defence, Pafos’s disciplined rearguard not breached until west London had endured a nervous 76 minutes.
“You have to keep banging on the door,” said Rosenior. “You want to get the breakthrough earlier to open up the game. It was a harsh decision on Enzo. In the Premier League it’s probably a goal. Sometimes you have to keep going, keep knocking on the door, but also you have to keep the back door shut.
“There were things I was pleased with, things to improve on. But the body language of the group, they kept going. I was delighted for Moises to get the goal and get the result we deserved.”
The congested nature of the table means Chelsea could theoretically triumph narrowly in Naples and yet be pipped by any of the seven other clubs also on 13 points.
Rosenior hoped that the Serie A side’s precarious position – outside the top 24 and facing elimination – could count against them.
“I don’t think this club is ever daunted about any fixture,” he said. “It will be a difficult game. Antonio is an incredible coach. They have to win which changes the dynamic of the game a little bit.”
Chelsea were 14 minutes from facing a much more uncomfortable final matchday at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium when Wesley Fofana flicked the ball on at a corner and Caicedo pounced with a header to send relief around the ground.
“Moises is an outstanding player, a world-class midfield player,” said Rosenior. “We’re always a threat on set plays.
“He’s a top player. When you play against a low block your pivot player can be higher up the pitch. He’s scored a couple from outside the box this season and hopefully he can keep chipping in.
“You always want to score more goals, want to win by bigger margins. But we’re in the top eight, if we win we have a fantastic chance to go through.”
Pafos boss Albert Celades, the former Barcelona and Real Madrid midfielder, was proud of his side despite defeat meaning almost certain elimination.
“We had some players playing out of position where they are not used to playing,” he said. “But I’m very proud. They showed a big mentality.
“It’s difficult for a team like Pafos to play here against Chelsea. To stay almost 80 minutes with no goals, they did an amazing defensive job.”
