Amidst a rocky patch at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is steadfast in his belief that his squad does not suffer from a “discipline problem,” despite recent matches seeing a spate of red cards for the Blues.
Chelsea’s early-season form, which saw them go unbeaten in their first four Premier League matches, has taken a dip, currently placing them eighth in the league standings. Recent outings have seen them lose three of their last five encounters across all competitions. Their victories have come in the League Cup against Lincoln City and the Champions League against Benfica.
In a pre-match press conference on Friday, Maresca reflected on the team’s recent downturn: “I think we started very, very well, in terms of results and performance, in the first four or five games. And then probably in the rest of the games, we didn’t get the points that we wanted, for sure, but we’ve already analysed the reasons why.”
The Chelsea boss highlighted the impact of red cards and injuries, stating, “Most of the games where we didn’t get the points were very complicated for us because of the red cards. But no doubt, also the injury situation we’re experiencing, with eight players out.”
Maresca remains confident of Chelsea’s resurgence, saying, “It’s a mix of combinations, but we are without doubt that slowly we’re going to be where we need to be.”
The issue of discipline has been thrown into sharp relief with three red cards in four matches, most recently Joao Pedro’s dismissal in their narrow 1-0 triumph over Benfica. Maresca elaborated on the team’s approach to discipline: “You have to analyse each case – whether it’s a red card due to bad intention or bad discipline. The Brighton and Manchester United red cards are different.”
He added, “It’s the decision you make in two or three seconds – whether or not you commit a foul. It’s difficult. We analyse case by case. I don’t see any discipline problem; even if we concede red cards, it’s not a problem. It’s for different reasons.”
In regards to dealing with injury absences, Maresca expressed his faith in younger talents: “I really trust the young players – not just those we buy, but those from the academy. We’ve given games to [Josh] Acheampong, leaving senior players on the bench; this shows that I trust the young players.”
He further stated, “As you say, we have four or five defenders out, but we’re going to try to adapt and find a solution for tomorrow.”
On the status of Cole Palmer’s groin injury, Maresca kept his cards close to his chest: “I don’t have an update; we have a meeting this week to make a decision.”
This comes amidst wider speculation about Maresca’s future, underlined by upcoming high-stakes clashes, including a critical tie against Liverpool, which many view as pivotal for Chelsea’s season trajectory.