Caicedo header secures narrow Chelsea win over Pafos at Stamford Bridge

Moisés Caicedo’s close‑range header finally broke down Pafos’s resistance and handed Chelsea a nervy victory at Stamford Bridge after a deeply unconvincing display by the home side.

Chelsea took 78 agonising minutes to find a way past the champions of Cyprus in a match greeted by only a brief ripple of applause as fans continued protests against the club’s owners. The game was slow and predictable at times, with Liam Rosenior’s side struggling for ideas and Chelsea missing Cole Palmer, who was rested after complaining of tightness in his thigh.

The match featured defensive and goalkeeping upheaval: Filip Jörgensen left injured at half‑time and was replaced by Robert Sánchez, Jay Gorter made important saves for Pafos, and Chelsea’s striker Liam Delap was starved of service before being substituted. The winning goal came when Nany Dimata failed to clear Pedro Neto’s corner and Caicedo headed in from close range; Pafos protested that Benoît Badiashile had pushed one of their players.

Chelsea now visit Napoli in their final Champions League group game next week, with Rosenior saying: “I just have to keep focusing on the job. I would love the fans to be with us and with me. To do that I need to earn that.” Pafos, 30th in the group standings, could still make the playoffs if they beat Slavia Prague next week.

Key Topics

Sports, Chelsea, Stamford Bridge, Moisés Caicedo, Pafos Fc, Liam Rosenior