New Delhi: Chelsea are currently leading the Premier League in yellow cards and have drawn a considerable amount of attention after the latest fixture. This season alone the Blues have racked up 27 bookings in just seven matches and are leading the most yellow cards table, a worrying trend that has begun to raise questions about discipline under manager Enzo Maresca. In the second spot are Man United with 24 still three less than the Blues.
The 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest saw six Chelsea players cautioned and incurring a £50,000 fine for the club and possibly even more severe action due to allegations of misconduct. Here is the list of factors that might be the reason behind the growing disciplinary problem, and why does Chelsea seem to have developed a dangerous love affair with yellow cards?
Chelsea have picked up a lot of yellow cards in their first 7 Premier League games. pic.twitter.com/xjE4R83eJM
— Frank Khalid OBE (@FrankKhalidUK) October 8, 2024
A history of Ill discipline
The yellow card issue has not emerged overnight or purely under Maresca’s tenure. Last season under Mauricio Pochettino Chelsea already struggled with controlling their tempers and picked up the most yellow cards last season with 105 surpassing Leeds 101 cards (2021-22) and became the team with the most yellow cards record in the Premier League for a season.
It wasn’t just the number of cautions that was troubling but also the nature of the bookings pointed towards a systemic problem. The Blue’s bookings were often for what could be described as ‘silly’ fouls – dissent, delaying restarts, and failing to retreat for free kicks. Nicolas Jackson, picked up 10 bookings last season but only one was for a foul rest were for unnecessary infractions like dissent or procedural violations.
Pochettino was vocal about his frustrations and labelled many of the bookings as “silly”. He even showed video clips to the players in an attempt to make them aware of their poor decision-making. However, despite these efforts the bookings kept piling up. The team’s inability to quickly adapt to new Premier League rules for dissent only increased the issue last season.
Enzo Maresca, who took charge as a new manager in June 2024 is also facing the same issue that Pochettino faced last year. It seems like discipline problems have got ingrained in the Blues’ DNA. Rather than shying away from the aggression Maresca seems to have embraced it at least to an extent. He has downplayed the concerns about Chelsea’s growing disciplinary record and stated that he was “happy” with the way his team is showing “fighting spirit.”
Chelsea have been part of Premier League history last month when a record 14 yellow cards were handed out during their match against Bournemouth with the Blues receiving eight of those bookings.
🚨 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗗: Anthony Taylor showed 14 yellow cards in the Bournemouth-Chelsea match, a new Premier League record. 🟨 pic.twitter.com/B7HSw90aUh
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) September 14, 2024
Factors behind Chelsea’s yellow card problem
While aggression and passion are hallmarks of competitive football, Chelsea’s propensity for yellow cards suggests that deeper tactical and psychological factors are at play.
Chelsea’s squad is among the youngest in the Premier League, with an average age of just 23.4, as per Transfermarkt. This youthful energy brings both positives and negatives. On one hand, it drives the players to prove themselves, especially in high-stakes games, where their hunger to make an impact is undeniable.
But on the other side, that same inexperience often shows up in rash challenges and poor decisions, particularly during moments of transition when the game’s pace shifts quickly. In those high-pressure situations the lack of maturity can be costly leading to unnecessary fouls and yellow cards.
Without experienced leaders like Thiago Silva who left the club this summer, the guidance of experienced players is missing on the pitch and the younger players are struggling to maintain their composure in high-pressure situations.
The Blue’s captain Reece James embodies the team’s disciplinary woes. Despite only clocking 421 minutes last season, he received two red cards including one for picking up two yellows. His example highlights how even senior players at Chelsea are failing to lead by example when it comes to discipline.
Both Pochettino and Maresca have emphasized possession-based football with a focus on pressing. While such tactics can be highly effective in breaking down opposition they also come with risks. Pressing systems often require players to engage in tactical fouls during transitions to prevent counter-attacks which leads to bookings particularly as referees have become less forgiving in recent seasons.
Another factor is the team’s physical composition. According to Transfermarkt, Chelsea have the shortest average height in the Premier League at just over 5ft 8in. In a physically demanding league like the Premier League players who lack the stature of their opponents often and find themselves resorting to more aggressive tactics to impose themselves on the game.
While Pochettino had previously raised concerns about this Maresca appears to have turned this into a badge of honor focusing on his players’ “fighting spirit” rather than addressing the root cause of the issue.
Looking Ahead…
Under Maresca, Chelsea’s aggression on the field is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, the manager encourages a combative mentality that has brought the team closer together. When asked about the fines and upcoming suspensions for Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana, Maresca responded with a level-headed approach praising the depth of his squad, “The good news is they are all ready.”
“I like to be focused on the things that I can control.”
Enzo Maresca says he ‘doesn’t care’ about the outside noise around the club as he focuses on his team 🔵 pic.twitter.com/hLsACpoD3c
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 4, 2024
However, he does state that It’s something they need to improve but overall, he likes his team the way they are fighting. He doesn’t even see any problem with that.
But if Chelsea continues on this path their yellow card habit may soon turn from a tactical issue into a full-blown liability. Fines and suspensions can make the team’s key players miss crucial fixtures, and as the season progresses these setbacks could come back to haunt them.
Maresca’s “fighting spirit” mantra may hold for now as the season has just begun but without addressing the underlying reasons behind Chelsea’s yellow card problem, things might take a turn for worse in the upcoming fixtures.
Chelsea top the Premier League yellow card table after seven games. Do they have a discipline problem? Find out after their heated draw against Nottingham Forest. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
