Chelsea’s worrying disciplinary record has reached a new peak after Malo Gusto’s late sending-off against Nottingham Forest marked the club’s fourth consecutive match with a red card, and their fifth in the last six games.
Despite the 3-0 victory at the City Ground, the dismissal—which followed manager Enzo Maresca’s touchline ban against Liverpool a fortnight ago—has intensified the spotlight on the issue.
Maresca remains unconcerned, stating he prefers to “analyse” each case, distinguishing between cards for “bad intention” and those resulting from split-second decisions.
However, the data is damning. The club now sits bottom of the Premier League Fair Play table this season. Over the last three campaigns, Chelsea has accumulated a league-high 301 yellow cards and 12 red cards.
A deeper look at the bookings reveals systematic issues, including the highest numbers for tactical fouls, dissent/arguments, and diving. A large portion of these incidents occur in the final 15 minutes of matches.
The high booking rate, consistent under both Maresca and former manager Mauricio Pochettino, is speculated to be linked to the in-game emotional management of the club’s youthful squad, which has an average age of just over 24.
Maresca’s immediate focus will be on reducing the high number of bookings for dissent and poor behaviour.
