Mauricio Pochettino Upholds Chelsea’s Disciplinary Record
Posted By Yahaya Garba
December 26, 2023
1:55 pm
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“Crucial London Derby Blow for Chelsea as Palmer and Sterling Face Suspension
Chelsea is set to face Crystal Palace in a must-win London derby at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, but they will be without two key players—Palmer and Sterling—due to one-game bans.
Both players accumulated five yellow cards each, contributing to Chelsea’s high tally of 56 bookings in the 2023/24 Premier League season.
Palmer and Sterling’s yellow card counts alone make up 10 of the team’s bookings. In addition to the 56 yellow cards, Chelsea has also witnessed three players receiving red cards this campaign.
Reece James, Conor Gallagher, and Malo Gusto have all been sent off, adding to the team’s disciplinary challenges.”
In a pre-match press conference leading up to the showdown with Crystal Palace, manager Pochettino has defended his team’s recent disciplinary issues, attributing them to the “pressure” experienced by the players.
Pochettino explained, “Playing for Chelsea, being part of a prestigious club, comes with immense pressure.
When players feel frustrated and lack the experience of other teams, mistakes can happen. Palmer, in his first season as a regular, exemplifies this.
It’s not about discipline; it’s about the players’ eagerness to win and their frustration. We need to enhance our ability to read the game situation.”
With Sterling and Palmer facing suspensions, attention turns to summer signing Christopher Nkunku, who may earn his first-ever start for Chelsea on Wednesday.
The French international, recovering from a significant knee injury sustained in preseason, made a cameo appearance in the Christmas Eve defeat to Wolves, marking it with a late consolation goal for his new club.”