Liam Rosenior has urged Chelsea’s players to address their on-field behaviour following another disciplinary lapse that resulted in a red card during Sunday’s London derby against Arsenal.
The Blues were reduced to 10 men in the clash when Pedro Neto was sent off for a second booking after a foul on Gabriel Martinelli.
It marked their seventh red card in the Premier League this season and their ninth in all competitions, in a new all-time low.
Speaking during Monday’s pre-match press conference, Rosenior called for improvement on the team’s discipline which has often proved costly.
“It needs to improve promptly. My job is to create a culture of accountability, whereby if you make a mistake, you hold your hands up and make sure it doesn’t happen again. But you have to hold your hands up to the original mistake though”, Rosenior stated.
Chelsea suffered a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, leaving them in sixth position on the standings.
William Saliba opened the scoring in the first half, but an own goal from Piero Hincapie levelled the scores heading into the break.
Jurrien Timber grabbed the winner in the second half as the Gunners moved closer to ending their league title drought.
Meanwhile, Rosenior also confirmed that Neto had apologized to the entire team over his sending off.
“Pedro [Neto] has apologised to the group. We will miss him for the next game. I need to see an improvement in the behaviour now”, Rosenior added.
“It’s not just him though, we’ve had bookings for needless dissent and fouls. If we’re to improve and get to where we want to be, we have to make a conscious step now to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Chelsea face Aston Villa on Wednesday, hoping for a win to boost their top four credentials.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
