Chelsea fans are sick of idiotic self-sabotage derailing their season after a NINTH red card proved costly again at Arsenal – no wonder expletives rained on Pedro Neto, writes KIERAN GILL
We could call Chelsea the self-saboteurs of the Premier League, but then their own fans would tell you that description is too kind, having told Pedro Neto precisely their thoughts as he endured his walk of shame at the Emirates Stadium.
Having already been booked for complaining after Arsenal’s second goal from a corner, Neto lunged in on Gabriel Martinelli by the touchline.
It killed a counter-attack and was, of course, worthy of another caution. That dismissal left Chelsea down to 10 men and Neto trodding the perimeter of the pitch to get to the tunnel on the other side. That path took him directly in front of the away end and, according to Chelsea-supporting friends in there, it was far from pretty.
The boos poured down on Neto and more than a few expletives, the fans having long lost patience with their own players for indulging in idiocy. If anything, the 25-year-old Portuguese can be thankful they were not packing rotten vegetables for throwing.
Neto represented the ninth red card that Chelsea have received in all competitions this season. At this stage, it might be quicker to name who has not been dismissed, because all nine of those reds have been shown to different players as if they are trying to create an XI, and a club-record seven have come in the Premier League.
Pedro Neto was ruthlessly ripped into by Chelsea fans and jeered by Arsenal supporters after becoming the ninth Blues star this season to be given his marching orders on Sunday
Fans suggested Neto didn’t know he had received a yellow card but those claims are not true
Neto will now miss Wednesday’s visit to Aston Villa at a time when Liam Rosenior is already without other wingers in Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian.
Rumours circulated after full-time that he did not realise he had already been booked for dissent, but a photograph via Getty Images showed him seeing the referee show his first yellow to him.
What we can say is that there could be no blaming this one on the folly of youth.
Neto is supposed to be one of Chelsea’s more experienced members of this squad. As is Wesley Fofana, whose second yellow versus Burnley in their previous outing was equally as costly as they torched two points from a winning position.
It is not only the reds, however. It is the yellows, too. Enzo Fernandez was booked for throwing the ball to the ground in anger here at the Emirates, for example.
That means he is now on seven yellows for the season, and if he reaches 10, he will find himself missing two matches. Moises Caicedo is already on eight and staring at the same suspension when Chelsea are in a tense Champions League chase.
Daily Mail Sport asked Rosenior a few days ago why Chelsea have covered the least distance of any club in the Premier League this season.
The Chelsea winger received a second yellow card for felling Gabriel Martinelli by the touchline
He gave a reasonable answer, explaining how they have plenty of possession and so do not need to do as much running as others, and that fatigue is a factor after their summer spent competing at the Club World Cup.
Rosenior forgot to mention the fact they are playing too many matches a man shy. That certainly does not help the distance statistics, and Chelsea’s head coach was strong when asked on their disciplinary record afterwards.
His predecessor, Enzo Maresca, occasionally tried to claim there was no problem. Rosenior is at least willing to admit there is one which he must solve.
‘I know the record of the club is not great from the start of the season, and now it’s getting bad,’ Rosenior said. ‘We’ve had two (reds) in two games. There’s something deep-lying that we need to get to the bottom of.’
Asked about their dissent problem in particular, he added: ‘We need to do something, for sure. I need to speak to the coaching staff, the staff around the club, the players, because it’s not acceptable.
‘Especially the last two games, we’ve caused our own issues, even here against a very good team. You can see there’s a lot of good in our play. If we don’t eradicate this, it’s going to be the thing that costs us.’
Enzo Fernandez was booked for throwing the ball to the ground in frustration
How corners are becoming a major problem
Chelsea conceded from two corners to Arsenal, meaning they have now leaked nine goals from such situations this season. Only West Ham’s record of 15 is worse.
While it does not excuse the dire defending, you would forgive Rosenior’s players for wondering whether they were playing in a Premiership Rugby game rather than a Premier League fixture at times, given the grappling going on.
One corner in particular incensed the visitors’ technical staff and not least their set-piece coach Bernardo Cueva. It was one taken by Chelsea themselves as Joao Pedro was manhandled by William Saliba with two arms wrapped around him before being smacked in the head by David Raya as Arsenal’s goalkeeper cleared the ball.
Arsenal got away with that and other instances in which VAR John Brooks could – and perhaps should – have got involved.
That included when Declan Rice handled the ball in the box. Justice was at least served in that instance as Chelsea equalised from a corner immediately afterwards, but ultimately, their inability to defend set-pieces cost them as well as their disciplinary record.
