Is Chelsea’s poor disciplinary record a cause for concern? | OneFootball

Since the start of last season, no Premier League team has picked up more yellow cards than Chelsea.

Under Mauricio Pochettino last season, the Blues picked up a league-high 105 yellow cards and are again leading the table this season with 27, three more than second-most Manchester United.

Chelsea are facing an FA fine after picking up six yellow cards in their 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest having also been fined in the win over Bournemouth too last month. There is also a chance they could be handed an extra fine for failing to control their players after a confrontation with the Nottingham Forest players during the game.

Blues boss Enzo Maresca jokingly said he would not be paying the fine on behalf of the club after the game but admits the disciplinary record is something his side must improve.

“It’s something we need to improve, but, overall, I like the team, the way they are fighting,” he said. “I like the way they are becoming a team in these kinds of things. I don’t see any problems with that.”

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Maresca has made a positive start to his Chelsea reign, winning four of his first seven Premier League games in charge and losing just one, to reigning champions Manchester City, and is evidently happy with the attitude and determination shown from his squad despite their yellow card record.

But Chelsea already have two players suspended in the Premier League, with Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella becoming the first two players to receive five yellow cards this season meaning they will miss the game against Liverpool later this month.

Cucurella and Fofana have been two very important players so far under Maresca, with Cucurella’s inverted role an important part of the way Maresca wants his team to play and Fofana being preferred as the starting central defender alongside Levi Colwill, making an already tough task against Liverpool even more difficult.

Star man Cole Palmer has picked up three bookings this season and a suspension for him in a big game could prove a devastating blow as Chelsea try to get back into a Champions League spot, while Moises Caicedo, Levi Colwill and Nicolas Jackson have all picked up two.

If a player picks up five yellows by 19 Premier League games, they will receive an automatic one-game suspension, while a two-game ban is given if a player receives ten yellows by the 32-game mark.

On their current trajectory, Chelsea will end up losing some key players to suspensions this season. And while the start under Maresca has been positive, there is no question that they are very much a still work in progress, meaning the fine margins will be key if they are to get back into Europe’s top competition next season.

It is something Pochettino spoke about on a number of occasions last season, urging his players to keep their cool and avoid “silly” yellow cards.

The aggressiveness and competitiveness Chelsea have shown so far has been a factor in their good early season form. But those same traits could end up costing them later in the campaign.

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