Liam Rosenior has said Chelsea must ‘eradicate’ their set-piece and disciplinary issues if the club are to have a successful season.
Chelsea lost 2-1 to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, in a blow to their Champions League qualification hopes. The Blues conceded twice from corner kicks at the Emirates, while their hopes of a comeback were not helped by Pedro Neto’s red card. That dismissal was Chelsea’s ninth of the campaign in all competitions.
“If we don’t eradicate the set-play issues that have started to creep into our game and our discipline issues, then for all of the good things we do in the game, we are not going to get what we want to achieve,” Rosenior said to BBC Radio 5 Live at full-time.
“I have respect for the previous manager Enzo [Maresca]. I don’t speak about what happened before but it is starting to happen with me.
“It’s something I felt we had addressed. We went 10 games without a red card, now [we have had] two in two games and that’s a problem we need to solve.”
In the nine games that Chelsea have been reduced to 10 men this season, the Blues have won just three times. Their red cards include dismissals in both league fixtures with Arsenal and a costly red in a West London Derby defeat to Fulham.
Pedro Neto's dismissal against Arsenal means Chelsea have now received the joint-most red cards by a team in a single Premier League season… and they still have ten games to play 😬🟥 pic.twitter.com/YnxaZjFS8o
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 1, 2026
Chelsea players sent off this season
- Robert Sanchez, Manchester United, Lost 2-1
- Trevoh Chalobah, Brighton, Lost 3-1
- Joao Pedro, Benfica (Champions League), Won 1-0
- Malo Gusto, Nottingham Forest, Won 3-0
- Liam Delap, Wolves (EFL Cup), Won 4-3
- Moises Caicedo, Arsenal, Drew 1-1
- Marc Cucurella, Fulham, Lost 2-1
- Wesley Fofana, Brighton, Drew 1-1
- Pedro Neto, Arsenal, Lost 2-1
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