Chelsea’s disastrous disciplinary document: Enzo Maresca’s aspect is flourishing regardless of racking up the yellow playing cards

By the requirements set for them over the previous 20 years, Chelsea will not be there but, however they’re definitely thereabouts. A group who seemed like England’s fourth greatest within the second half of Mauricio Pochettino’s reign would possibly now be entitled to bristle on the suggestion that’s all they’re. Second within the desk, having given good accounts of themselves of their conferences with Liverpool and Arsenal, if it weren’t for Enzo Maresca so insistently speaking down his aspect’s title possibilities, this could be the week to start out a dialogue.

Contenders or not, the story at Stamford Bridge is for as soon as about issues on the pitch quite than boardroom intrigue and extravagance. And if you find yourself pretty much as good as Chelsea are, the evaluation standards change. There may be comparatively little thus far to debate in whether or not Enzo Maresca is the best man for the job, whether or not his techniques are working and, specifically, whether or not this group has the energy in depth to compete throughout a number of fronts. Park the large existential questions on amortization. Chelsea need to be within the combine for the largest prizes this season. What small stuff should they sweat to get there?

As they prepared themselves for additional hostilities at Tottenham, one flaw shines brilliant in Chelsea’s armor. This isn’t a aspect that you’d need to go right into a rerun of the Battle of the Bridge. They look like a lot too ill-disciplined. 

If which may really feel like a comparatively subjective evaluation, there are goal metrics we will put behind this. Because the begin of final season, Chelsea have obtained 154 yellow playing cards, by a ways essentially the most within the Premier League. That in itself is notable. What’s outstanding is the sheer quantity which have come for what we would time period ill-discipline. Opta classifies each reserving primarily based on the kind of offence dedicated. 

If we group all of these that aren’t by defensive performs, however mirror considerably deliberate actions by gamers — the classes for these are: dissent, time losing, extreme celebration, arguments, combating, off the ball actions, encroachment, abusive language, coming into or leaving the sphere of play, coming into the referee’s space, extreme use of the overview sign, not retreating and dive — then the image turns into much more intriguing. Chelsea have 72 such bookings, over 30 % greater than second positioned Wolves and nicely over the double the Premier League common.

They’ve essentially the most bookings for dissent, 27 in complete, essentially the most for time losing, essentially the most for combating. They are not simply fighters although, they’re lovers too, main the league for extreme celebrations. Within the extremely charged, emotive atmosphere of a Premier League match, immaculate habits is an unreasonable expectation. Brentford, nevertheless, have managed to maintain themselves to twenty-eight such offences, Manchester Metropolis and Liverpool a mere 30. Even Arsenal, whose delaying of play was a matter of such focus within the late summer time, have picked up solely 32 such bookings.

Enzo Maresca is aware of there’s a effective line between a aspect that fights for one another and one that’s overly aggressive. Talking after his aspect’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest, the place half of their fine-worthy six yellows have been for indiscipline, he stated: “It’s one thing we have to enhance, however, total, I just like the group the way in which they’re combating. I like the way in which they’re changing into a group in these sorts of issues. I do not see any issues about that.

“For positive, there are issues that we will management and do higher, little doubt, and doubtless this is among the issues [to improve].”

This then is a matter of significance, albeit one that’s but to boil over into an actual disaster in any particular video games. Those self same disciplinary occasions talked about above have thus far resulted in only one pink card, membership captain Reece James given his marching orders within the closing phases of a 2-1 win over Brighton in Might, kicking out at a mixture of Joao Pedro and Carlos Baleba.

What statistics can’t seize is what might need occurred if gamers hadn’t misplaced their head. Would possibly Moises Caicedo have supplied a more practical defend in Chelsea’s 4-1 loss to Liverpool if he hadn’t been booked within the eleventh minute for his livid response to a free kick given in opposition to him? Marc Cucurella was booked simply earlier than half time in a 5-0 loss at Arsenal again in April. For the remaining 45 minutes Arsenal went at him time and again, the Spaniard feeling unable to throw himself right into a deal with on Kai Havertz as his former teammate drove in to strike the Gunners’ second.

These are examples from final season, however Chelsea are choosing up these bookings with even larger frequency this yr, 1.8 per recreation, and they’re spreading them throughout the squad. Eight gamers have greater than 4 yellows for ill-discipline for the reason that begin of final season. Cole Palmer has double that tally, third most within the league, however by far the guiltiest social gathering is Nicolas Jackson along with his 12 infractions.

A recurring theme of the striker’s time at Chelsea is he will get himself booked in essentially the most redundant methods, nearly as usually as he will get himself prime photographs. Pochettino known as Jackson in for a gathering in October 2023, little appears to have improved since then with three of his 4 yellows for non-footballing actions. Another and he can be banned, an enormous value to pay for kicking the ball away in opposition to Crystal Palace.

As to the broader why of Chelsea’s disciplinary difficulty, Maresca definitely touched on that above. This can be a younger group, its common age of round 23-and-a-half the youngest within the Premier League by a sizeable margin. A level of youthful indiscretion is to be anticipated, even perhaps to be celebrated if it galvanizes a squad that wants a robust gravitational drive, such is its dimension.

Stick with it, nevertheless, and their ill-discipline might be extra of a curse than a blessing in essentially the most intense moments of the season. And what a pity it could be if this gifted younger aspect was crushed by itself, quite than an opponent.