Liam Rosenior plays down big-game talk ahead of Chelsea’s cup clash with Arsenal

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has played down suggestions that his Stamford Bridge debut against London rivals Arsenal is the biggest game of his managerial career.

Just over a week on from his appointment on a six-and-a-half-year contract, the 41-year-old will lead the Blues into Wednesday evening’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against the Premier League leaders.

Rosenior arrived in west London following an impressive spell with French club Strasbourg after almost leading Hull to the Championship play-offs following an interim stint in charge of Derby.

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“People will look at it that way; I don’t see it that way,” he replied when asked if the visit of the Gunners will be his biggest match as a manager.

“Every session that I take, every meeting that I take, every game that we play is the most important thing. I live in the now.

“It is the most important game because it’s the next one. I mean that. If you start to prioritise games or think something is more important than the other then you’re not focused.

“I don’t care if it’s a pre-season game, I’m doing it at my maximum, and I expect that from whichever group I work with.

“That keeps me calm because I’m happy with the process in which we work as a staff, which the players are taking on.

“I’m not making it any bigger than the fact it’s the next game and we have to win, that’s the way I see it.”

Rosenior launched his tenure with Saturday evening’s 5-1 FA Cup third-round win at Charlton after watching last week’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at Fulham from the stands.

He became Chelsea’s eighth permanent boss in 10 years by succeeding Enzo Maresca but dismissed talk of attempting to ‘buy time’ in the job as he focuses on trying