Chelsea received their seventh red card for Maesca: what's wrong with the team.

According to The Sun: Marc Cucurella expressed concern about the high number of red cards and mistakes made by the Chelsea team.

Chelsea's left-back, 27-year-old Cucurella, was named man of the match as the team secured a 1-0 victory against Benfica. This victory spoiled the return of former manager José Mourinho to Stamford Bridge.

alt='Robert Sanchez of Chelsea looks dejected after receiving a red card during the Premier League match.' class='alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-36888036' width='960' height='640' /> Getty

However, a late red card for teammate João Pedro somewhat spoiled the celebratory mood. 24-year-old Pedro became the third player from the team to be sent off in the last four matches, joining Robert Sanchez and Trevo Chalobah.

Statistics show that Chelsea has the worst record in the Premier League for red cards since the start of the 2022/23 season.

Cucurella calls for change

Under Maesca, the team is receiving red cards in greater numbers than under previous managers. Cucurella understands that the team needs to avoid mistakes, especially before the match against reigning Premier League champions Liverpool.

“Last season Liverpool won the league and they deserved it. They started very strong, but we always fight when we play against Liverpool,” Cucurella noted.

“The last time we played against them, we won, so we are ready.”

He further added: “We must work on reducing mistakes and not conceding easy goals. We need to improve discipline because playing with ten men is hard.”

alt='Illustration graph showing top Premier League teams by red cards from 2022/23, with Chelsea having the most red cards per game.' class='alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-36888415' width='960' height='940' />

Chelsea in the Red

CHELSEA RED CARDS UNDER MANAGERS - statistics by John Phipps.

Total record: P15 W6 D0 L9

Thomas Tuchel

• August 21, 2022 - Kalidou Koulibaly (Leeds, a) L3-0
• Games 7, reds 2, games per red: 3.5

Graham Potter

• January 12, 2023 - João Félix (Fulham, a) L2-1
• Games 31, reds 1, games per red: 31

Frank Lampard

• April 12, 2023 - Ben Chilwell (Real Madrid, a) L2-0
• Games 11, reds 1, games per red: 11

Maurizio Pochettino

• September 24, 2023 - Malo Gusto (Aston Villa, h) L1-0
• November 25, 2023 - Reece James (Newcastle, a) L4-1
• December 3, 2023 - Conor Gallagher (Brighton, h) W3-2
• May 15, 2024 - Reece James (Brighton, a) W2-1
• Games 51, reds 4, games per red: 12.75

Enzo Maesca

• November 28, 2024 - Cesare Casadei (Heidenheim) W2-0
• December 15, 2024 - Marc Cucurella (Brentford) W2-1
• May 11, 2025 - Nicolas Jackson (Newcastle) L2-0
• June 20, 2025 - Nicolas Jackson (Flamengo) L3-1
• September 20, 2025 - Robert Sanchez (Manchester United, a) L2-1
• September 27, 2025 - Trevo Chalobah (Brighton, h) L3-1
• September 30, 2025 - João Pedro (Benfica, h) W2-1
• Games 73, reds 7, games per red: 10.4

Note: Interim coach Bruno Saltor had one match in 2023 without red cards.

• Total played: 174
• Red cards: 15
• Games per red card: 11.6
• Games before Maesca: 101
• Red cards: 8
• Games per red card: 12.6

It should be noted that under Maesca, the team has already received seven red cards in 73 matches - that’s one card for every 10.4 games. This is even worse than Chelsea's overall record, which stands at one red card for every 11.6 matches since the new owners took over the club in 2022. The rate worsened from one dismissal in every 12.6 games to Maesca's arrival.

Cucurella, who has recovered after a tough start at Stamford Bridge, remarked, “I try to help younger teammates since I joined. I’ve been through tough moments and now I feel very good. It's part of football.”

alt='Illustration table showing Chelsea's red cards under managers since 2022/23.' class='alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-36888417' width='960' height='940' />

Chelsea in Danger

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Team discipline issues could become a negative factor in their approach to upcoming matches. If Chelsea wants to improve their standings, they need to find a balance between aggression and control on the field as the team prepares for important encounters, including the match against Liverpool. Observing the situation in the team will be interesting, especially in the context of personnel changes and their impact on results in upcoming matches.