Red Cards and Home Woes Burn Chelsea Again

Chelsea are once again paying the price for indiscipline and poor game management at Stamford Bridge.

After a 1-1 draw with Burnley, sealed by a 93rd-minute equaliser, the Blues have now dropped a league-high 17 points at home this season. Add to that six red cards — also the most in the Premier League — and the pattern is becoming impossible to ignore.

Head coach Liam Rosenior did not hold back in his assessment.

“We’ve set fire to four points,” he said, referencing not only the Burnley draw but also the recent 2-2 home stalemate against Leeds United.

Discipline Still Haunting Chelsea

Wesley Fofana’s 72nd-minute red card proved costly, turning a controlled performance into another frustrating result.

Chelsea have now equalled their highest-ever Premier League red-card tally (six), matching 2007-08 — with 11 games still remaining.

Several defeats this season, including losses to Manchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham, were heavily influenced by dismissals.

The numbers underline the issue:

• 6 red cards (league-high)

• 60 yellow cards

• Bottom of the Fair Play table (86 points)

Chelsea have also finished bottom or near-bottom of the discipline rankings in recent seasons — suggesting a deeper structural issue rather than a temporary slump.

Youth or Accountability?

How Fofana’s red card changed the momentum at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea boast the youngest squad in the Premier League and have not fielded a player over 28 all season — a deliberate recruitment strategy by the ownership.

But Rosenior rejected the idea that youth alone explains their struggles.

“Youth is one thing. Accountability is another. I’m responsible for every result.”

The head coach stressed that success depends on identifying players who can “be relied on in difficult moments” — especially when protecting narrow leads.

Stamford Bridge Becoming a Problem

Chelsea have dropped 17 points from winning positions at home — and 19 overall — the second-worst total in the league behind West Ham United.

Set-piece defending is another major concern. Chelsea have conceded:

• 13.54 expected goals from set-pieces (league-high)

• 11 actual goals from dead-ball situations

Burnley’s equaliser came from a free header inside the box — a familiar story.

“Set plays are massive in the Premier League,” Rosenior admitted. “Our record defending them is not at the level required.”

Pressure Building Again

Despite an encouraging start to his tenure, Rosenior has inherited many of the structural issues that plagued Enzo Maresca before his departure.

Chelsea were booed off at full-time, and with fixtures against Arsenal, Aston Villa and Newcastle United looming, the margin for error is shrinking.

The frustration is no longer about individual matches — it’s about a recurring inability to close games out.

For a club targeting a return to title contention, repeatedly surrendering leads at home is not just a statistical concern. It’s a mentality issue.

And Rosenior knows time is not a luxury at Stamford Bridge.