Chelsea sit third in the Premier League after a 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. They are now six points behind the league leaders. While most fans acknowledge that the Blues aren’t technically out of the title race, few expect them to challenge all season.
Chelsea’s lack of consistency means they aren’t viewed as a significant threat. Manager Enzo Maresca highlighted this after their loss to Sunderland. “If you want to be there, you need consistency,” he said. “Winning four in a row and then today’s [result], it shows that.”
Defensive issues, including the season-long injury to Levi Colwill and distrust of goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, have also been cited.
However, Sanchez has kept six league clean sheets this campaign, only bettered by Arsenal’s David Raya. Trevoh Chalobah has stepped up in Colwill’s absence, Wesley Fofana has returned from injury, and 19-year-old Josh Acheampong has shown glimpses of huge potential.
At full back, Marc Cucurella is one of the best in the league. Reece James has been fit for over a year, and Malo Gusto is more than a competent deputy.
Chelsea’s results appear to reveal that ill-discipline is their main problem. Let’s take a look at all of their red cards in the Premier League this season:
Robert Sanchez v Manchester United (lost 2-1)
Enzo Marseca’s side came into the match unbeaten and 5th in the league after four games. In their previous game, they had conceded a 93rd-minute equaliser against Brentford. United were 14th.
In the fifth minute, Robert Sanchez raced out of his goal but was beaten to the ball by Bryan Mbeumo. He then collected the United forward. A red card was inevitable.
United were 2-0 up by halftime, and Chelsea couldn’t recover.
Points dropped: 3
Trevoh Chalobah v Brighton (lost 3-1)
They were again reduced to ten men a week later.
Enzo Fernández’s header had put the home side ahead. But things began to unravel when a mistake by midfielder Andrey Santos led to Diego Gomez being played in. Chalobah brought down Gomez and was sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
Brighton equalised in the 77th minute and then went on to win the game with two late goals.
Points dropped: 3
Malo Gusto v Nottingham Forest (won 3-0)
Chelsea recovered well after their defeat against Brighton by beating the league leaders, Liverpool.
After initially struggling to break the deadlock against Forest, they scored three second-half goals to seal victory.
Malo Gusto’s needless challenge with three minutes remaining then led to his second yellow card, but it didn’t affect the result.
Points dropped: 0
Moisés Caicedo v Arsenal (drew 1-1)
The Blues hosted Arsenal in a top-of-the-table clash. A win would’ve closed the gap to the top to three points.
Moises Caicedo saw red after 38 minutes for a rash challenge on Mikel Merino. They had been on the better side up until that point.
Although Chalobah actually put his team ahead, Merino equalised, and they had to hold on for a draw.
Points dropped: 2
The effect of Chelsea’s red cards
Notably, Chelsea has dropped eight points this season in games where they have had a man sent off. Furthermore, this includes two of their three league losses. If they had won all of those games, they would be three points clear at the top.
While that is purely hypothetical, they would still have dropped four points if you took each result at the time Maresca’s side had been reduced to ten. They were leading Brighton and drawing against United. This would put them ahead of Manchester City and just two points behind Arsenal.
And red cards don’t just affect the game that they occur in. Caicedo’s dismissal comes with a three-game ban, so he will also miss matches against Leeds, Bournemouth and Everton. As one of Chelsea’s best players, this could hinder their chances.
Chelsea must correct their lack of discipline
If the Blues are to put up a serious fight against Arsenal and co, improving their disciplinary record will be essential. Their four reds so far mean they are on course to smash the Premier League record.
They have also had Joao Pedro and Liam Delap sent off in cup competitions. Maresca’s celebrations against Liverpool led to his touchline suspension against Forest.
Their match against relegation-threatened Leeds tomorrow is one to watch. Santos is now likely to partner Fernandez in midfield in a game they must win to keep pace with the leaders.
