Why Chelsea receive so many red cards: Can Enzo Maresca fix it?

Chelsea may have reached the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after a dramatic 4-3 win over Wolves on Wednesday, but manager Enzo Maresca cut a frustrated figure at full-time.

His anger wasn’t directed at the officials — but at his own players. The Italian called Liam Delap’s late red card “very stupid” and admitted Chelsea’s growing reputation for ill-discipline has become “embarrassing”.

How many red cards have Chelsea received this season?

Chelsea have now received six red cards in competitive matches this season — or seven if you include Nicolas Jackson’s dismissal at the FIFA Club World Cup against Flamengo. Either way, they have the highest tally among Premier League clubs this term.

Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was first to see red, sent off for a last-man foul on Bryan Mbeumo just five minutes into the 2-1 defeat at Manchester United on September 20.

A week later, Trevoh Chalobah followed suit with a similar offence against Brighton.

In Europe, Joao Pedro was dismissed for two bookable offences late in a Champions League win over Benfica, while Maresca himself was sent to the stands for overcelebrating a stoppage-time winner against Liverpool.

Malo Gusto’s red card at Nottingham Forest then made it five, before Liam Delap’s brainless dismissal at Molineux on Wednesday pushed Chelsea’s total to six in their last nine games.

Chelsea’s red cards this season

What is the Premier League record for most red cards in one season?

The record for the most red cards in a single Premier League campaign is nine — a mark shared by Sunderland (2009/10) and Queens Park Rangers (2011/12).

Chelsea’s worst disciplinary season to date was 2007/08, when they collected six red cards in the league and two more in other competitions. That total is already under threat way before the midway point of the 2025/26 campaign.

Why are Chelsea getting so many red cards?

Chelsea’s growing red-card problem seems to stem from immaturity, poor decision-making, and emotional overreaction rather than tactical aggression.

Most of their dismissals have come from isolated lapses in judgement rather than any systematic flaw in Enzo Maresca’s style of play.

That was clear again at Molineux, where Liam Delap’s late red card turned a comfortable night into a nervy finish.

Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea have received more red cards than any other Premier League team this season

What has Enzo Maresca said about Chelsea getting so many red cards?

Enzo Maresca did not defend Liam Delap following his late dismissal at Wolves. In fact, the Chelsea manager called the sending-off “very stupid” and said his team’s repeated dismissals this season have become “embarrassing”.

“Absolutely, yes. Stupid foul. We can avoid that,” Maresca replied when asked if Delap deserved to be sent off. “For sure today we had a very stupid red card that was completely unnecessary. After the first yellow card I told him four or five times to keep calm.”

Delap, who suffered a hamstring injury in September before returning ahead of schedule, received two yellow cards in the space of seven minutes on his first appearance for 10 weeks — first for fouling and then pushing Yerson Mosquera and then for jumping into Emmanuel Agbadou.

Maresca admitted that the lack of composure is hurting his team. He said: “It’s embarrassing when it’s a red card like today because it’s two yellow cards in five or ten minutes. Both we can avoid. So it’s not good.”

Are Chelsea’s red cards Enzo Maresca’s fault?

Many of Chelsea’s dismissals have been needless and most have seemingly stemmed from individual errors rather than tactical instruction.

Enzo Maresca’s system is built around control and positional discipline, not aggression. Yet Chelsea’s youthful squad — the youngest team in the Premier League this season — have shown poor emotional control in pressure moments.

Robert Sanchez and Trevoh Chalobah both saw red for last-man fouls after teammates were caught out of position. Joao Pedro’s dismissal in Europe came from two avoidable bookings, while Liam Delap’s meltdown against Wolves appeared to be down to frustration.

Maresca has previously defended his players, saying: “When it’s a red card for bad discipline, it is different. Some are simply moments where a player has to decide in two or three seconds whether to make the foul or not. It’s difficult.”

Chelsea’s disciplinary issues are not new

Chelsea’s red card problem hasn’t emerged overnight. Since the start of the 2022/23 season, they have received 13 red cards in all competitions — the second-highest total of any Premier League team, behind only Wolves.

They also top the charts for yellow cards across the last three campaigns, racking up over 300 bookings since 2022. That includes 68 for dissent or arguing, 38 for time-wasting and seven for diving.

Chelsea have been bottom of the Premier League Fair Play table in back-to-back seasons — collecting 117 points for yellow and red cards in 2023/24 and 106 in 2024/25.

Can Enzo Maresca fix Chelsea’s disciplinary problems?

Enzo Maresca said after Malo Gusto’s red card against Nottingham Forest on October 18 that he was “not concerned” about his team’s growing collection of cards, although he appeared to have changed his tune after Liam Delap’s dismissal on Wednesday.

Maresca knows things must improve. The manager’s focus must be on fostering maturity and superior decision-making.

With an average squad age of just 24, Chelsea’s biggest challenge may well be emotional, rather than structural. Their red cards have mostly been a mix of rash decisions, youthful impetuosity, and occasional tactical errors.

If Chelsea can channel their intensity more intelligently, they might yet avoid joining Sunderland and QPR in the Premier League’s red-card hall of shame.