Chelsea’s Rosenior states that a missed handball impacted his team’s performance.

LONDON — Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior stated that a “handball” incident leading to Leeds United’s equaliser had a detrimental effect on his players, resulting in them relinquishing a two-goal advantage at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

Chelsea appeared to be in a strong position after João Pedro’s first-half goal and a penalty from Cole Palmer in the second half, which put them ahead as they approached the final thirty minutes.

The match took a dramatic turn when Chelsea conceded two goals within five minutes, with Lukas Nmecha scoring from the penalty spot before substitute Noah Okafor equalised for the visiting team.

Rosenior expressed his discontent regarding Okafor’s equaliser, pointing to an alleged “handball” by Jayden Bogle during the sequence that led to Okafor scoring into an open net.

“The player [Bogle] handballs it,” Rosenior remarked during a news conference on Tuesday evening. “He handballs it, it impacts my players at that moment; they believe it’s a handball, we lose focus, we fail to clear the ball, and they score.

“Then for the next 25 minutes, it was continuous pressure from them; we need to ensure we manage critical moments and maintain professionalism.

“There will always be a phase in the match where you’re not at your best, but the frustrating aspect for us is that they managed to score two goals in a five-minute span, despite us being the superior team for the other 90 minutes.”

Chelsea’s control in the match was highlighted by Leeds not registering a shot on target until their second-half penalty, leaving many at Stamford Bridge astonished as the two-goal lead evaporated.

“Honestly, I can’t recall Leeds having a shot or a significant moment in the game [before Nmecha’s goal],” Rosenior continued. “Some of our play in possession, our pressing, and our energy was everything I wanted to see, which makes it even more disappointing that we lost the match.

“I felt frustrated after the second goal due to a few aspects that I will demonstrate to the players regarding how the game’s momentum shifted. That’s a collective issue.

“If we can maintain focus and concentration for the full 90 minutes, this team possesses incredible potential, as evidenced for probably 90% of the match today.

“Having been here for a month, I already have a clear understanding of what we need to improve. It’s about ensuring we have the time to work on it.”