Enzo Maresca is watching Chelsea play Aston Villa from the stands on Saturday. He has already gotten five yellow cards in the Premier League this season. The Italian manager got his most recent booking during the Blues’ 2-2 tie with Newcastle United last weekend. This automatically put him on the sidelines for one game.
As Chelsea try to end Villa’s amazing 10-match winning streak in all competitions, assistant manager Willy Caballero is expected to pass on instructions from the dugout. The Blues are currently fourth in the Premier League with 29 points, seven points behind Villa in third. This makes Saturday’s game at Stamford Bridge crucial for their hopes of finishing in the top four.
This is Maresca’s second touchline ban of the season. He got two yellow cards against Liverpool earlier this season, the second for going crazy after Chelsea scored a late winner. He then watched from the stands as the Blues beat Nottingham Forest 3-0 in October.
The 45-year-old has also been cautioned in Premier League games against Manchester United and Burnley, as well as Champions League games against Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
Chelsea’s discipline problems get worse with red cards and bookings
Chelsea’s discipline issues have been a big problem during the 2024–25 season. Both the manager and the players have had trouble keeping their cool on the field. The Blues have gotten four red cards in the Premier League this season, more than any other team in the league. This shows a pattern of reckless challenges and dissent that has cost them crucial points.
Only Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur have gotten more yellow cards than Bournemouth this season, with 35. The Blues also commit the fourth-most fouls per game in the league, suggesting they play aggressively but often go too far and become careless.
Maresca was defiant when asked about his record of discipline before the Villa game. He said:
“Listen, the club this morning showed me a comment from some of you that said the team reflect the manager and I’m very proud of that. Because of the way the team is doing.”
The Chelsea manager further added:
“The youngest squad in the Premier League. You also have to allow them some mistakes in terms of growing. I think, yes, we have yellow cards, yes, we had some red cards, but I like to analyse different situations. For sure, it’s something we can do better.”