Nachrichten

For the second season running Chelsea are under fire for having the worst disciplinary record in the Premier League. Chelsea set a league record of 105 yellow cards last season and are on track to beat it with 27 already this year.

Following a fiery contest against Nottingham Forest, which included Nicolas Jackson taking a swipe at Forest defender Morato, the Blues have been fined again for picking up six yellow cards in a match.

Enzo Maresca downplayed that his side have a discipline problem attributing the high card tally to the chaotic Bournemouth fixture which saw Anthony Taylor handout 14 yellow cards. Maresca said: “The Bournemouth game was the kind of game because of the pitch, because of the game, sometimes you are required to make some fouls.”

But after another game littered with poor behaviour, is it habitual at this point? Chelsea have steadily risen up the rankings for yellow cards in the last five years - 50, 63, 77, 105. What is behind this trend?

Change in style?

Known for many seasons as a defensive side, Chelsea have become a more progressive, front-footed team. Since the introduction of Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea have become a possession-based side with the intention to press to regain the ball.

This style of play can often lead to more yellow cards due to the intensity and increased engagement with opposition players. However, only four teams have committed fewer fouls than Chelsea this season, proving the issue is less to do with physicality and more with attitude.

READ MORE: Nicolas Jackson three-match ban, Nuno Espirito Santo punishment - Chelsea red card verdict

READ MORE: Todd Boehly's £560m decision pays off after repeating controversial Chelsea transfer trick

Youthful overexuberance?

At 23.4, Chelsea have named the youngest starting line-up in the Premier League this season. In contrast, champions Man City have an average age of 27 and title challengers Arsenal average 26.5 with the former receiving 52 yellow cards last season and the latter 62.

Maresca’s side have picked up 49 yellow cards for dissent, time wasting and arguing since the start of last season. This comes at a time when Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali have sold Chelsea’s more senior players for a younger core.

Younger players can lack the wherewithal to control their emotions and Chelsea lack experienced leaders to protect and guide them. Therefore, is Chelsea’s problem based around an inexperienced team that will mature with time or are experienced signings needed in south west London?

Rule changes?

The average amount of yellow cards in the Premier League has hit an all-time high of 5.3 a game, an increase of a card per game on last season and two more than 22/23. As protection for players and referees has increased, so has the punishment for the offenders.

Common sights like players surrounding the referee or campaigning for an opponent to be booked now results in a yellow card.

Despite this, Man City and Liverpool combined have only exceeded 60 yellow cards in a season once in the last seven seasons.

Chelsea DNA?

Captain Reece James has only played 421 minutes of football since August 2023 yet in that time was issued with two red cards. That cannot be right.

Pochettino said his players were picking up ‘silly’ yellow cards last season. Although he did later dismiss suggestions there was a disciplinary problem at the club.

Jose Mourinho is synonymous with the dark arts of football and as Chelsea’s most successful manager many of those traits have been embedded in the club’s identity. Antonio Conte had to deny Chelsea had a problem with discipline in 2017 after David Luiz was given the Blues fourth red card by September.

The Blues will forever also be remembered for the 1970 FA Cup final against Leeds dubbed the most brutal game ever, led by captain Ron Chopper Harris.

Title challenge?

Man City have won the league at an average of 46 yellow cards a season in the last four years and the only team to usurp them was a 38-yellow card season from Liverpool.

Arsenal’s title challenges have been accompanied by a reduction in yellow cards from 86 in 2019/20 to 60 last season. The stats suggest the fewer yellow cards a team picks up, the greater their chances of success are.

Every title winning side in the last 10 years has kept their yellow card tally below 60, however the one outlier is Chelsea. If any club copes best with chaos it is the Blues so you can not put it past them breaking this trend again.