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Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has inherited most of the issues that troubled Enzo Maresca’s aspect earlier than him.

After Burnley’s 93rd‑minute equaliser , Chelsea grew to become the Premier League leaders for dropping factors at residence – 17 this season.

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In addition they now have a league‑excessive six purple playing cards this time period, following Wesley Fofana’s dismissal within the 72nd minute.

That purple card in the end led to Chelsea’s subsequent collapse after Joao Pedro opened the scoring, with Rosenior lamenting that his aspect have “set hearth to 4 factors” after of their earlier league match.

“There’s an inquest after each recreation whether or not we win or lose,” Rosenior added.

Nonetheless, that is the primary end result to immediate such an offended response from the supervisor, who was appointed after Maresca left the membership on New Yr’s Day following a falling-out with the hierarchy.

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Rosenior continued: “I am studying concerning the gamers. I am studying concerning the folks you may lean on when issues aren’t going your approach and you have to see a recreation out. That is one thing we have to tackle in a short time.”

There was additional frustration over goalscorer Zian Flemming being given a free header within the centre of Chelsea’s field, with Burnley substitute Jacob Bruun Larsen lacking an analogous probability minutes later.

“A marking task was missed,” Rosenior mentioned. “I am not right here to throw gamers underneath the bus – I’ll all the time defend my gamers, and I am going to cope with it in the course of the week.

“However there was a participant assigned that obligation who marked the flawed man.”

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Worst self-discipline in Premier League

Wesley Fofana was booked for fouls on Hannibal Mejbri and James Ward‑Prowse – changing into the sixth Chelsea participant to be despatched off within the Premier League this season [Getty Images]

Chelsea have equalled their highest variety of purple playing cards in a single Premier League season, matching the 2007‑08 marketing campaign – however with 11 video games nonetheless to play.

Solely away at Nottingham Forest have Chelsea claimed all three factors after taking place to 10 males, holding on following an 87th‑minute dismissal.

Defeats towards Manchester United, Brighton and Fulham can largely be attributed to purple playing cards earlier in these matches, whereas Chelsea rallied properly after Moises Caicedo was despatched off within the residence draw with Arsenal in November.

The sample is obvious – Chelsea are struggling due to their lack of self-discipline. They’re additionally a crew accustomed to accumulating yellow playing cards.

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They sit backside of the Truthful Play desk with 86 factors, having obtained 60 yellow playing cards this season. They had been second-bottom final season and backside the season earlier than.

It’s onerous to not hyperlink the disciplinary file to the age profile of the squad. Chelsea haven’t fielded a participant over the age of 28 all season and have the youngest squad within the Premier League – a profile intentionally constructed by the membership’s hierarchy.

Nonetheless, Rosenior doesn’t subscribe to youth being the principle downside.

“I believe youth is one factor, accountability is one other,” he mentioned. “I am accountable. I am the pinnacle coach, I am the supervisor of the crew. I am chargeable for each end result and each efficiency we’ve. We want gamers you may depend on within the second to do their job.

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“I do know what we have to get there. It is not all the way down to youth, it is all the way down to assessing the gamers and figuring out those you may depend on in troublesome moments.”

Rosenior additionally refused to single out Fofana and identified that almost all of purple playing cards this season got here earlier than his appointment. Maresca himself was despatched off for celebrating a final‑minute winner towards Liverpool.

“Our self-discipline since I’ve are available – which is what I can discuss – has been superb,” added Rosenior.

How Fofana’s purple card modified the momentum at Stamford Bridge [BBC Sport]

Chelsea hold dropping factors at residence

Chelsea have dropped a league‑excessive 17 factors from successful positions at residence and 19 in whole – the second‑worst file within the Premier League behind West Ham on 20.

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It’s one other space affected not solely by purple playing cards but in addition by an incapability to complete groups off and defensive lapses, significantly from set-pieces.

Chelsea have conceded a league‑excessive 13.54 anticipated objectives from set-pieces this season, leading to 11 objectives towards.

It’s unsurprising, due to this fact, that the mixture of lifeless‑ball specialist Ward‑Prowse and an aerial presence akin to Flemming contributed to the equaliser.

“Set performs are large within the Premier League, they’re so essential. Our file this season, defending set performs, will not be on the stage required for us to realize what we need to obtain, and that is one thing I would like to deal with,” Rosenior mentioned.

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There may additionally be a broader mentality situation, which once more could possibly be linked to the youthfulness of the squad – significantly inside Chelsea’s management group.

Requested whether or not Chelsea have sufficient leaders, Rosenior merely replied “Sure”, earlier than including: “I believe there are specific values you have to have in your crew.

“One of the best groups, the groups that win titles – which is the place we need to get to – win video games 1-0 once they most likely have not performed at their greatest.

“That ought to have been at the very least a 1-0 at this time. Even with 10 males for 25 minutes, that ought to have been a 1-0 at least. I do know what we have to get there. It is not all the way down to youth, it is about assessing the gamers and figuring out those you may depend on in troublesome moments.”

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Chelsea had been booed off at full‑time, and Rosenior’s response could sign the tip of a short interval of calm round Stamford Bridge.

It stays a promising begin for the Englishman in his 11 video games in cost, however he walked right into a membership already experiencing a febrile ambiance, with anti‑possession chants rising louder and fringe protests starting to maneuver into the mainstream.

It guarantees to be an attention-grabbing few weeks for Chelsea, with Arsenal, Aston Villa and Newcastle to come back in a more durable run of Premier League fixtures.