Rosenior bemoans Chelsea’s poor discipline and set-piece defending
Liam Rosenior admitted Chelsea’s poor discipline and failure to defend corners was “not acceptable” after they finished with 10 men in a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.
Pedro Neto was sent off in a match that featured several controversial moments that stemmed from both teams’ corner tactics.
Late in the first half, Declan Rice wrestled with Blues defender Jorrel Hato before he deflected the ball towards his own goal. Keeper David Raya tipped that over, and Chelsea scored from the set-piece that followed.
All three goals, in fact, came via corners. Neto picked up the first of his two bookings for protesting against Jurrien Timber’s winner, after goalkeeper Robert Sanchez appeared to be blocked off.
He was then shown a second yellow for hacking down Gabriel Martinelli, and Chelsea have now picked up a Premier League record nine red cards this season.
Speaking after the narrow defeat, head coach Rosenior defended Neto, as he did last week with Wesley Fofana, but suggested the team must get to the root of their discipline issues.
“It’s disappointing for Pedro, because he’s a very, very good player. We want him on the pitch, and up to that moment, he was actually causing Arsenal so many problems,” Rosenior said.
“The frustrating thing for us, not just today, but we’re going to miss him against Aston Villa.
“It’s not just Pedro. I think as a group – me as the leader as well – we have to take more accountability for some of the decision-making we’re having in terms of our discipline, and in terms of the moments of the goals.
“Not just today, the goals we conceded, some of them are just not acceptable at this moment.”
When pressed on Chelsea’s red card record, and the idea of handing out fines to players, Rosenior hinted there is a ‘deep-lying’ problem the club must address.
He explained: “You can fine players. It’s not about punishment, it’s about finding the reason why.
“I don’t think Pedro Neto today, or Wes Fofana last week, would have – in that moment – been thinking about, ‘If I get a red card I’m going to get fined.’
“It’s a focus and a concentration thing that we need to get right. I know the record of the club is not great from the start of the season, and now it’s getting bad.
“We had 10 games when I was in where we didn’t have these issues, but we’ve had two in two games. So there’s something deep-lying that we need to get to the bottom of.”
Rosenior added that Chelsea’s failure to defend corners was a point of frustration once again.
“I think it’s clear where our strengths are, and I think it’s clear to everyone what we need to improve on,” he said.
“I felt as a group, including me, we learned our lesson last week. To concede two goals from set plays, which ultimately has cost us the game, is really disappointing.
“We worked on a certain scheme, it’s the first time the lads have done it, it didn’t pay off today. But we need to make sure we’re better in those moments.
“At the moment we’re losing points, not based off our performances, but based off set plays and discipline.”
The loss leaves Chelsea sixth in the Premier League, ahead of a tough March that sees domestic fixtures away to fourth-placed Aston Villa, at home to Newcastle, and away to Everton, as well as a Champions League meeting with Paris St-Germain.
