Marc Cucurella has a theory for why Chelsea keep getting players sent off, which he shared following his side’s 1-0 win against Benfica.
It was another game where Chelsea saw red after substitute Joao Pedro picked up two yellow cards. The striker will now miss the Blues’ next Champions League match versus Ajax.
In the Premier League, Enzo Maresca has also seen Trevoh Chalobah and Robert Sanchez dismissed after denying goalscoring opportunities.
Former Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot was not happy with Pedro following his sending off, telling the Brazilian that he needs to be a bit smarter.
Marc Cucurella claims Chelsea’s pressing is to blame for red cards
Cucurella says there are no excuses for all the red cards that Chelsea are picking up. However, the left-back has acknowledged that the team’s pressing is causing problems at the back and leaving the backline in dangerous situations.
He told AS: “Many of them are because we want to go and pressure the opponent. We played with a lot of open space. And in those one-on-one situations, if you arrive a little late, it can lead to a red card.
“But that’s no excuse. We have to improve on those small mistakes and learn how to suffer when we have to play with ten men.”
Red cards are not Chelsea’s only issue right now. In recent weeks, the Club World Cup winners have picked up several injuries.
Andrey Santos has now been sidelined and will miss his side’s game against Liverpool this weekend.
Liverpool also have their own injury problems. Alisson has already been ruled out of the trip to Stamford Bridge, while Hugo Ekitike could miss the Chelsea match, too.
Enzo Maresca won’t change tactics
Whether Chelsea’s pressing is causing the team’s defence issues or not, Maresca is not the kind of manager who will adapt his tactics.
When second-choice goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen was under pressure from supporters last season for not going long, Maresca warned the 23-year-old that he would take him off if he started to go direct.
As Maresca discussed Jorgensen’s performance against Southampton, he said: “My message to Filip was if you play a long ball, I will change you, I am very happy. It is difficult for all the keepers [getting jeered] but they just need to follow the plan.”
It is quite clear, then, that Maresca is not going to change. Going forward, Sanchez and Chalobah just need to be more sensible in one-v-one situations, while Pedro needs to think twice when he is already on a yellow.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
